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Buncombe County Schools details Title I spending, staffing and monitoring amid funding uncertainty
Summary
At an April Board of Education meeting, Dr. Jennifer Reed outlined how Buncombe County Schools uses Title I funds for early literacy, staff and family engagement, noting reduced federal allocations and timing risks tied to census and federal appropriations.
At the Buncombe County Board of Education meeting in April, Dr. Jennifer Reed delivered the board's strategic-plan highlight on Title I programming, describing how federal funds flow to the district and how the system uses them to support early literacy in K–6 schools.
Reed said Title I supports the district’s strategic goals by funding early literacy, family engagement and staff development and stressed the program’s focus on evidence-aligned reading instruction. "We have unlocked how students learn to read," she said, describing a coordinated, districtwide approach.
Title I funding in Buncombe County Schools accounts for just over 40% of the district's federal funds and the district's total federal revenue equals 6.5% of the system's state/local/federal budget mix. Reed told the board the Title I allocation for the district is a little over $7,000,000 this year and that the district received about $1.2 million less than the prior year.
Reed outlined how funds are distributed and used: Title I in Buncombe County is focused on early literacy (K–6). The district currently funds reading specialists, instructional assistants, tutors and instructional coaches with Title I dollars. Reed said the program served 3,126 K–6 students this year through 36 reading specialists, 63 instructional assistants and 19 tutors; she added that roughly 90% of Title I money in the district is spent on personnel who work directly with students.
Reed explained the funding flow starts at the federal level, passes to the state and then to local public school units based on census data and eligibility criteria. Because Buncombe is a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) district, the system uses direct-service indicators (Medicaid, SNAP, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) rather than free-and-reduced-price lunch counts to determine school eligibility. "We are in year 2 of 4 on our CEP alignment," Reed said.
Reed described district procedures and accountability: schools must align Title I spending to their school improvement plans, designate at least one full-time reading specialist in each Title I school, and set aside district funds for professional learning and administration. The district performs an annual needs assessment, conducts family surveys and is monitored on a four-year cycle; Reed noted the district had a monitoring visit in 2023–24 with both commendations and recommendations.
Board members pressed for timing and risk details. Reed and staff said the district reviews average daily membership and direct-service numbers in March and April to determine which schools will qualify and what planning allotment to expect; schools typically may begin spending Title I funds on July 1. Reed also warned that actual federal cash can arrive later in the fall — sometimes as late as November — which places a premium on local cash-flow and fund-balance planning.
Board member Miss Clemens voiced concern about federal-level budget proposals and the local consequences: "If we don't have funding for this ... it will be detrimental to public education," she said, adding that Title I staff are "extra, extra special, and they're awesome with our children." Superintendent Dr. Jackson and Federal Programs Director Gina Yates were present and took part in technical clarifications during the Q&A.
The presentation concluded with Reed urging continued attention to census accuracy and family engagement to maximize federal dollars and to sustain reading supports at schools that qualify for Title I.
Reed said the district will present planning allocations when state-level determinations are complete and will continue monitoring implementation and family-engagement measures required by ESSA.
