Buncombe County Schools
Buncombe County Schools is a public school district based in Asheville, North Carolina, serving 22,452 students in 45 schools. By enrollment it ranks #15 of the 112 North Carolina districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 87% of them. Its schools average 499 students each, more than the North Carolina median of 446. Its superintendent is Dr Jennifer Reed. It spends about $11,425 per student on day-to-day operations, about the state median. It has roughly 15.1 students per teacher.
How Buncombe County compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Buncombe County | North Carolina median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $11,425 | $11,153 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $7,226 | $6,920 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $285.5 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $288.3 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 1,488 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 15.1 | 15.7 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 345 | 358 | 2024-25 |
Spending: NCES school district finance survey (F-33), FY2020-21. Staffing and enrollment: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25. Via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. The North Carolina median compares districts with 1,000 or more students.
Leadership
Moves tracker →Dr Jennifer Reed
Source: NC Department of Public Instruction, EDDIE, checked 2026-10-19. Report a change
In the news
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Peer districts in North Carolina
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pitt County SchoolsGreenville | 24,470 | 40 | $10,491 | 15.3 | #13 |
| Alamance-Burlington SchoolsBurlington | 22,661 | 38 | $10,280 | 16.4 | #14 |
| Buncombe County SchoolsAsheville · this district | 22,452 | 45 | $11,425 | 15.1 | #15 |
| Public Schools of Robeson CountyLumberton | 21,301 | 37 | $10,546 | 15.9 | #16 |
| Iredell-Statesville SchoolsStatesville | 21,017 | 38 | $9,505 | 16.6 | #17 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downey UnifiedDowney, CA | 22,462 | $14,339 | 23.7 |
| Birdville ISDHaltom City, TX | 22,267 | $9,939 | 15.3 |
| Blue ValleyOverland Park, KS | 22,252 | $11,417 | 13.3 |
| Federal Way School DistrictFederal Way, WA | 22,250 | $15,743 | 18.3 |
Peers are the districts closest in enrollment, so they can still differ in many other ways. Enrollment, school counts and phone numbers are from the NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25.
Printed from Superintendent's Corner: https://superintendentscorner.com/district-nc-buncombe-county-schools