Henderson County passes 2026 budget, fully funding public school request

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2 days ago

The Henderson County Board of Commissioners approved a fiscal year 2026 budget after a public hearing June 2. Those giving public comment spoke overwhelmingly in favor of greater funding for public schools, which was ultimately included.
One after another, 10 public education advocates wearing matching shirts, light blue, with a red heart and the words 'Public School Strong!' above North Carolina's state outline, came to the podium.
Katie Gash, a former math teacher at Hendersonville Middle School, told the board she was an 'exhibit A' case for more public school funding.
'I can tell you that the teachers are doing all they can do, and they need all the help they can get,' she said.
This all comes after a budget workshop meeting May 21, when the board went line by line through County Manager John Mitchell's proposed budget and voted on increases to items to fund public services non-profits, including hospitals and addiction treatment organizations.
According to Mitchell's presentation to the board in that meeting, top areas of recommended funding for 2026 include education, public safety and human services. Together, they make up $160 million, or around three-quarters of the roughly $214 million budget.
On June 2, the board voted in favor of more funding for school facilities and teacher pay. It added $500,000 for capital improvements and another $763,463 for other expenses, including supplements to otherwise state-funded teacher salaries, Henderson County Financial Services Director Samantha Reynolds told the Times-News June 3.
That's on top of more than $36 million that was already included in the budget for public schools. Henderson County Public Schools Superintendent Mark Garrett, who addressed the board June 2, requested around $1 million less this year than last.
'We all appreciate you going back and … finding over a million dollars in cuts,' Commissioner Jay Egolf told him in the meeting.
Reynolds provided documents to the Times-News that show the additional education funding was the largest change to the budget in the latest meeting. Revenue to balance additional spending will come from fire inspection fees, the Capital Project Fund and sales and use tax.
'The most important thing about the budget this year is that we were able to hold our tax rate the same, and especially in light of all the Helene issues going on,' Reynolds said.
The Board of Commissioners added around $340,000 in equipment and pay for new county staff, including a fire marshal, a position at the recreation department to mow grass and another at the Henderson County Public Library to organize a collection of antique photographs.
It also added close to $60,000 to the budget for equipment to maintain public parks and ballfields and $50,000 for the Heritage Museum.
Commissioner Rebecca McCall told the Times-News June 3 that she was pleasantly surprised how quickly, and smoothly budget adoption went this year.
'We don't always agree on everything … (but) we got through it quicker, and we were able to come to a consensus,' she said. In the past, the board has gone without an agreement until the second or third meeting in June to make the July 1 deadline, she said.
More: Henderson County Commissioners comb through recommended budget for 2026 ahead of hearing
More: Hendersonville budget draft accounts for more staffing and infrastructure
George Fabe Russell is the Henderson County Reporter for the Hendersonville Times-News. Tips, questions, comments? Email him at [e-mail].
This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Henderson Co. '26 budget passed with additional funding for education