Mission Statement and Purpose 

The purpose of the School Capital Fund Commission is to review eligible capital project requests of over $100,000 from Asheville City Schools and Buncombe County Schools and make recommendations to the Board of Commissioners for funding from Article 39 Sales Tax.  Originally drafted in 1983 to ensure adequate school capital needs were met for both County school systems, the Buncombe School Capital Fund Commission legislation was amended in 2016 to better align resources with capital needs.

Requests are combined and prioritized, and based upon funding availability, the Commission recommends to the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners those projects that should be funded through Article 39 funding. Recommendations for funding are considered on an annual basis. Projects vary based on the needs of the schools at the time. Just a few examples of projects include new school buildings, roofing repairs, and security improvements, as well as facility renovations like tennis courts, tracks, and softball fields. 

The County assists the Commission by providing the necessary resources to make informed decisions. These resources include financial analysis support such as forecasting, financial market updates, and reporting as well as administrative support such as handling meeting logistics and recording minutes.

Projects to be funded should meet one or more of the following criteria:

Correct Safety and Health Concerns

• Addresses public safety, health and welfare concern(s).

Comply with Legal Requirements

• Required by federal, state or local laws, mandates and/or regulations (ADA/OCR, building capacity, class size, building code requirements, etc.).

Maintain Lowest Life-Cycle Cost

• Required for the preservation and protection of existing assets.
• Replaces assets that are obsolete or are at/near the end of their useful life cycle.
• Provides cost avoidance/savings, operating and/or capital.
• Remediates an existing or projected deficiency.

Improve the Educational Environment

• Meets the highest educational/programmatic needs identified by the school system.
• Remediates an existing or projected deficiency.