Sylva lays out budget priorities

Local family donates $1.5 million to Haywood County Schools Foundation

HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER

Students at Pisgah High School will have greater opportunities for higher education funding, after a new $1.5 million scholarship was presented at the April 4 board of education meeting.

“Haywood County Schools Foundation is so excited tonight to be able to announce a tremendous scholarship opportunity for our students,” said Haywood County School Foundation Director Jenny Wood in a presentation to the school board. “For years, we’ve awarded a scholarship of a similar amount at Tuscola, and now we are thrilled to be able to do that at Pisgah.”

The Haywood County Schools Foundation has grown to over $8 million in assets over the past few years. According to Wood, this is largely due to the work of Attorney Pat Smathers and his efforts in estate planning. Smathers has been working as the school board attorney for the last 37 years.

In 2002, Grace and Wayne Plott began working with Smathers to figure out what the couple could do to help their family and their community. Around the same time, Wayne’s sister, Doris Plott began working with Smathers for the same purpose.

Last week, Carolyn Plott Nettles and Sheila Tallent Fouts, administrators for the estates of their aunts and uncle, presented a check of $1.5 million to the Haywood County Schools Foundation for needs-based scholarships at Pisgah High School.

“The Wayne and Grace Plott scholarship and the Doris Eugenia Plott scholarship are a tribute to all the early settlers from whom the history of this area was made,” said Nettles. “Each of these families helped settle this part of Western North Carolina. It is most appropriate as a legacy scholarship since Doris never married and Grace and Wayne had no children. It was important for them to know that the students of their beloved Bethel Canton area would have the advantage of obtaining a college education. Grace, Wayne and Doris were proud of their mountain heritage just as Sheila and I are proud of them. We are both humble and honored to be able to present to the Haywood County Schools Foundation a check in the amount of $1,500,700.”

This is a permanently endowed scholarship and will assist graduating seniors at Pisgah High School in perpetuity. On behalf of the board of education, Chairman Chuck Francis expressed his gratitude to the Plott family.

“We are so proud and so honored,” said Francis. “We know our students at Pisgah are going to use this money and do lots of great things.”

“I trust you will understand this is a clarion call to the students of Pisgah High School now, and forever more,” said Smathers. “It is a clarion call to the administration at Pisgah. It is a clarion call to the teachers at Pisgah.”

Board of Governors Chairman Randall C. Ramsey (right) speaks during a press conference with Western Carolina University Chancellor Kelli

R. Brown and UNC System President Peter Hans. Holly Kays photo

UNC System extends waiver for SAT, ACT requirement

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

Through at least fall 2024, applicants to University of North Carolina System schools won’t have to sit for SAT or ACT testing to be considered for admission, following a vote of the UNC Board of Governors Thursday, April 7.

The vote came during a meeting held at the A.K. Hinds University Center at Western Carolina University, marking the first time since 2014 the Board of Governors has held a meeting at WCU.

“Our board is very passionate about making sure that we don’t handicap people and handicap their opportunity to enter one of our universities. Certainly, the pandemic and the opportunity to be well prepared for those tests was greatly hindered over the last few years,” said BOG Chairman Randall C. Ramsey in a press conference following the meeting. “Our board debated this pretty rigorously a couple meetings ago. We are debating among ourselves whether we want to bring those requirements back in at all.”

At the body’s July 23, 2020 meeting, the board voted to waive the standardized testing requirement through fall 2021 admissions. On May 27, 2021, the body discussed the issue again and extended the waiver once more, this time through fall 2022. The newly approved waiver extends through fall 2024.

Though students will not need to submit standardized test scores, other minimum eligibility requirements will still apply, including completion of minimum course requirements — four English courses, four math courses, three science courses, two social science courses and two foreign language courses.

The board is now undertaking a study to look at whether it makes sense to reinstitute the requirement at all, said Ramsey.

“We want to make sure students can be successful,” he said. “If it turns out we really believe this is a great indicator, we may bring it back. But I don’t think you’ll be at a loss for seeing us debate that going forward.”

Tribe eyes property in D.C.

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians tribal leaders frequently travel to Washington, D.C., to make their case to lawmakers on a variety of issues, and soon they hope to have their own space to conduct business in the nation’s capital.

A resolution passed unanimously during Tribal Council Thursday, April 7, commits the tribe to spend the money needed to acquire property there, whether through lease or purchase, and opens the door to making the acquisition a joint venture with other federally recognized tribes.

Vice Chairman Albert Rose said having such a home base would be extremely helpful in fostering relationships with new congressmen and senators who are interested in meeting with tribal leaders and learning about their issues.

“This would help us by hosting it at our place instead of us having to walk from here to there or take a cab,” he said. “It’s close to the Capitol. And plus, our building can tell our story. You’ll be amazed on these freshmen congressmen. They don’t know. They just vote the way they’re told until you educate them.”

Council members were enthusiastic about the proposal but said they’d prefer to make the transaction in concert with one or more partner tribes — doing so would reduce the cost and foster collaboration between participating tribes.

“If you had [senators] coming to you with three other shared tribes, I think that’s just more power for the four tribes,” said Painttown Rep. Boyd Owle.

The resolution states that since Principal Chief John Ross’s first trip in 1816, Cherokee leaders have frequently traveled to D.C. to shape federal law and policy affecting the tribe.

“It is important for the continued success and prosperity of the Tribe to have a visible and responsive presence among Federal lawmakers in Washington, D.C.,” the resolution states.

The tribe has the resources, whether on its own or in concert with a partner tribe, to purchase or lease property there, the resolution states, providing a place to do business with leaders of other tribes, members of Congress, agency personnel and lobbyists.

“Real property values in Washington, D.C., are high and will continue to increase, thereby making an investment in real estate there a sound and profitable investment that contributes to diversification of the Tribe’s investment portfolio,” the resolution reads.

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Owle. “A great idea.”