Buncombe Commissioners preview: School choice

At their March 5 meeting, Buncombe County commissioners will consider a proposal by the Asheville City Schools system to build new homes for Isaac Dickson Elementary and Asheville Middle schools.

School officials will present their plans to replace the existing aging structures with state of the art new facilities that incorporate some of the latest education tools and green technologies. However, the proposals come with a hefty price tag: The two new buildings would cost an estimated $60 million.

Under North Carolina law, county governments are responsible for financing the capital needs of local public schools.

For more details on the new school proposals and related issues, see Xpress’ Feb. 27 cover story, “Building Knowledge: Asheville Pushes for New Schools.”

The March 5 agenda also includes a report from the General Services Department on the county government’s energy use and emissions. The overall trend since 2007 has been a reduction in the energy used per square foot of county facilities. However, last year saw a slight increase from the previous year.

Commissioner Brownie Newman has said making further reductions should be a top priority.

The board will meet at 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 5, in the commissioner’s chambers, located at 200 College Street, suite 326. A short pre-meeting review of the agenda will begin at 4:15 p.m.

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About Jake Frankel
Jake Frankel is an award-winning journalist who enjoys covering a wide range of topics, from politics and government to business, education and entertainment.

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