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Asheville City Schools asks county for funds to avoid roughly $7 million in FY26 cuts
Summary
District staff presented three budget scenarios for FY26 and the board directed staff to pursue a no‑cuts request (Option 1) to Buncombe County, while discussing contingency reductions if the county cannot increase funding.
Asheville City Schools officials told the board on April 14 that the district faces an anticipated FY26 shortfall of roughly $6.7–7.0 million driven by lower enrollment, rising employee benefits and insurance costs, and new expenses such as universal school meals.
Superintendent and finance staff presented three draft budget scenarios. Option 1 would keep current staffing and programs intact but requires the district to ask Buncombe County for roughly $2.45 million in additional allocation (above current expectations) and assumes restoration of certain supplemental tax revenue. Option 2 combines targeted cuts — including eight central office FTEs and reductions to school schedules — and still uses $3.0 million of fund balance. Option 3 is the deepest reduction package: it would remove nine central office positions, cut a student support specialist, reduce contracted days for instructional assistants, bus drivers and nutrition staff, and alter the local salary supplement to reach balance without additional county funds.
Maggie (staff member, budget presenter) and Heidi (staff member, finance lead) walked the board through drivers of the shortfall: declining student counts, a roughly $2.0 million ongoing deficit in the early childhood/preschool program, upward pressure from state and local salary increases (including a locally funded supplement that scales with salary increases), rising health insurance and utility costs, and uncertainty about the county’s final appropriation following a recent hurricane.
Board members repeatedly emphasized that avoiding staff layoffs was a priority. After discussion about the district’s options, board members signaled general agreement to pursue Option 1 — the “no cuts” ask — when staff presents the formal budget request to Buncombe County on April 29. Superintendent staff said they will also prepare materials showing deeper options (including targeted reductions) so the board and commissioners can compare outcomes if the county cannot provide the requested funds.
Why it matters: Asheville City Schools funds a materially larger share of its workforce with local dollars compared with most districts in the state. That local funding — and the district’s history of supplemental taxes to support smaller class sizes and elective programs — means staffing decisions have outsized impact on the budget. The board’s direction to seek Option 1 is an early step in the formal budget calendar that leads to the county’s May hearings and final county approval in June.
What’s next: Staff will return with a formal budget request to present to Buncombe County on April 29 and will produce more detailed “what if” scenarios showing the operational impacts of Options 2 and 3. The board also asked staff to prepare an aspirational budget showing investments (for example in early childhood and instructional support) that the district would pursue if additional county revenue were available.
Votes and formal actions: The board reached consensus to pursue Option 1 (no‑cuts request) as the primary ask to Buncombe County; that direction is being treated as the board’s guidance to staff rather than a roll‑call resolution recorded in the transcript.
