After nearly nine months of evaluation, the draft report of a school district consolidation study of Asheville City Schools (ACS) and Buncombe County Schools (BCS) recommends the systems remain independent of each other.
Mandated by the N.C. General Assembly in 2023, Buncombe County hired Charlotte-based Prismatic Services in March for $300,000 to analyze the feasibility of merging the county’s two public school districts based on finances, student enrollment, policies, procedures, student well-being, personnel, operations and facilities.
“Based on the aforementioned local factors, the current status of each school system and the likely enrollment and demographic trends in the next five-10 years … Prismatic does not recommend consolidation of ACS and BCS,” the report concluded.
In the first public conversation among elected officials after the report’s release, Buncombe County Board of Education members discussed their high-level takeaways at a work session Jan. 9.
Several members, including Amy Churchill, Ann Franklin, Greg Cheatham and Judy Lewis, indicated that they agreed with the report and did not think a merger would benefit the districts as a whole.
“This generates more questions than answers,” said Lewis of potential consolidation. “People don’t need more upheaval right now. I’d like to see us go and figure out how to help children and not upset the apple cart.”
“I agree that both systems have merits. I agree that a merger would create more problems than it would solve,” added Franklin.
Prismatic based its conclusions on five local factors relevant to considering the feasibility of consolidation, according to the report: student performance, cost-saving potential, current levels of collaboration, school system culture and support for consolidation in the community.
On student performance, which Prismatic identified as the “primary factor” in assessing potential consolidation, the study found “no evidence that consolidation of ACS and BCS, by itself, would be likely to lead to those types of improved student outcomes.”
Prismatic added that neither system is operating at a much higher level than the other. “Both have disappointing current results with various student subgroups. Although both systems are making efforts to reduce achievement gaps, neither has yet demonstrated that it [is] on a certain path to success.”
Cheatham, who won his seat in November’s election, said he ran on ensuring student achievement was the guiding principle for the district and would guide his opinions on potential consolidation. “That’s the most important thing to me,” he said.
On finances, “Prismatic did not find areas of excess central staffing in either ACS or BCS,” the report noted. The study concluded that a consolidated system could eliminate 25 positions, including one superintendent, resulting in $3.3 million in annual savings. Based on 2022-23 school year budgets, that would be a savings of less than 1%, according to the report.
The report offered critiques of the two systems’ general lack of collaboration.
In other North Carolina counties with multiple districts, school systems were “generally far more collaborative and mutually supportive than they found in Buncombe County.”
Prismatic found that some staff members at BCS indicated they felt BCS was superior to ACS and that if the districts merged, ACS students would be “saved” or “rescued” by being included in the larger district.
The study also found the districts’ lack of collaboration on strategic planning and budgeting uniquely problematic given their geographic proximity, similar demographics and shared primary local funding source.
“There is little interaction between ACS and BCS currently,” Prismatic noted.
BCS board member Charles Martin, who was elected in November, said he was still on the fence as to whether consolidation was the right move. He said he’s heard from many parents who see the value in a merged system.
“We need to think about what the parents are saying or it’s going to eat us at the next election,” Martin said.
Prismatic, meanwhile, concluded that “there is little local appetite for consolidation.” Some who did express support for the merger did so because they felt it would be prudent to “try something new” or because historical leadership turnover problems at ACS and persistent achievement gaps feel insurmountable, according to the report.
In addition to its recommendation that the districts shouldn’t consolidate, the report offered other recommendations to redraw the two districts’ confusing boundaries, increase its shared services and review options to collectively rightsize facility inventories, including closing at least some schools.
Churchill acknowledged that there are ways the two districts should improve their working relationship.
“This would be a missed opportunity [if we didn’t] learn efficiencies from each other. Absolutely true. If there are things we are doing better, we should be sharing that information in a way that helps the entire county,” she said. “We shouldn’t have to merge to do that.”
Ahead of a joint meeting with the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners and Asheville City Board of Education next week, Buncombe County Board of Education Chair Rob Elliot urged fellow board members to consider the health and well-being of the BCS district when reviewing the report.
“We need to focus on how this affects our students and families.”
Asheville’s school board is not scheduled to meet ahead of the joint meeting, which is scheduled from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16.
A final report with optional comments, recommendations or endorsements from the elected bodies is due to the N.C. General Assembly Saturday, Feb. 15.
BCS announces school improvement plans for nine schools
As required by state law, the Buncombe County Board of Education approved school improvement plans for nine schools in the district considered low-performing.
The nine schools — Clyde A. Erwin Middle, Enka Middle, Joe P. Eblen Intermediate, Johnston Elementary, Leicester Elementary, Oakley Elementary, C.D. Owen Middle, W.D. Williams Elementary and Woodfin Elementary — were on the list because they earned an overall school performance grade of “D” or “F” and a school growth score of “met expected growth” or “not met expected growth” as defined by state law.
The district assembled school improvement teams — which consist of the school principal and other administrators, instructional personnel, teacher assistants and parents — to design the plans for improved school performance. Using this model, BCS had two schools exit low-performing status last year and three the year prior.
Martin was impressed with the plans, which received unanimous support from the board. He particularly praised the schools that focused their plans on closing the achievement gap between white students and their Black, Hispanic and disabled peers, similar to the way Avery’s Creek Elementary had when it was on the list two years earlier.
To improve their scores, Martin said, schools have to focus on closing the achievement gaps and suggested using Avery’s Creek as a “best practices” model to use systemwide.
“I guarantee you, if you do that, we will have all nine off this list,” he said.
Thanks for this update!
It is the same old talk…..we stand on student improvement…but let’s not give specifics……let’s be better, but don’t change anything. Same old stuff from the same thought process.
This reaction was expected…BCS does not want it…however there is not one good reason NOT to consolidate ‘for the children’ and the taxpayers !!!