By james art Crossnore Communities for Children has named Rashon Grissom Meekins as the first principal of its new charter school in Winston-Salem, which will open in August 2025. Meekins comes to Crossnore after a long career as an educator, leader and consultant with Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County Schools, where she most recently served as assistant principal at Cook Literacy Model School.
Crossnore Community Charter School will be housed in multiple former school buildings on Crossnore’s Winston-Salem campus, located off Reynolda Road. It will open in August 2025 for students in grades K through 4, expand to grades K through 5 in August 2026, and serve grades K through 8 in August 2027.
The Crossnore team is dedicated to fostering a supportive learning environment that embraces both trauma-informed practices and equity principles. This approach aims to: recognize and support students who may have experienced challenges, create a safe and supportive environment for all learners, and promote equity and equal opportunities for success. By combining compassionate understanding with a commitment to equity, we strive to enable every student to flourish academically, emotionally and socially.
“We are thrilled to have Rashon join our team as our charter school principal. She has already started work and is providing an invaluable insight into the planning and preparation for the opening of our school next August,” said Crossnore chief executive Brett Loftis. “Renovations to the future home of the charter school are underway and expected to be completed by early summer 2025. We will begin enrollment for students entering grades K through 4 in the next few weeks, and the hiring of faculty and staff positions will take place in early 2025.’
Prior to her position at Cook Literacy Model School, Meekins served as Dean of Students, School Improvement Grant Coach, Literacy Coach, and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Coordinator at Kimberley Park Elementary School. For the past eight years, she has also been involved with the Children’s Defense Fund’s Freedom Schools program in various capacities.
“My vision for Crossnore Community Charter School in Winston-Salem is that it will be a model school for how education is done differently,” Meekins said. “We will not only focus on academics, but also on the socio-emotional well-being of students. Our school will meet the needs of the whole child, as well as the needs of all scholars, based on their individuality.
“As a school we will commit to trauma-informed practices where all pupils and staff feel safe, welcomed, supported and empowered to participate fully in what Crossnore School has to offer,” she added. “Learning will look different at Crossnore. We will use research-based practices to differentiate instruction in smaller classrooms. Our school will be a place where a continuous inquiry-based process enables the necessary teamwork, coordination, creativity and shared responsibility for all students, and where continuous learning is accessible to both teachers and students.
Meekins earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Winston-Salem State University, a master’s degree in teaching and special education from Salem College, and a master’s degree in school administration from North Carolina A&T State University.
To learn more about the charter school and complete the enrollment interest survey, please visit
About Crossnore Communities for Kids
For more than 100 years, Crossnore has been one of the most trusted names in child safety, protection and welfare as a provider of holistic care, hope and healing for children who have experienced trauma. Our promise to all children and families is to value and accept them fully and to devote our extraordinary resources to their needs. No organization is better placed than Crossnore Communities for Children to provide vulnerable families with a wide-ranging ecosystem of support. For more information about Crossnore’s communities for children, please visit crossnore.org.