Grandville board moves to negotiate contract with internal candidate John Pho after public interview

The Grandville Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously to enter contract negotiations with assistant superintendent and longtime district employee John Pho after a public interview and a board deliberation on curriculum, finance and equity.

Pho, who described roughly 23 years in the district's schools and central office roles, answered questions about the district's finances, curriculum alignment and supports for students with complex needs during an hourlong interview. He told the board the district's recent Moody's downgrade from A1 to A2 signals the need to rebuild fund balance and offered three broad strategies: transparent community problem-solving, building-level expense reviews and personnel management through attrition rather than layoffs. He cited an internal estimate that cutting copies 25 percent could save about $100,000 annually and said staff-led reviews of licenses and vendors had already produced projected savings (a cleaning-vendor reduction the administration estimated at about $300,000).

The interview focused heavily on instruction and curriculum. Board members told Pho they had heard concerns about gaps in K–4 curriculum, materials and support for subgroups (special education and multilingual learners). Pho said the district's approach begins with clarifying standards and building a guaranteed, viable K'12 curriculum; where gaps exist, the district pilots tools and removes those that fail to produce results. He pointed to targeted interventions (DreamBox, Reflex) and an EVOS-based evaluation process used previously to measure system-level value-added results.

Several directors pressed Pho on special-education placement and recent shifts toward inclusion at early grades. Pho cited the IDEA guidance that, broadly speaking, students should access general education most of the day when appropriate (he referenced an 80 percent guideline) and said the district is developing regional K' 2 self-contained options while also trying to bolster classroom supports, coaching and paraeducator staffing so general-education teachers can succeed with a wide range of learners.

Board members also asked how he would maintain visibility in the community and respond to crisis situations. Pho said he would schedule regular building visits, meet parents and staff in person for difficult conversations, and rely on building leaders and outside partners to support social-emotional needs when trauma occurs. He described previous crisis experience managing multiple student deaths and coordinating services for staff and families.

During post-interview deliberations, board members praised Pho's institutional knowledge, crisis leadership and HR experience, and cited strong letters of recommendation. Directors also voiced "wonderings" ' areas they want a superintendent to prioritize ' including K'4 curriculum alignment, deliberate outreach to diverse families, and clarifying special-education procedures. Several board members framed those items as goals to hold their next superintendent accountable to, rather than disqualifying flaws.

After the discussion the board made a formal motion and approved entering contract negotiations with Pho. The motion passed on a roll call with all voting members recorded in the transcript as "yes." A public commenter who had signed up to speak urged the board to hire internally and thanked the board for the process. The meeting recessed to collect feedback forms and adjourned; the board announced a next regular meeting for April 20, 2026.

The board's action begins a negotiation period; no final employment contract or effective start date was disclosed in the meeting record.