Board hears grant‑writing options; facilitator secured roughly $500,000 last year

Learning Services presented analysis and recommendations for strengthening Horry County Schools’ grant pipeline.

The presentation summarized current policy differentiating small grants (≤$2,500) handled by principals and larger grants requiring district facilitation. Staff proposed short‑term steps — increasing awareness, identifying a grant contact at each school and continuing the contracted district grant facilitator — and long‑term options including creating a full‑time grant writing and management specialist to pursue and oversee grants.

Lee James said the district’s current grant facilitator logged roughly 85 hours last year and helped secure about $500,000 in awards, arguing the district should expand hours before making a permanent hire. “Last year … the district grant facilitator worked a total of somewhere in the neighborhood of 85 hours. I think it was maybe 86, and they were able to secure around 500 and change thousand in grants,” he said.

Why it matters: With ESSER funding winding down, staff said active solicitation and coordination could replace lost federal grant activity and expand local, state and national grant opportunities for targeted programs: career and technical education, literacy, mental‑health supports, and other areas listed in the presentation.

What’s next: Staff recommended expanding the hours of the current facilitator and implementing communication steps and internal grant outreach; the board discussed whether a full‑time position should be proposed in the FY25–26 budget cycle if activity and need justify it.