Buncombe County leaders consider $100M–$500M general obligation bond to address urgent school repairs and upgrades

Buncombe County and local school officials spent the meeting reviewing options for a potential general obligation (GO) bond to fund major school capital projects, including building replacements, mechanical system upgrades and districtwide front-office security reconfigurations.

Dr. Jackson, representing the county school staff, said the district has identified potential projects that together "exceed, almost $500,000,000," and argued a GO bond could create a separate funding stream so Article 39 funds could continue to address routine repairs such as roofs and smaller HVAC work. He and other staff presented scenario-based prioritizations for different bond sizes, including examples of what could be completed at $100 million, $150 million and higher levels.

Why it matters: school systems and county leaders must align a bond ask with budget adoption and the Local Government Commission (LGC) timetable. Staff said reliable numbers would be needed by June to support a referendum process tied to the county budget cycle and LGC requirements.

Key priorities and estimates presented

- Glen Arden Elementary School: staff cited a schematic estimate of about…