Durham schools budget vote: Superintendent proposes teacher raises, asks county for more money

The Durham Public Schools Board of Education is expected to vote on the superintendent’s proposed budget at its Thursday evening meeting.

The proposed budget includes funding for teacher and bus driver supplements, positions needed due to the Growing Together redistricting and additional money to support Exceptional Children’s Services. 

The DPS budget comes from local, state and federal funding. 

Approximately 6% of the current budget, about $43 million, is federally funded. That money is in jeopardy after President Donald Trump’s executive order to dismantle the Department of Education. 

In Superintendent Dr. Anthony Lewis’ opening message, he cites "uncertainty surrounding federal funding adds an element of unpredictability to our financial planning.”

Lewis said challenges for this year’s budget include inflation, the rising costs of utilities and the need for maintenance of DPS facilities.

Local funding has also been in the spotlight in recent DPS budgets. 

For the most recent budget, the school board requested a $27 million increase over the previous year from Durham County. This year, Lewis’ proposal requests an increase of nearly $16 million.

A large portion of the increase is found in teacher supplements.

Budget documents state Durham needs to compete with surrounding districts, especially Wake County and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.  

Increasing teacher supplements would cost more than $2.2 million. 

Bus driver pay has also been discussed after ongoing transportation issues this school year, with the school board deciding to implement family responsibility zones to lighten the load on the understaffed department.

Bus driver supplements of $200 monthly would cost the district $377,436. 

DPS is hoping to retain its employees by implementing local master’s pay, to the tune of about $1.36 million for teachers, and nearly $80,000 for social workers, for a total of about $1.4 million. 

DPS’ Growing Together redistricting plan has a goal of better equity and access across schools. Growing together positions would cost $1.65 million, including 10 dual language teachers, four Montessori pre-K teachers, six Montessori pre-K instructional aides, and two Montessori lower elementary instructional aides. 

In the budget proposal, Lewis said DPS is hoping to “close the gap” in funding for exceptional children.

Exceptional children are defined as "students with disabilities who require specialized support to succeed in school.”

The state provides funding for up to 13% of the district’s total enrollment, but DPS has a higher proportion of exceptional children: 16.4%. 

There are a little more than 1,000 EC students at DPS who are unfunded by the state. 

To close the gap over five years, this proposed budget funds $1.1 million for these students. 

Durham Public Schools’ total enrollment for 2024-2025 is 31,188 students across 57 schools. 

The school board meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.