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Asheville City Schools warns of multimillion-dollar gap after Buncombe County budget proposal
Summary
Superintendent Maggie Fuhrman told the school board the county manager's proposed budget does not include a recommended restoration of the district's supplemental tax and leaves Asheville City Schools (ACS) with a multi-million-dollar shortfall; the board discussed advocacy steps and a May 20 public hearing.
Asheville City Schools Superintendent Maggie Fuhrman told the school board that a proposed Buncombe County budget presented by the county manager does not include restoring the district's supplemental tax to 12 cents and leaves the district with a continuing budget shortfall.
Fuhrman said the district's request to restore the supplemental property tax to 12 cents was not included in the county manager's recommended budget and that the county's proposed allocation is about $226,000 less than the district anticipated at its initial projection. She said the district had presented commissioners a no-cuts budget and that the county's proposed package still leaves ACS with roughly a $4 million deficit after the district would allocate $3 million from fund balance.
The superintendent outlined next steps the board must consider, including continued advocacy to restore the special tax, attending the county budget hearing on May 20, and whether the superintendent should speak at that hearing to explain what cuts would mean for student-facing positions. She asked board members whether the board wanted to discuss likely reductions at the June 2 work session so the board could prepare for decisions at its June 9 regular meeting.
Board members and community representatives who spoke at the meeting stressed the importance of clear, specific messaging to county commissioners. Board members urged that any public presentation make explicit what program or staff losses would result from failure to restore the tax or secure other revenues and to show how recent funding changes and staffing reductions have affected the district.
Board members and district staff also discussed a coalition of families and community groups (referred to in the meeting as Families of Asheville City Schools, FACS) organizing public comment, town halls and meetings with commissioners to press for restored funding. Fuhrman said district staff had met with the groups and planned to coordinate advocacy efforts.
Several board members recommended emphasizing early childhood education as a use for any restored local funding; Fuhrman said roughly $800,000 of current district funding supports preschool and early childhood programs and that dedicating restored revenue to early childhood supports could be one persuasive message for commissioners. Other board members urged caution about committing restored funds in advance, saying the district may need flexibility.
Board members also said they want to show commissioners data about student outcomes and staffing to explain the student-facing impact of cuts. Fuhrman said the district had presented gains on several measures and noted the loss of roughly 11 positions from the prior year.
No formal vote was taken on a specific course of action at the meeting. Board members asked the superintendent to continue coordinating with community advocates, to provide updated budget scenarios, and to prepare for possible public testimony at the county budget hearing.
Fuhrman and board members said they will continue outreach to commissioners and that the board will consider timing and speakers for the May 20 hearing; some board members recommended reserving public comment time for community members rather than having district employees deliver most testimony.
