Lucy Herring will remain open to students during construction next year, officials say

ASHEVILLE - Lucy S. Herring Elementary School will remain open to students next school year even as the building undergoes renovations. The official notice came March 19, reversing an earlier announcement that the school would be closed and it's roughly 250 students dispersed among the district's four other elementary schools during the $8.2 million project.

The final decision was made by a Lucy Herring "construction team" comprised of families, staff and district representatives.

"The parent representatives and staff that were present were very committed to staying in the building during construction," said Asheville City Schools Chief of Staff Kimberly Dechant. "However, parents who do not want to power through construction still have the option to transfer schools."

A March 5 announcement of closure for the 2024-25 school year left some parents of the West Asheville school "shell-shocked," but the decision was quickly followed by a notice from the district that it would take a "pause" and look at ways to keep the school open with students in attendance.

What followed was a March 14 meeting at the school where ACS Superintendent Maggie Fehrman presented an updated construction plan, which said though each of the school's roughly 17 kindergarten through fifth-grade classrooms will be moved once during construction to a temporary classroom on the school campus, and there will be noise and dust, it was possible for the school to remain operational.

In a March 19 message to families, provided to the Citizen Times by Dechant, Lucy Herring Principal Sonna Jamerson said, "with the reinstatement of Vannoy Construction's original plan, to work in multiple phases throughout the building, our team unanimously voted that we will be able to provide safe and effective learning environments at Lucy S. Herring Elementary School next year."

"Where misinformation had previously limited our choices, this comprehensive understanding of the project rebuilt our confidence in remaining on the LSH campus during the renovations," Jamerson said.

In this plan, Jamerson's message said, four classrooms will be kept stocked with furniture and learning supplies to remain designated as "temporary" classrooms during each phase of construction. Classrooms may be displaced for five weeks at a time, but may include teacher work days and school holiday breaks, so classrooms could be displaced for fewer than 25 school days.

Construction is scheduled to start in mid-June and estimated to be completed in fall 2025. The more than 40-year-old building needs renovations, including upgrades to heating and cooling systems, new bathrooms, all new mechanical systems, a new ceiling and roof, all new windows, kitchen upgrades, and a three-tiered security vestibule.

If a parent is considering transferring their student to another elementary school, they are asked to make the decision by March 25.

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Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email shonosky@citizentimes.com or message on Twitter at @slhonosky. Please support local, daily journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.