Durham Schools Address Retention and Budget Challenges

The board hears community concerns about ICE protection for students and the need for crossing guards at Hope Valley Elementary. Advocates push for full funding of school libraries, while social workers express frustration over delayed Master's pay. Updates on strategic staffing plans and budget challenges are also discussed. 26mins

Budget Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Education Labor & Employment Staff
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Original Meeting

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Durham Public Schools Board of Education on YouTube
Tuesday, January 28th, 2025
10166.0
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Video Notes

#DPSCommunity | DPS Board of Education Monthly Meeting | 1/28/25

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Alex Rosen
Durham, North Carolina
As the Executive Director of See Gov, I focus on how to best achieve our mission of expanding thoughtful and consistent participation in democracy. I develop See Gov's technology, work to grow our impact, and find ways to sustain our nonprofit. I live in Durham, NC and make highlight reels for Durham and other See Gov pilot communities.
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In This Video
  • Ivan Almonte from Respuesta Rápida de Durham requests a public statement from DPS on protecting students from ICE and asks for a meeting with the board to discuss community concerns. 
  • Lindsay Marjoram discusses the impact of family responsibility zones on Hope Valley Elementary students and requests a crossing guard and additional infrastructure. 
  • Heidi Perez speaks about the importance of fully funding DPS libraries and the role of media coordinators as teacher librarians. 
  • Kim Gugino and Jenny Umbarger, co-library media coordinators, share how full funding and flexible schedules allow them to support literacy and academic success at Durham School of the Arts. 
  • Paula Jannuzi-Godfrey, a media coordinator, emphasizes the joy and educational benefits provided by school libraries and invites board members to visit her library. 
  • Jenna Wine, a media coordinator, discusses the popularity of young adult books and manga among students, emphasizing the library's role as a hub for student engagement and the need for continued funding. 
  • JB Hallen criticizes the delay in implementing Master's pay for school social workers, expressing frustration and urging the board to address the issue with retroactive pay. 
  • Sonya Lopez and Shawn Lulu express disappointment over the lack of Master's pay for social workers, highlighting financial struggles and questioning the board's priorities in budget allocation. 
  • Director Hager and Michelle Hayes begin the presentation on Strategic Plan Priority 3, focusing on recruiting, supporting, and retaining exemplary staff. 
  • Executive Director Hayes discusses specific goals and progress under Strategic Plan Priority 3A, including turnover rate reduction and the Bull City Teaching Scholarship. 
  • Executive Director Hayes continues with highlights on compensation increases and licensure progress, and outlines next steps for recruitment and retention strategies. 
  • Executive Director Hayes transitions to Priority 3B, focusing on increasing the fill rate of DPS positions and highlights the Manager in Training program and transportation recruitment efforts. 
  • The presenter continues, discussing diversity goals and strategies to increase Hispanic and Black staff representation. 
  • Board Member Beyer emphasizes this area's critical role in the strategic plan and the need to rebuild trust. 
  • Chair Rogers introduces the next agenda item: Operation services, Transportation services, update on recruitment and retention. 
  • Doctor Lewis presents national data on the school bus driver shortage, highlighting its impact on school transportation operations and the increase in shortage reports. 
  • Doctor Lewis shares research findings on driver retention, emphasizing the importance of drivers feeling like part of the education team and listing strategies to overcome workforce challenges. 
  • Doctor Webb and Ms. Hager express commitment to bus driver recruitment and retention, sharing good news about new drivers and ongoing recruitment efforts. 
  • Ms. Hager discusses the need for bus drivers, recruitment strategies, and the importance of monitoring the effectiveness of these efforts. 
  • Ms. Hager discusses improving working conditions for bus drivers, including driver recognition, break spaces, and school-level support. 
  • Chair Rogers transitions the meeting to the next agenda item: current year budget challenges. Mr. Teeter and Dr. Lewis begin the presentation on budget issues and transparency efforts. 
  • Dr. Lewis discusses feedback from listening sessions about transparency and accountability in financial decisions. He emphasizes the importance of community involvement in addressing financial challenges. 
  • Mr. Teeter introduces the financial challenges presentation, summarizing the key issues and solutions to be discussed. 
  • Mr. Teeter details the county funding received, including local and ARPA resources, and explains the allocation of funds for state raises, teacher supplements, and classified pay. 
  • Mr. Teeter outlines the challenge of managing district positions, noting the impact of ESSER funds and the need for new procedures to control position creation. 
  • Mr. Teeter addresses the budget challenge related to charter schools, explaining the need to correct the budget line item for charter school payments. 
  • Discussion on the child nutrition program's financial struggles, including increased production costs and the recommendation to reserve $3 million to prevent negative balances. 
  • Mr. Teeter talks about local master's pay and the need for accurate data to fund employees with master's degrees, considering a fresh survey and potential licensing requirements. 
  • Mr. Teeter discusses the difficulty in predicting utility costs and the recommendation to reserve over $1 million to meet these obligations. 
  • Mr. Teeter explains the omission of arts supplements from the budget and the historical context of these supplements, noting the need to support arts and music staff. 
  • Discussion on the bus driver attendance bonus and the need to allocate $145,000 in the budget to continue this practice. 
  • Mr. Teeter addresses the unpredictability of insurance premiums and the need to allocate additional funds to meet these obligations. 
  • Mr. Teeter shares good news about additional state funds due to higher than expected enrollment, providing over $1.1 million to the district. 
  • Mr. Teeter explains the decision to withhold 15% of local operating budgets, which provided $26.4 million to address the budget shortfall. 
  • Mr. Teeter discusses ongoing efforts to monitor salaries and benefits, evaluate central office vacancies, and reorganize to absorb duties and save costs. 
  • Mr. Teeter provides an update on the audit work, noting the completion of compliance stages and the progress towards finalizing financial statements. 
  • Board Member Beyer thanks Mr. Teeter for his work and asks if there is any misinformation that needs clarification. Mr. Teeter explains the complexity of North Carolina public school finance and assures the public that there is no fraudulent activity, just under-budgeting issues. 
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