Rebecca Leigh Strimer

Rebecca Leigh Strimer is an incumbent member of the Asheville City Schools Board of Education, seeking re‑election for a seat on the four‑member board that governs Asheville City Schools (ACS) in Buncombe County, North Carolina. The Board of Education is responsible for setting district policies, establishing strategic goals, providing operational oversight, and acting as a bridge between the community and school leadership to ensure public education meets local needs [8].

Strimer’s professional background is rooted in K‑12 education leadership. She served as principal of Hall Fletcher Elementary School from 2011 to 2016, where she implemented a high‑heat composting program that cut cafeteria waste by 80% and provided a hands‑on teaching opportunity for students and staff [8]. Earlier in her career, she earned a national teaching award in 1995 for developing an environmental blended curriculum for seventh‑grade students at Asheville Middle School, integrating study of the French Broad River into science and social studies lessons [8].

In her current role on the Board, Strimer has articulated positions on several key issues facing ACS. Regarding the three‑year collaborative funding strategy that allocates roughly 15% of a $119 million pool to Asheville schools, she emphasizes the predictability of the funding formula and the need to recruit more students to sustain programs [8]. She supports zero‑waste initiatives, drawing on her Hall Fletcher experience to advocate for public‑private partnerships that expand composting and food‑waste reduction in school cafeterias [8]. On transportation, she acknowledges a statewide driver shortage and proposes targeted recruitment campaigns aimed at local outdoor‑enthusiast communities, citing successful models in Boulder, Colorado [8].

Strimer also stresses the importance of climate and sustainability education, arguing that schools must teach solution‑oriented content about environmental stewardship to prepare future leaders [8]. To address teacher morale and retention, she points to better financial compensation at the state level and highlights a school‑culture approach that grants teachers respect and autonomy—a practice she employed successfully as a principal [8].

Her public profile lists her as a currently elected board member on Vote‑USA, though detailed biographical data such as formal education credentials are not provided in the available sources [3].

Sources

• [3] Vote-USA | Rebecca Strimer | Currently Elected Asheville Board of Education, Asheville, Buncombe County, N.C.
• [8] Candidates for Asheville Board of Education share their stances on collaborative funding, staff morale and environmental issues – Mountain Xpress
• [12] Rebecca Strimer, North Carolina (1 match): Phone Number, Email, Address - Spokeo