Buncombe commissioners, education leaders agree on school funding plan

This story has been updated to reflect the amount of LIFT money that will be available for grants to the county and other applicants this fall.

Buncombe County has hashed out a new formula for funding its K-12 education systems. Officials say the plan, ratified unanimously by the county Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night, will provide both more money and greater budgetary reliability for Asheville City Schools and Buncombe County Schools.

As presented by John Hudson, Buncombe’s budget director, the agreement would set each year’s operations funding for schools at 37.76% of property taxes and certain sales taxes collected by the county over the previous 12 months. That percentage would be adjusted upward or downward if public school enrollment changed by more than 2%in any given year. Schools could also request extra funds for “sudden, unexpected, or extraordinary” events.

Hudson said that the funding formula, if applied to this year’s budget cycle, would have allocated $119.5 million to K-12 education. That figure is 1.9% higher than the $117.3 million budget that the county ended up adopting. Because property and sales tax revenues generally increase each year, school funding would automatically increase over time as well.

At a Dec. 2 briefing, Hudson noted that the county had explored a similar method of regular funding increases for education in 2019 but never formally adopted an agreement. Budget hikes have been inconsistent ever since, he said, ranging from as little as 1% to as much as 16%. In some cases, he added, “we have found ourselves without enough revenue and making compromises or tax rate changes to pass a balanced budget that have not had the benefit of planning.”

The county grappled with such a situation in its most recent budget cycle. After facing sustained criticism from education advocates about school budget cuts made in response to Hurricane Helene, commissioners raised taxes for the Asheville City Schools district and reallocated sales tax revenue that had been assigned to school capital projects.

Board Chair Amanda Edwards emphasized that, while the new formula will provide smoother support for schools at the local government level, state government still needed to do its part. Each year since 2022, legislators in Raleigh have failed to fund a court-ordered plan for education funding that would send an extra $56 million annually to the county’s K-12 systems.

“Just because we’re approving this formula does not mean that the county commissioners will not continue to support advocating for public education funding,” said Edwards. “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.”

Both local boards of education still need to ratify the agreement before it could come into effect for the upcoming fiscal year. Buncombe school leaders will vote on the plan Thursday, Jan. 15, while Asheville’s school board will vote Monday, Feb. 9.

Other tidbits

• At a briefing prior to the main meeting, Parks and Recreation Director Allison Dains shared the county government’s plans to apply for Legacy Investment from Tourism (LIFT) grants from the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority. The county will seek support for a new $22 million indoor recreation facility at the Buncombe County Sports Park, as well as $4 million in river restoration work at Hominy Creek, Glen Bridge, and Bent Creek parks. Explore Asheville spokesperson Ashley Greenstein told BPR that roughly $12.2 million will be available through LIFT at the time grants are awarded in October.
• Vic Isley, president and CEO of Explore Asheville, updated commissioners about the BCTDA’s efforts to encourage the recovery of area tourism. While Buncombe County lodging revenue remains below pre-Helene levels, Isley was optimistic about visitation tied to upcoming conferences and sporting events, such as the Biltmore Championship professional golf tournament. She also highlighted the exhibit of Danish artist Thomas Dambo’s troll sculptures at the North Carolina Arboretum, which she said had boosted arboretum visitation in November and December well beyond any previous year.
• Commissioners unanimously approved Buncombe’s financial audit for fiscal year 2025. Atlanta-based Mauldin & Jenkins, the county’s audit firm, issued clean opinions on Buncombe’s financial statements. Tim Lyons, the auditor’s engagement partner, noted that the firm found minor discrepancies in employee timesheets involving “not a significant amount of dollars.”
• The board approved an interlocal agreement with Raleigh that allows the city’s 911 call center to serve as an emergency backup for Buncombe County’s facility. According to Osiris Carter, Buncombe’s public safety communications director, the agreement formalizes “a long history of providing and receiving mutual aid support with Raleigh.” Buncombe has similar agreements in place with Brunswick, Davie, Haywood, and Henderson counties.
• Holly Jordan, Buncombe’s cooperative extension director, was recognized for receiving a Governor’s Award for Excellence — North Carolina’s highest honor for state employees. Jordan earned the award for her efforts after Helene, which included organizing a clothing donation drive, coordinating emergency deliveries to local farmers, and developing new education programs to address post-storm agricultural concerns.
  

Every first and third Tuesday, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners meets at 200 College St., Room 326, in downtown Asheville, beginning at 5 p.m. The next meeting will take place Tuesday, Dec. 20. See the full recording and agenda of the Jan. 6 meeting.