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Board debates waiving $300 out‑of‑district tuition to recruit students; pilot proposed
Summary
Staff briefed the board on the history and equity tradeoffs of Asheville—s $300 out‑of‑district tuition and several board members proposed a fee waiver pilot to boost enrollment.
Tanya (staff member, enrollment/tuition) reviewed the district—s out‑of‑district tuition, which has been set historically to approximate the local supplemental tax contribution paid by in‑district property owners. The current baseline figure discussed in the session is $300 for the first child and $100 for additional siblings; Tanya and other staff noted that other nearby districts charge substantially higher fees or none at all.
Board members raised equity and strategic considerations. Some members argued that eliminating or waiving the fee could increase average daily membership (ADM) enough to narrow the FY26 shortfall: staff estimated that a small increase in out‑of‑district enrollment could recover a material share of the $125,000 in baseline tuition revenue. Proponents suggested a two‑year pilot waiver or a waiver limited to elementary and middle grades so the district could test enrollment effects before making a permanent change.
Opponents and staff also flagged risks: the $300 fee has been presented historically as equivalent to the supplemental tax paid by in‑district residents, and removing it could raise questions from voters who already pay the supplemental property tax. Tanya cautioned that the change could be politically difficult to reverse. Staff also noted that families attending Buncombe County Schools or charter schools do not pay the fee; Buncombe County residents pay county taxes rather than the district supplemental tax.
Status: Board members asked staff to quantify potential enrollment gains from a waiver and to include a pilot option among budget request materials for discussion with county commissioners. No binding vote occurred on a waiver during the meeting.
Direct quote: A board member said: "If we can increase even 15 students, we're well — no, less than that — what is that? 8 students' worth of revenue? We would close that $125,000."
