This leader is preparing for thousands of new students on a tight budget 

As Pender County’s population booms, administrators in the local North Carolina school district are relying on operational efficiency to overcome resource constraints.

Pender County Schools expects to add up to 5,000 students over the next decade, says Superintendent Brad Breedlove, who worries whether his budget will support instructional goals.

“One of our biggest challenges is managing our growth while sustaining our academic improvements,” he explains. “Funding doesn’t always keep up with the pace of increasing costs.”

The district has been forced to seek alternatives to state and local funding, including a three-year, $890,000 Advanced Teaching Roles Grant for its four high-priority schools. Top-performing teachers will earn higher salaries in coaching roles.

“All our schools want their own instructional coach, but just being able to fund that is challenging,” he says.

His strategy also centers heavily on strengthening school principals. Recognizing that superintendents cannot oversee every hiring decision, he established trimester check-ins with every principal to set school goals and monitor academic progress.

Meanwhile, anticipating an enrollment boost, the district is opening a more than 2,300-seat elementary and middle school campus in 2027, a five-year process.

“That’s how far out you have to project by the time you secure funding to be able to build,” he emphasizes. “It can catch up to you very quickly if you’re not prepared.”

Breedlove, recently named North Carolina’s 2027 Superintendent of the Year, credits the district’s progress—including improved teacher retention and fewer low-performing schools—to ongoing community collaboration.

His strategic plan, for example, includes contributions from 17 focus groups and 4,500 survey responses. Breedlove still meets quarterly with parent, teacher and student advisory councils.

“As a superintendent, you can’t really lead a community effectively by just communicating to it,” he says. “You have to lead with it.”