Granville County schools ask commissioners to preserve staff, fund instructional coaches and start Leader in Me program

Granville County Public Schools on Tuesday asked county commissioners to maintain current funding levels for core services, continue capital commitments and provide targeted new support to sustain recent academic gains. School presenters told commissioners the district’s draft budget prioritizes continuation funding to cover inflation and local positions, maintaining school resource officer (SRO) support, preserving capital funding commitments and two increases: a one‑time $139,000 start‑up for the Leader in Me franchise at a southern elementary school and recurring local support to preserve instructional coaches.

“We would very much like for you also, number 3, to maintain the commitments the generous commitments you’ve made with our capital funding,” the district presenter said, adding the district is pursuing a $15,000,000 loan serviced through capital funds to complete certain projects. On the one‑time request, the presenter explained the Leader in Me program requires paid, multi‑year training by Franklin Covey and estimated the total three‑year implementation fee at $100,000 (district share) and $139,000 including charter school allocations.

School finance staff described the district’s operating budget as just under $98 million and said about 65% is directed to school‑based instructional services. They said the district finished the 2024–25 audit year with a $4.6 million fund balance, used less of that balance than planned, and that auditors recommend an ~8% unassigned fund balance (roughly $6 million) as a comfortable target.

The presenters said consolidation and other central‑office cuts have reduced costs and avoided deeper fiscal strain, but rising healthcare, retirement and other costs continue to pressure the budget. On instructional coaching — a program started with federal ESSER (COVID) funds — the presenters requested ongoing county backing for about five coaches who work directly with teachers across all grade bands. “These individuals work as coaches … they spend 95% of their time in schools, in classrooms every day,” a school official said, noting the district currently lists five instructional coach positions costing roughly $500,000 (district share) and $695,000 including charter transfers.

Commissioners asked for clarifying detail on program costs, longevity and measures of impact. The district said coaches keep detailed logs of time spent with teachers and track multiple student‑level assessments tied to teacher support. The presenters emphasized the district’s recent improvements — fewer low‑performing schools and test‑score gains — as evidence they consider the investments high‑impact.

Next steps: the school system said the budget proposal is a draft and the board has not approved the full plan; commissioners will examine these requests as part of the county’s annual budgeting process.