Amid growing concerns about educational funding consistency, Buncombe County has announced a revamped financial strategy for its K-12 schools. This newly devised formula aims to ensure increased funding and predictability for Asheville City Schools and Buncombe County Schools, as approved by the county Board of Commissioners in a unanimous decision.
Buncombe’s budget director, John Hudson, detailed that the new funding model will allocate 37.76% of property taxes and specific sales taxes collected over the previous year to school operations. Adjustments to this percentage will occur if school enrollment changes by more than 2% annually. Additionally, schools may petition for extra funding in response to unforeseen events.
For the current budget cycle, Hudson noted that this formula would result in $119.5 million directed toward K-12 education, a 1.9% increase over the $117.3 million budget previously adopted. With the anticipated rise in property and sales tax revenues, school funding is expected to grow over time.
Hudson also shared insights from a Dec. 2 briefing where he mentioned that a similar funding approach was considered in 2019 but not officially implemented. Consequently, educational funding has seen fluctuations between 1% and 16% increases, occasionally causing budgetary challenges due to insufficient revenue.
Recent budget cycles posed difficulties for the county, particularly after criticisms from education advocates concerning budget cuts linked to Hurricane Helene. In response, commissioners opted to raise taxes for Asheville City Schools and redirect sales tax revenue designated for school capital projects.
Board Chair Amanda Edwards highlighted the necessity for state involvement, pointing out that state legislators have repeatedly failed to fund a court-ordered educational plan promising an additional $56 million annually for the county’s schools. Edwards reassured school partners, stating, “To our school partners: We will continue to work with our local delegation, with representatives across the General Assembly, hand-in-hand with each of you to ensure that Raleigh is hearing and listening to the true needs of our K-12 schools.”
Before taking effect in the next fiscal year, both local boards of education must approve the agreement. Buncombe school leaders are scheduled to vote on January 15, and Asheville’s school board on February 9.
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Additional Highlights
- In a prior briefing, Parks and Recreation Director Allison Dains discussed plans to seek grants for a $22 million indoor facility and $4 million in river restoration at local parks. Around $7.8 million is available through the Legacy Investment from Tourism program, with awards announced this fall.
- Vic Isley, CEO of Explore Asheville, briefed commissioners on tourism recovery efforts, noting lodging revenue remains below pre-Hurricane Helene levels. She expressed optimism due to upcoming events and the Thomas Dambo troll sculpture exhibit at the North Carolina Arboretum.
- The commissioners approved a financial audit for fiscal year 2025. Mauldin & Jenkins, the auditing firm, gave clean opinions, with Tim Lyons highlighting only minor discrepancies in timesheets.
- An interlocal agreement with Raleigh was approved for emergency backup 911 call center services. Buncombe has similar arrangements with several counties for mutual aid support.
- Holly Jordan, Buncombe’s cooperative extension director, was honored with a Governor’s Award for Excellence for her outstanding post-Hurricane Helene efforts.
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners convenes every first and third Tuesday at 200 College St., Room 326, in downtown Asheville at 5 p.m. The next meeting is set for Tuesday, Dec. 20. For more details, view the full recording and agenda of the Jan. 6 meeting.
