Board debates Buncombe County interlocal funding formula that sets Asheville27s baseline at 37.76%

Asheville City Schools board members spent the bulk of their Jan. 9 meeting reviewing a proposed interlocal funding agreement with Buncombe County that would fix the district27s share of a defined local current-expense revenue pool at 37.76 percent.

Heidi, the district27s finance director, told the board the formula sets a clear starting place and uses the prior 12 months27 27actual27 collections so schools would have more predictable baseline funding from which to plan. "Our percent of that pie will stay the same every year," she said, explaining that the county27s recent recalculation of unrestricted revenue raised the baseline to 37.76 percent.

The agreement, as presented, would begin with a three-year initial term and give any party the option to terminate or modify after two years or when a newly seated board takes office. It ties annual allocations to the prior-year collections (property and specified sales tax accruals) and schedules the county to remit the monthly portion of the baseline by…