Board agrees to move SELSA cooperative-innovative high school application forward

The Asheville City Schools board agreed on a path forward for SELSA’s application to be considered for PRC-55 supplemental funding from the state, authorizing the board chair to sign the application so it can proceed through the Department of Public Instruction review process.

The application seeks supplemental allotments meant for Cooperative Innovative High Schools that, if appropriated by the General Assembly, would provide $180,000 annually (tier 3 allotment) to support a full-time college liaison, a community program coordinator and other programmatic needs. Jeremy Gibbs, who presented the update, said the funding is intended to strengthen SELSA’s postsecondary alignment and advising and would not be a top-to-bottom redesign of the school. “This is more of a refinement and improvement of practices and, quite frankly, building on a lot of the visionary work,” Gibbs said.

The nut of the discussion was how the supplemental funds would be used and whom the program should prioritize. Board members asked whether SELSA should continue to recruit accelerated learners given districtwide AP and dual-enrollment offerings and pressed for attention to the statute’s three target groups: students at risk of dropping out, first-generation college students and those who would benefit from accelerated instruction. Superintendent and school staff described how the cooperative-innovative designation allows earlier access to community-college courses and emphasized that existing partnerships with AB Tech would remain central.

Board members and staff noted a multi-step approval process: DPI and the Community College System Office review the application, then the State Board of Education and the State Board of Community Colleges review it before any schools that are recommended proceed to the General Assembly for appropriation. Gibbs said one signed AB Tech board chair letter was already in the packet and that the application still needed technical refinement. The application was due to DPI on Oct. 10, and the board’s signature and the superintendent’s signature serve as “leadership support” to move the document through those panels.

Board members asked about sustainability if the funding were added and later removed. District staff answered that historically schools added to the supplemental allotment have been rolled into recurring budgets, but appropriations remain subject to the legislative process and carry inherent uncertainty. Board members also asked how SELSA would coordinate with Asheville High School and Randall programing so that opportunities are available broadly and not duplicative.

After questions and discussion, the chair asked for consensus to sign the application so the process could continue; board members present signaled assent and the chair said she would sign. Staff said they would continue internal work with AB Tech and return to the board with more detailed program mapping and enrollment planning.

The board directed staff to continue to refine program details, prioritizing targeted recruitment and supports for the statute’s three priority groups, and to keep the board informed as the application advances through state review.

The agreement to move the application forward does not guarantee funding; the request still must pass multiple state review steps and be appropriated by the General Assembly.