Durham students might have to make up lost days if school closings persist
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Durham Public Schools Salary Dispute
Budget problems in Durham Public Schools have caused disruptions, including halted bus routes and schools closings as staff members call in sick to protest. The protests come as the school district reported it had budgeted incorrectly and could not pay raises for 1,300 classified staff members, including bus mechanics, cafeteria workers and physical therapists. Here is ongoing coverage from The News & Observer.
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Students in Durham Public Schools could have to make up missed days on holidays or during break time if school closings persist during the ongoing classified workers’ salary dispute.
In a news conference Wednesday, Interim Superintendent Catty Moore said most school systems in North Carolina exceed the number of school days required by state law, creating a “bank” they can pull from during emergencies.
But that bank will run out in “one day or less,” depending on individual students’ schools, some of which closed more than others.
So far, all DPS students have missed two days because of staff sick-outs and absences during the budget crisis. Students at 19 schools have missed three days.
“We are not there yet,” Moore said. “But we will be.”
Moore and School Board Chair Bettina Umstead offered few details about how Durham Public Schools will seek to resolve the dispute over higher salaries that were granted to classified staff, then promised only through February.
Asked if DPS would seek emergency cash from Durham County, Umstead said only that commissioners are “eagerly awaiting” a proposal.
“This has been a challenging few weeks,” she said. “It’s extremely difficult, but I know we’ll get through it.”
Moore retired as superintendent of the Wake County Public School System in June 2023.
Asked if any experiences in Wake would help Durham navigate its salary trouble, she said at the time, her former district fell behind what Durham Public Schools paid classified staff. Those employees include cafeteria workers, bus mechanics, interpreters, electricians and instructional assistants for exceptional children.
“There was a lot of work in the last few years in that district to raise compensation,” Moore said. “Looking for how you do that and how you plan over multiple years to do that, I think will help me as I look to figure out what the options are here.”
What’s next for Durham Public Schools?
This story was originally published February 14, 2024 at 11:54 AM.
