ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — The number of homeless students in Buncombe County swelled in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene’s assault on Western North Carolina.

Reports put the number of students in the county without permanent homes at more than 1,300.

As of Nov. 25, Asheville City Schools reported 203 homeless students. Of those, 69 were identified as a result of Helene. School officials said one of those students was living in a tent.

During a Nov. 14 board meeting, Buncombe County Schools Superintendent Dr. Rob Jackson said the district had 254 homeless students before Helene hit the area, destroying huge swaths of Swannanoa, Garren Creek, Fairview and Barnardsville.

“You’ll see that as of Nov. 13, that number had grown to 1,136,” Jackson told Buncombe County Board of Education members.

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Buncombe County Schools reopened on Oct. 25 and returned to its regular schedule on Nov. 4.

“One of the reasons I believe our opening worked so well and went so well is because we had incredible help,” Jackson said. “We reached out to the 115 school systems. I emailed the superintendents at 115 school systems and said, ‘We need help.'”

That help showed up in a big way — 53 school systems sent 263 school counselors and school social workers to Buncombe County Schools, the superintendent said.

“They were in our schools to be someone our students, staff members and our own counselors and social workers could talk to as they continue to process all that we’ve been through as a community,” Jackson said.

The district is dedicated to paying that help forward.

“Over and over as many times and as many ways as we possibly can,” Jackson said.

Some Buncombe County Schools counselors went to Yancey County to help with the reopening of that district.

“So, a very small way for us to pay it forward, but we’ll certainly continue to look for those opportunities and we do appreciate the school systems that have helped us,” the superintendent said.

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The district is also leaning on community partners for help.

“We know that support is going to be needed for many months,” Jackson said.

The district is also looking to the United States Department of Education and the North Carolina General Assembly for support.

Jackson said the state Department of Public Instruction had also reached out to district officials to ask how it could help.

Buncombe County Schools is also seeking grants to help support the district, its students and staff.

“We appreciate all of our partners in all of the various entities that have been stepping forward to help us,” Jackson said.

The district has created a Hurricane Helene Relief Resources and How to Help section on its website.