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Durham Public Schools May Cut 27 Central Office Jobs Amid Budget Shortfall
Durham Public Schools may eliminate 27 classified positions within its central office as part of a proposed $2 million cost-saving measure tied to the district’s looming budget deficit. The proposal is set to be discussed at the DPS Board of Education meeting on Thursday. According to the agenda packet released ahead of the meeting, the…
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Superintendent Proposes $708M Durham Schools Budget
Durham Public Schools (DPS) is entering a pivotal budget year as the district navigates rising costs, expiring federal funding, and increased demands for educational equity. Superintendent Dr. Anthony Lewis at Thursday’s Board of Education meeting proposed a $708 million budget for the 2025-2026 school year, emphasizing competitive compensation for educators, sustaining critical programs, and addressing…
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Durham Schools “Meet and Confer” Gains Momentum
A proposed policy that would formalize how Durham Public Schools employees communicate with district leadership has gained momentum, with three members of the Board of Education publicly endorsing a draft submitted by the Durham Association of Educators. The support brings the proposal within one vote of potential adoption. Known as a “meet-and-confer” policy, the measure…
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Durham Schools Community Priorities: Staff Pay, Reliable Transportation
Few surprises greeted the Durham Public Schools Board of Education during the March 20 budget hearing, as Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Teetor presented results from a survey of the community. Using a platform called ThoughtExchange, the district asked staff, students, and families for their budget priorities going into the 2025-2026 academic year. Top issues included:…
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The Grim Reality: $8M Extra Needed Next Year Just for Durham Schools to Maintain Status Quo
A recent poll conducted by Durham Public Schools (DPS) highlights strong community support for increased pay for teachers, staff, and school bus drivers. However, at a Feb. 21 finance presentation, DPS Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Teetor informed the Board of Education that the district will need an additional $8 million in its 2025-2026 budget just…
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[SoDu Alert] DPS Declares Another Remote-Learning Day Thursday
Due to hazardous travel conditions caused by our winter weather, Durham Public Schools has declared Thursday another remote-learning day for students. DPS facilities will be closed to students and staff. Athletics and afterschool activities are canceled. The budget hearing and Board of Education meeting that had been slated for Thursday evening has been rescheduled for Friday, weather…
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Participatory Budgeting Cycle Returns to Durham
We’re entering the fourth cycle of participatory budgeting, which lets residents decide how part of the city’s annual budget is spent by proposing and voting on local projects. Proposed projects should benefit the public, have a one-time cost, and involve physical improvements to public spaces or infrastructure. Residents can submit ideas online or in-person at…
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[SoDu Sunrise Showcase] Get Involved in the DPS Budget Process
Didn’t understand the Kendrick Lamar halftime show? That doesn’t lessen its artistic value. Plus, time to share your input on the Durham Public Schools budget! And Democrats in the state legislature want to keep local cops out of ICE raids. Read all about it in the Southpoint Access newsletter!
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[SoDu Sunrise Showcase] Deferring Affordable Dreams
The good news, it seems, is that Durham Public Schools identified a huge chunk of unrestricted funds to help balance the books for the 2024 budget. But the bad news is that DPS had plans for a lot of that money, contributed in 2022 by philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. Among those plans: $1 million toward affordable teacher housing…
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DPS Work Session: Transportation, Shortfall, and Legacy
The Durham Public Schools Board of Education held a work session Thursday night, discussing: Get the full report in our Southpoint Access newsletter!
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MacKenzie Scott Funds May Reduce Durham Schools Budget Shortfall
Durham Public Schools seems closer to erasing the recently discovered $7-million budget shortfall, thanks to more than $1.4 million in deferred revenue from NC Pre-K and about $3.8 million in funds from a 2022 donation made to DPS by philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. If the district moves forward with this plan, it would leave them short by…
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[SoDu Sunrise Showcase] Spicing Up Hope Valley
So, let’s get something straight: as far as anyone knows, Durham Public Schools hasn’t lost $34 million. No one snuck out of the central office on Cleveland Street with sacks of money and disappeared into the night. Instead, the district’s new finance officer, Jeremy Teetor, and his team discovered that much in unbudgeted expenses. Sort of like when my…
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