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Board adopts conduct norms, authorizes chair to press legislators on Article 39 funding and pauses on CDBG‑DR amendment
Summary
The Asheville City Schools Board approved new board norms, with one member opposed, and authorized the board chair to finalize and send a letter asking legislators not to alter Article 39 school capital funding. The board discussed but delayed a separate request about Asheville's CDBG‑DR plan pending more staff analysis.
The Asheville City Schools Board voted to approve a set of board norms and gave the board chair discretion to finalize and send a joint letter asking state legislators to preserve Article 39 capital funding for schools. Board members debated the norms before the vote, and one member registered formal opposition.
A board member who stated objections at a prior work session repeated concerns at the meeting about any norms that might limit members’ accessibility to staff and the public. “I am concerned about the board norms being edited, and certain things being omitted,” said the speaker identified in the transcript as a board member. That board member specifically urged the board to maintain an open‑door policy for staff and families and to ensure the board retains statutory oversight duties.
Other members responded that the norms were intended to clarify role boundaries and to ask members to route operational concerns through the superintendent or designee. After brief discussion the board voted to approve the norms; the meeting record shows the measure passed by a majority with one member opposed.
On a separate staffing and funding matter, the board considered a proposed letter asking state lawmakers not to amend Article 39 — a source of school capital funding. The chair noted the draft letter would be shared with Buncombe County Schools and other organizations and that the board would add Asheville City Schools‑specific examples of capital projects before sending it. A motion to vest board chair Sarah Thornburg with authority to tweak and submit the proposed Article 39 letter passed on a subsequent voice vote.
The board also considered a request to ask the City of Asheville to amend its draft Community Development Block Grant — disaster relief (CDBG‑DR) plan to explicitly include childcare, preschool and local educational agencies as eligible infrastructure. Several board members said they wanted more information before sending a formal letter because CDBG‑DR rules and eligible project definitions can be specific. Superintendent Dr. Fuhrman said staff were preparing an FAQ and that the grant’s public comment window was time‑sensitive; board members agreed to gather more information and to consider a special meeting if needed.
The board also approved the consent agenda (which included draft minutes, student releases, school nutrition items, contracts and a superintendent contract amendment) by unanimous voice vote earlier in the meeting.
No changes to Article 39 or to the CDBG‑DR plan were finalized at the meeting; the board authorized the chair to pursue the Article 39 letter and asked staff to return with more detailed guidance on CDBG‑DR eligibility and timing.
