BY KARISSA MILLER
The Iredell-Statesville Board of Education reviewed the district’s nearly $3.9 million Title I plan for the 2025-2026 school year during Monday night’s meeting.
Title I funds provide targeted financial aid to schools to supplement the needs of economically disadvantaged children. The district’s Title I allocation is $3,894,830, which is a decrease of $58,799 from 2024-2025.
I-SS Chief Elementary Officer Jonathan Ribbeck said East Iredell Middle School is now a Title I school, increasing the district’s total to 15 schools. I-SS schools that qualify for Title I funding are: Celeste Henkel Elementary, Central Elementary, Shepherd Elementary, N.B. Mills Elementary, Cloverleaf Elementary, Scotts Elementary, Cool Spring Elementary, Sharon Elementary, East Iredell Elementary, East Iredell Middle, Third Creek Elementary, Third Creek Middle, Harmony Elementary, Troutman Elementary and Union Grove Elementary.
The district’s Title I plan calls for hiring 11.5 certified positions and 51.5 classified positions. A majority of the Title 1 budget will be utilized for staffing.
Title I funds are designed to help students, particularly those who are low-achieving, demonstrate proficient and advanced levels of achievement.
The district’s Title I Plan must be approved by the school board before being submitted to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.
The board is expected to vote to accept the plan during its August 11 meeting. The meeting, which is open to the public, is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Career Academy and Technical School meeting room, located at 350 Old Murdock Road in Troutman.
Is there a reason why Brian Sloan was unaware of how a school qualifies as Title I? This designation is based entirely on poverty levels, and schools don’t simply ‘get off the list.’ These are fundamental details that a board member should already understand. At the very least, a quick Google search before the meeting would have clarified this.