Board approves $6.2 million Title I plan; district set‑asides and private‑school services outlined

The Craven County Board of Education approved the district’s Title I plan for the 2025–26 school year during its July 15 meeting. Jason Griffin, who presented the plan, described Title I as the federal grant that "provides financial assistance to schools with high numbers of low income students" and outlined how the funds are used for additional staff, instructional materials, targeted interventions and parent and family engagement activities. Griffin told the board the district’s planning allotment increased this year and that, after deductions for private‑school services (180 nonpublic students this year, down from 300 last year) and required carryover, the total available funds for Title I activities are about $6.2 million. He said district‑level set‑asides include central staff salaries moved from the local budget, district initiatives (for example, Lexia Core5), parent‑family engagement ($20,000), and an expanded pre‑K set‑aside of about $1.1 million which will mostly pay positions. The school allocations total roughly $3.5 million and include a 10% reserve carryover to cover July–October salary timing. Griffin also explained how services for students who attend registered private schools work: the district provides services directly (it advertises and hires tutors or procures materials and supervises those services) rather than transferring Title I dollars to the private schools. Board members asked whether the higher allotment reflected higher poverty counts; Griffin said the district’s free/reduced numbers have risen across schools and that the state was expected to release Title I funds on schedule in October. He also noted that other federal titles (Title II, Title III, Title IV) were being held statewide pending state action and that those delays could affect related programs. The board approved the Title I plan by roll‑call vote. Ending: The plan will be sent to the state and implemented at school and district levels; staff said they will monitor federal funding timing for related titles and manage carryover reserves to cover salaries through October.