From Staff Reports

An anonymous donor gave $2.1 million to an organization that supports Buncombe County schools, officials announced last Wednesday.

The donation, which is the largest ever made to the school system, will be divided equally among the county’s six high schools to fund educational programs.

The contribution was made to the Buncombe County Schools Foundation, which will dispense the money by October or November after receiving proposals from each school on how it plans to spend the money.

A committee of business leaders, school personnel and the foundation’s board members will then decide whether the plans submitted are in the students’ best interests.

The donation far surpasses any other donations to the school system or the foundation, which tend to be no larger than $100,000. In 1991, a private donor gave $1 million to set up a trust fund for students in the county. That money was used to establish a college scholarship program.