Bill Griffin, Superintendent, Alexander County Schools

Invest: spoke with Bill Griffin, superintendent of Alexander County Schools, about the district’s priorities, its role in workforce development, and how growth is shaping long-term planning. Griffin said the school system is focused on financial stability, community partnerships, and preparing students for life after graduation. “Education, to me, is the great equalizer,” Griffin said.

What are your main priorities for Alexander County Schools, and what trends are shaping your strategy?

This is my third year as superintendent of Alexander County Schools. One of our first focal points was balancing the budget. Like many public school systems in North Carolina, we were dealing with turmoil within our budget, so we had to make economic and business decisions to make sure we were operating within our means and serving this county the best we could.

We were losing some students through average daily membership, so we had to look at the business aspect of that and balance our budget, which we’ve done. Within the past two years, we’ve been able to not only hit our goals but also ensure that we’re healthy financially and able to move forward.

The second major priority was retooling our thought process. We went through a rebranding process and brought in parents, community members, business leaders, the Sheriff’s Department, the EDC, the Chamber, and others to help shape what we need within our school system. We came up with a new mission and vision. Our mission is to build a legacy of excellence, and our vision is to be the educational choice of every child.

We are trying to create a school system that meets the needs of our students, which is our No. 1 priority, but also our employees. Like many small counties in North Carolina, we are the largest employer. We have an economic impact on the county, and it is also our job to give back.

What does being the educational choice of every child mean in practice, and how does it support the county’s long-term growth?

I want growth. I would be a poor superintendent if I didn’t want that for our schools and our constituents. We’re a rural county on the outskirts of Charlotte and Hickory, bordering Hickory and the Catawba River. We want growth, but it is a fine balance because there are values in our county that people want to hold onto. Some large landowners want to keep the heritage and what makes us special true to what they have seen in the past. We have to respect that.

We are beginning to see growth on the southern end of our county. Highway 16 runs through Catawba County and Lincoln County right into Charlotte, and it is a main thoroughfare that comes up through Alexander County. We have easy access to a large metropolitan area, but what holds us true is that rural environment.

As far as being the educational choice of every child, we have competition in public education now. We are competing with charter schools, home schools, and private schools. We have to be good at what we do and make sure we are serving our students and giving them what they need so they can thrive in the future.

How are you working with local businesses, community colleges, and other partners to prepare students for the workforce?

We have a partnership with Catawba Valley Community College. The main campus is in Hickory, but there is a satellite campus here in Alexander County. Within that campus, we house an early college where we currently serve more than 150 students. Those students are leaving our school system with an associate degree, and some with multiple associate degrees.

We also have a welding program, and they are adding HVAC, giving students industry credentials. This region has been and still is a large furniture industry area, so students are also being credentialed in upholstery and prepared for careers in that industry.

Being a small, rural county, we have strong partnerships with local government, our county commissioners, our county manager, and economic development leaders. We communicate often and try to deliver what those officials need.

We also work closely with our CTE program. We created a firefighting academy after recognizing a need for firefighters in our county and wanting to build a pipeline. The commissioners invested with us, and the program is now receiving recognition countywide and statewide for preparing students for careers in firefighting.

How are you preparing students and teachers for AI and other emerging technologies?

The world of education changes as our world changes, so we have to evolve constantly. We have built a new school that is opening in August, the Ellendale School of Innovation and Inquiry. It is going to be a STEM school.

We began investigating what our county needs and what would make us different. Working with other STEM schools and the SMT Center, we transformed the building into a STEM school centered on inquiry-based learning and are retraining staff to support that model.

We are also part of a consortium with seven other districts across western North Carolina called High Country STEM. Those districts are working together to become more innovative and stay on the cutting edge of technology.

We have also held community programs on AI because it is changing the way we do business. We have to embrace it in our schools while also putting appropriate parameters around its use and continuing to educate teachers, parents, and the community.

What is your approach to attracting and supporting talented educators in Alexander County?

Teacher recruitment in public education across North Carolina and the country has changed. I have been in this business for more than 30 years, and I have seen that change. It starts at the university level and with getting professionals eager to go into education.

The latest budget includes increased pay for beginning teachers, which is trending in the right direction, though it is still not enough. We want to be competitive with the business sector — and we are moving in a positive direction.

We also work with a teacher cadet program to help students understand in high school that education is a viable career. Many are looking for that small-town lifestyle, and that is what Alexander County offers, while still providing access to Charlotte, Hickory, and Asheville.

We also focus on creating a workplace where people want to be by listening to employee feedback. Ultimately, public education is about serving every child, regardless of background, and helping each student reach their potential. I believe wholeheartedly in public education and what we do for every child and every family.

As Charlotte and Alexander County continue to grow, what opportunities does that create for the district, and what are your priorities for the next five years?

Public schools are funded by the number of students they serve. With growth, we are beginning to see multiple housing developments, especially in the southern region bordering the Hickory-Charlotte area. That creates growth, which creates funding for students coming to us and allows us to provide more resources to our kids.

It is also extremely important that we work with local businesses on what they need as they evolve and as we prepare future employees. Education, to me, is the great equalizer. It provides everybody with the ability to be successful. Our challenge is to make sure we are preparing students with the knowledge and ability to succeed in whatever path they choose.

We have also been involved in multiple grants. We were one of 14 school districts in North Carolina to receive a grant through the Golden LEAF Foundation and Superintendent Mo Green. It was valued at around $2.5 million and supported professional development at East Alexander Middle School through the Highly Reliable Schools framework.

That proves the point that with good planning and a vision, it does not matter where you come from, who you are, or who your family is; there is opportunity for growth. We have proven that, and I am proud of what that looks like.