Asheville City and Buncombe County School System Consolidation Feasibility Study
Asheville City and Buncombe County School System Consolidation Feasibility Study
In September of 2023 the North Carolina General Assembly mandated that the Asheville City and Buncombe County school systems jointly study the feasibility of a merger. To date, Buncombe County Commissioners were designated the lead entity for this project and issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to select a vendor to facilitate the study. “This is a really important question, and I want us to do this right. I think we should follow through on this, it was not a started on the local level, but we want this to be a process with integrity,” said Chair Newman.
The Board approved an amendment to establish the budget necessary ($301,543) to pay for that study and awarded a contract to the recommended vendor Prismatic Services, Inc. The proposed timeline is:
April 2024: Prismatic Services to launch study
December 2024: Prismatic Services to submit final report
January 2025: Commissioners & School Boards to discuss findings/recommendations. The Board of Commissioners will hold a joint special meeting with Buncombe County and City of Asheville Schools administration on Thursday, Jan. 16 at 9 a.m. at the First Floor Conference Room of the County Administration Building, located at 200 College Street. No action or public comment will be taken at the meeting. The meeting is open to the public and will be streamed to the Buncombe County Government’s Facebook channel.
February 2025: Board of Education to report to General Assembly
Beginning in September, Buncombe County hosted a series of drop-in meetings to hear from community members. Learn more about meeting dates and locations below. Find more information here.
Draft Report
The consultant hired by Buncombe County to complete the School System Consolidation Feasibility Study has provided the County with a draft report. The report linked here is currently in draft form and is marked as such. Changes may be made before the final is released.
Tapped In | School System Consolidation
Leonard and ZaKiya are joined by Jeremy Lett, Buncombe County Public Engagement Manager, to discuss the study currently being conducted to determine the feasibility of consolidating Buncombe County and Asheville City School systems. They also talk about what that could mean for our community and how you can get involved and let your voice be heard in the discussion.