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Buncombe board unanimously approves $10.32 million local funding request to county commissioners
Summary
The Buncombe County Board of Education approved submitting a preliminary FY2025–26 budget request to county commissioners that asks for a $10,315,520 increase to maintain current services, cover salary and benefit increases, and absorb rising operational costs.
The Buncombe County Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday to submit a preliminary FY2025–26 budget request to the Buncombe County commissioners asking for a $10,315,520 increase to local funding.
The request, presented by Doctor Jackson, superintendent of Buncombe County Schools, is intended "to maintain the level of service we have provided to our students and families," Jackson said during the board meeting.
The increase is divided into three parts: $4,200,000 to cover salary and benefit increases, $2,015,520 for rising operational costs such as utilities and insurance, and $4,100,000 to preserve current local-funded services, the superintendent said. Jackson told the board that local dollars are used to add counselors, assistant principals, nurses and social workers above levels funded by the state.
Board members and district staff described a narrow fiscal picture shaped by uncertainty at multiple funding levels. The chair and finance staff noted that the district had used part of its fund balance earlier this year after the county withdrew roughly $3.9 million related to recovery from hurricane Helene; the board said it will continue to monitor the fund balance and press county and state officials for stable revenue.
Tina Thorpe, chief financial officer, was available to answer board questions; the board had reviewed the request in six work sessions over recent months. Doctor Jackson said state law requires the school system to submit its capital and current-expense requests to the county on or before May 15 and that the board would present the request to commissioners the following day.
Board members moved and seconded the action to submit the preliminary budget request. Hearing no opposition, the chair called the motion approved.
The board also approved the meeting consent agenda and advanced several informational items; the budget request now goes to the county commissioners for consideration in their budget process.
