Hello, BCS Staff and Families.
Here’s a look at the BCS Board Briefing for May 7, 2026. The full broadcast is on YouTube, and photos are posted in this Google Drive folder.
In our Good News segment, we recognized and celebrated:
· State MathCOUNTS Competitors
-Lucas McKee: Erwin Middle School
-Finn Cramer and Eli Stolte: A.C. Reynolds Middle School
-Sadie Dillow, Jonah Lehman, Josiah Reiter, and Brie Sudnik: Owen Middle School
-William Nienaber: Koontz Intermediate School
· BCS Elementary Battle of the Books Champions- Glen Arden Elementary School
-Isabella Brady, Francesca Byers, Lulu Carter, Robbie Dial, Reagan Glenn, Thira Josheff, Lily Langdon, Raegan Mishoe, Cassidy Punzell, Vesper Rackoff, Leila Shanahan, and Sofia Tudela Warfield
· Land of Sky Regional Masonry Awards
-Mikhail Foman and Gabriel Sakaki, A.C. Reynolds High School
· Don Chalker Award for Excellence in Educational Leadership
- James Michael Sapp, Eblen Intermediate School
Presentation: Facilities Study
Strategic Plan Highlight: From Strategy to Success: Elevating Multilingual Learner Outcomes
Action Agenda
· Approval of Athletic Participation Fee Increase
· Approval of Funding Request for Current Expense and Capital Appropriation and Submission of the 2026-2027 Preliminary Budget to County Commissioners
· Approval of 2026-2027 Lottery Funding for Paving
· Approval of 2026-2027 Allotment Manual
Consent Agenda
· Minutes: April 2, 2026 – Regular Meeting
· Personnel Report – May 7, 2026
· 2026-2027 Student Athletic Insurance
· 2025-2026 Budget Amendment #6
· 2025-2026 Academic Calendar Revision
· Clyde A. Erwin Middle School- Revision to Sewer Easement
· 2026-2027 Enrollment & Facilities Needs Report
Information Agenda
· Finance Report
Announcements/Future Meetings
· The Board of Education will hold a Policy Committee meeting on May 19, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. in the Executive Conference Room at 175 Bingham Road, Asheville, NC 28806.
· The next Board of Education Regular Meeting is June 4, 2026. Work session updates and Closed Session beginning at 4:00 p.m. in the Executive Conference Room, and the Open Session beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Minitorium at 175 Bingham Road, Asheville, NC 28806.
Superintendent's Comments
Good evening Parents, Members of the Community, Board Members, and Teammates,
Welcome to the month of May — the final stretch of our school year, with just 23 days remaining. This season is one of both celebration and focused determination. Across our schools, we’re seeing remarkable achievements in academics, the arts, and athletics. At the same time, our students and staff remain deeply engaged in making every instructional moment count. I could not be more proud of the dedication and work ethic on display in our classrooms.
Spring concerts for bands, choruses, and orchestras are underway across the county. The High School All-County Visual Art Exhibition is currently on display at the Asheville Mall through May 16th. I have had the pleasure of visiting the exhibits each of the last two nights, and am absolutely inspired by the incredible creativity and talent of our student-artists. I am so grateful that our Buncombe County Schools system continues to prioritize the arts and provide meaningful opportunities for students to express and grow their gifts.
In the world of athletics, our spring teams have entered playoff season, and we are already seeing great success on the fields, courts, tracks, and golf courses. There’s no better way to enjoy a beautiful spring evening than by cheering on our student-athletes. Their talent, teamwork, and perseverance continue to make us proud.
While the arts and athletics enrich our students' experiences, they are ultimately in service of our core mission — academics. In classrooms across the county, I see firsthand the extraordinary effort of our students and staff. I am continually moved by their dedication and am deeply grateful to our teachers, support staff, and school leaders for the difference they make each and every day. We have seen the results of this work already this year as Dr. Reed reported that for our Mid-Year assessments, every single student group in every single grade level made growth.
The NC Teacher Working Conditions Results Reports have been released by the state. This year, on this anonymous survey, administered by the state, we had our highest response rate in the history of the school system with 98.08% of our certified staff responding. With a response rate that high, we can feel confident in the accuracy of the reported data. Four years ago, for the first (and most important question to me), "Overall, my school is a good place to work and learn," 80.14% of our teachers Strongly Agreed or Agreed with that statement. This year, again with 98% of the teachers responding, 95.17% of our teachers Strongly Agreed or Agreed with that statement! Despite all of the challenges of the last two years (no state budget, the hurricane, political unrest, etc.), teacher satisfaction in our school system has grown by over 15%! More BCS teachers are satisfied overall with their schools than ever before!
Teaching and learning conditions are created by each individual person in each school. This incredible increase in teacher satisfaction is the result of the hard work and dedication of every single one of our teammates.
This is Teacher Appreciation Week. Our teachers and staff deserve every bit of gratitude and thankfulness we can shower upon them for the love and care they give every single student in our school system.
At our recent Budget Work Session, I shared a belief I hold strongly: you can understand what a person or organization truly values by looking at two things — their calendar and their checkbook. How we spend our time, and how we allocate our resources, speaks volumes about who we are and what we stand for.
Tonight, the Board will consider our Local Budget Request — the result of months of thoughtful planning and collaboration. This work began last fall and has involved input from every school and department across the district. I want to thank our Board Members for their time, insight, and advocacy throughout this process, including participation in our budget work sessions and countless additional conversations.
Our work is guided by the BCS Strategic Plan — a document shaped by thousands of voices through surveys, town halls, and school-level conversations. It is a reflection of our community’s hopes and expectations, and I am proud to say that our Local Budget Request aligns fully with that vision.
In Buncombe County Schools, we give our very best — because our students deserve nothing less. To our team and to our Board Members, Thank you for all that you do for the students, families, teachers, and staff of Buncombe County Schools. Mister Chair, this concludes my comments.