Buncombe County has launched its 2030 Strategic Plan, continuing its approach of setting five-year goals to address key community needs. The previous plan, known as the 2025 Strategic Plan, focused on areas such as early childhood education, environmental stewardship, resident well-being, economic growth, and operational improvements.
From fiscal years 2020-2025, the Preschool Outreach Program served over 14,700 children and more than 5,300 adults by delivering educational materials to childcare centers and holding story times. These efforts were part of a broader strategy to support an educated and capable community.
Academic readiness remains a concern in Buncombe County schools. In the 2022-23 school year, among senior students taking the ACT science portion in county districts, about 28.5% were considered ready for college. For juniors taking the same test, roughly 30.1% met college readiness standards (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/). In reading, approximately 41.1% of seniors and 43.2% of juniors reached college-ready benchmarks (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/). Math results showed that about 25.6% of seniors and 32.7% of juniors achieved college readiness (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/).
Environmental initiatives included installing a total of 54 solar systems across the county—15 for county operations and others at schools and public facilities.
In terms of resident well-being, more than $12 million in grants from the Tourism Development Authority supported projects like the Enka Recreation Destination and Woodfin Greenway and Blueway.
Economic development saw investments from companies such as Pratt & Whitney, System Logistics Corporation, and BorgWarner to expand manufacturing jobs in the region. Local businesses like East Fork Pottery and Poppy Popcorn also expanded their workforce during this period.
Operational improvements included digitizing permit reviews to eliminate paper submissions.
For those interested in further details or a comprehensive list of accomplishments under the previous strategic plan or information about ongoing plans through 2030, additional resources are available on Buncombe County’s website.
“Amanda Edwards briefly talks about the 2025 Strategic Plan.”
