Buncombe County panel hears lessons from Durham, Forsyth and Mecklenburg on expanding pre‑K

Buncombe County’s investment committee on a recent Zoom meeting heard from leaders of pre‑K programs in Durham, Forsyth and Mecklenburg counties about how local investment can expand access and stabilize quality for four‑year‑old preschoolers.

The panel featured Linda Chappelle, senior vice president at Early Years and manager of Durham Pre‑K; Leslie Mullenix, project director of Forsyth County’s Pre‑K Priority coalition; and Mary Margaret Cantor, chief early education officer at Smart Start of Mecklenburg County. Committee members said they sought practical models for deploying local funds and avoiding common implementation pitfalls.

Why it matters: panelists described how locally directed dollars let counties target gaps state funding does not cover — including teacher compensation, vacancy subsidies and wrap‑around care — and offered examples of policies that have improved program stability and quality.

What the panel said: Chappelle said Durham’s locally funded preschool budget for fiscal year 2026 includes $11,500,000 in recurring county dollars and an additional $2,400,000 in ARPA funds that expire in November 2026. She described a “braided” funding model that combines local funds with NC Pre‑K, Head Start and Title I to both enhance existing seats and create new ones. “We budget for about a 10% vacancy rate,” Chappelle said, describing Durham’s preservice payment that gives sites a one‑time payment each school year to help manage empty seats and cash‑flow volatility.

Mullenix described Forsyth’s ARPA‑supported pilot: a $4,000,000, two‑year investment administered locally to enhance 36 classrooms rather than create permanently funded seats tied to one‑time dollars. The program raised teacher pay to parity with the county school system, provided retention bonuses, adopted a common curriculum and implemented Brigance assessments to measure outcomes, she said.

Cantor said Mecklenburg’s Mac Pre‑K is fully tax‑funded and operates roughly 115 classrooms serving about 2,050 children; she emphasized regular reporting to county commissioners and an array of local supports for teachers and families. “I’m putting my skin on the line every single day,” Cantor said of the work and warned that recent federal developments affecting statewide support organizations have created fear that could threaten some centers.

Common challenges: all three panelists named workforce shortages and low pay, limited availability and cost of before‑ and after‑school wrap care, and growing numbers of children with special needs as the most persistent operational constraints. Panelists also noted turnover among community leaders and the absence of a federal guarantee for universal preschool funding as sources of uncertainty and fatigue among advocates.

Promising practices: panelists pointed to a mix of strategies that local governments can use — higher local reimbursement rates tied to teacher salary scales; preservice payments to stabilize provider budgets; targeted ARPA or philanthropic investments to pilot enhancements; apprenticeship and childcare‑academy partnerships to speed credentialing; and active engagement of local businesses and chambers to build political and financial support.

Next steps: Buncombe committee members asked for supply‑and‑demand data, materials on business engagement and follow‑up conversations. Panelists offered their contact information and agreed to share reports and evaluation materials.

The committee closed with no public comment and asked members to send any follow‑up questions; the body will reconvene next month.