Facilities backlog tops $450 million; schools seek phased Article 39 and 40/42 funding amid legislative uncertainty

Buncombe County Schools facilities staff told the Board Friday that the district faces multi‑hundred‑million‑dollar capital needs driven by aging infrastructure, rising construction costs and recent growth in parts of the county.

"We have 45 school campuses, 4 and a half million square feet of brick and mortar space and 102 acres of roof," Director of Facilities and Maintenance Clark Wyatt said. He described the district's average facility age as roughly 50 years and called deferred maintenance a driver of exponentially higher future costs.

Wyatt said the district's total identified capital needs this year exceed $450 million across funding streams; because available funds are far smaller, the district uses a phased approach and multiple funding sources (Article 39, Article 40/42 and lottery funds) to spread work across years.

Nut graf: The immediate implications are operational and safety focused—roofs, mechanical systems, fire alarms and access control were emphasized—and the district warned a state legislative proposal to change how Article 39 funds may be used would materially alter the district's ability to fund its highest‑priority infrastructure projects.

What the district presented

- Scale of need: Wyatt presented a long‑range capital estimate that the district uses to prioritize work. He said an annual spend of about $27 million would be required merely to maintain…