From ACAE/BCAE:

Join the Asheville City and Buncombe County Association of Educators (ACAE/BCAE) along with Public School Strong, Families of Asheville City Schools, and Asheville City Schools Foundation for a critical Town Hall with our Buncombe County Commissioners on Tuesday, May 27th, at 5:00 p.m. at AB Tech.

Did you know the County Commission might make significant cuts to public education? We think Commissioners should have a public dialogue with students, educators, and community members before making such a consequential decision.

The County Commission votes on their final budget on Tuesday, June 3, and the current budget proposal from County Manager Avril Pinder shorts BCS $10 million and ACS $3 million in general funding AND recommends against restoring the ACS supplemental tax rate to 12 cents/$100, shorting ACS another $1.5 million.

If the Commissioners adopt her proposal as is, the impact on our schools will be devastating. ACS stands to lose 20-30 staff positions, and BCS stands to lose 100-150. Those are teachers, counselors, bus drivers, cafeteria staff, instructional assistants and more who students rely on every day.

However, the good news is that the County Commissioners have the final say, and they have not made up their minds. This town hall is a crucial opportunity for our community to hold a dialogue with our county commissioners and ensure our students' needs are prioritized in the upcoming budget. In this critical moment, our county commissioners have a choice–they can allow our kids to pay the price of the hurricane, or they can stand with our students and invest in their futures. This town hall is a crucial opportunity for our community to hold a dialogue with our county commissioners and ensure our students' needs are prioritized in the upcoming budget