Asheville City Schools have highest rate of teachers quitting in NC; more than 30% left

Asheville City Schools teachers are quitting at a rate higher than any other school system in North Carolina, according to a recently released state report.

Teacher turnover at ACS was 30.7% from 2022-23, according to the State of the Teaching Profession in North Carolina, a report conducted by the Department of Public Instruction for the state legislature.

From March 2022 to March 2023, 98 of ACS's 319 teachers left the school system, the DPI report to the General Assembly said. The next highest attrition rate was 29.6% in the eastern Halifax County system, with 42 of 142 teachers leaving. Third-highest was Weldon City Schools at 28.3%, with 13 of 46 educators quitting.

Buncombe County Schools had a 16.1% attrition rate, with 257 of 1,599 teachers leaving.

ACS appeared successful in replacing many of the teachers, as the school system had a 1.2% vacancy rate, compared to the state average of 6.4%.

ACS spokesperson Kim Dechant did not respond to Citizen Times messages left April 8. The Citizen Times also reached out to School Board Chair George Sieburg and Vice Chair Amy Ray.

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Asheville's high rate comes during a markedly large jump in turnover statewide. North Carolina's attrition rate for all public schools was 11.5% last year, up from 7.8% for 2021-22.

"In general, N.C. teachers continue to remain teaching in the state and their respective LEAs (local educational agencies), but the 2022-23 report does indicate increases in both the attrition and mobility rates in N.C. public schools," the report said.

As for why they left, the biggest percentage, 48%, of N.C. teachers said they did so for "personal reasons," as opposed to other factors such as dismissals by school systems. The largest group of those, 17.2%, said it was a resignation "due to career change," followed by retirement "with full benefits."

In Asheville, 59.6% of departing educators said they left for personal reasons, the report said.

The Citizen Times reached out to Asheville City Schools Educators Association President Tim Lloyd. While the association operates somewhat like a teachers union, it is prevented by state law from engaging in collective bargaining, one of the most important powers of organized labor.

In spring of 2023, Asheville educators association members and members of Buncombe County Schools Educators Association made an organized push for a local supplement raise.

Teachers' salaries are paid by the state, with supplements in some places paid by local taxpayers. Facing statewide calls for an increase, the General Assembly in September 2023 approved a 7% raise in teachers' base pay over two years, with an additional 2% for bus drivers. A month later, Buncombe County Commissioners approved a tax increase to grow the local supplement. The tax rate rise of 1 cent per $100 of assessed value adds an extra $30 on an annual tax bill for home valued by the county at $300,000.

According to the fiscal year 2022-23 state salary schedule, a new teacher with a bachelor's degree must make a minimum of $37,000 annually, the state raises brought this up to $39,000 for 2023-24 and $41,000 for 2024-25.

With the ACS supplement and county supplement, a starting teacher salary at ACS for 2023-24 is $42,510, and a beginning teacher salary at BCS is $42,315.

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Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at [email protected], 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times. 

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville City Schools have highest rate of teachers quitting in NC