Durham school social workers and community members testified about delayed pay raises for 68 days and a $34 million budget shortfall, as the board faces competing demands for staff compensation, student safety, and library positions.
Social workers testified that master's pay raises promised 68 days ago remain delayed, while one speaker noted a newly created $155,000 assistant superintendent position could fund raises for 30 colleagues.
CFO Jeremy Teeter disclosed a $34 million budget shortfall from seven systemic issues including 315 overstaffed positions and $9.7 million in underfunded charter school payments.
Students and parents described anxiety over immigration enforcement at schools and requested signed pickup authorization forms and privacy protections, while library coordinators warned that teacher-librarian positions face proposed cuts despite heavy student use.