Randolph County schools seek $2.2 million from commissioners as costs, charter losses and building needs rise

Randolph County School System leaders told county commissioners that they will ask for $2,215,299 in local funding for fiscal 2025–26, citing increasing personnel and insurance costs, continued losses of students to charter and virtual schools, rising special‑transportation bills and a continuing facilities upgrade program.

The superintendent, speaking for the school system, said the request bundles current‑expense needs and a $100,000 capital‑outlay ask tied to the district’s long‑running nine‑year facility upgrade and repair plan. “Today is the start of what I think is the start of budget season,” the superintendent said, explaining the district’s approach to asking for local support and emphasizing “trust and transparency.”

Why it matters: The presentation framed next year’s local request as largely routine continuation costs plus targeted items to address enrollment shifts, a technology platform transition and deferred facility maintenance. County decisions on these requests will affect staffing, student services and the timing of school renovation or replacement projects that district leaders say affect multiple high schools and an elementary school.

Key budget components and district rationale - Continuation costs: The superintendent said the district’s “continuation costs” total $1,067,299, driven by a projected 5% insurance increase (about $109,000), a 5% projected increase in employer retirement contributions (about $208,000) and a 4% legislative salary increase for locally paid employees (about $349,000). The district said those three items apply primarily to locally paid positions (about 160 employees) and constitute the first funding priority.

- Settlement/finish of prior percentage‑point salary increase: The district asked commissioners to fund the remaining 1.0 percentage‑point settlement the system requested last year, which the superintendent estimated would cost about $925,000 including benefits.

- Charter‑school growth: The district requested roughly $203,000 to offset projected enrollment losses from charter and virtual charters. The superintendent told commissioners the system lost more students to charters than expected this year and projects losing an additional ~100 students next year; the district said some local tax dollars are leaving the county when students enroll in brick‑and‑mortar or virtual charters outside Randolph.

- Data‑management staffing for Infinite Campus transition: The district plans to move its student‑information system from PowerSchool to Infinite Campus and asked for $123,000 to fund an 11‑month data‑manager position to support the transition, which leaders said requires on‑site work across more months than current 10‑month positions allow.

- Insurance and utilities: The superintendent highlighted rising insurance costs (the presentation included both a 5% example figure and a referenced 8% projection in the discussion) and a projected 5% increase in utilities (about $84,000). The presentation noted cyber‑liability insurance has been in place since 2015–16 and mentioned recent data‑security incidents affecting vendor systems.

- School resource officers (SROs): The superintendent said a previously requested $52,000 contribution for SRO pay was removed from this year’s request after staff identified an internal funding source; the district expects to maintain SRO pay closer to market without asking commissioners for that increment this year.

Capital and facilities: the nine‑year plan and the capital ask The district’s sole capital request on the commissioners’ sheet was $100,000 for the long‑running nine‑year facility upgrade and repair plan. The superintendent reviewed the plan’s history, saying the program began in 2014 and has been funded in part by a recurring, commissioner‑supported special capital allocation that currently contributes $950,000 in recurring local funds. The superintendent said the allocation has paid for roofing, windows, lighting, bleacher replacements and other repairs across the district and that rising construction costs have increased pressure on estimates.

The superintendent told commissioners the district’s building priorities remain two replacement schools and three major renovations (a five‑school list was discussed by name during the meeting). He said the district would prefer to build two replacement schools—one high school and Liberty Elementary—together if county debt capacity allows, but acknowledged that sequencing will depend on available revenue and the results of a student‑assignment study now underway.

Student‑assignment study, growth and land banking District staff said the student‑assignment study will review countywide population nodes and enrollment projections and could take about a year and a half. The superintendent said the study is intended to guide where to site future schools and whether land‑banking is prudent, especially given development pressure in the northwest part of the county and potential new industrial/employment influences referenced (for example, a major automotive supplier). He emphasized the district needs to address both current facility deficits and future growth.

Transportation and special‑education transport costs The superintendent and commissioners discussed rapidly rising special‑transportation costs. The superintendent said the district spent about $1.07 million on special transportation last year and has seen multi‑year increases; those costs are largely covered by local funds.

Process and next steps School leaders made no formal motions or received votes at the meeting. The superintendent presented the detailed request to commissioners and offered to meet with them and provide additional documents. He said staff will return to the budget process as commissioners consider local appropriations and that the student‑assignment study results will inform longer‑range capital planning.

Ending The superintendent closed by reiterating that the district will return with additional documentation and thanked commissioners for their past support, saying the district will continue to press for “what we need” while seeking to limit the local ask to essential items.