Durham Public Schools graduating seniors earned a record $72.2 million in scholarships this year, nearly $5 million more than the previous class. Superintendent Dr. Leverne Lewis celebrated the achievement during the June 26 meeting, noting that the Southern School of Energy and Sustainability led the district with $23 million in scholarships. The district highlights every graduating class on its website to showcase student success and educator support.
The School Resource Officer program drew close scrutiny from board members during Sheriff Jernail Burkehead's presentation of 2024-25 data. While the program shows strong results—663 cases referred to community resources versus only 50 juvenile petitions, the highest referral rate in North Carolina—board members pressed the sheriff on when SROs should be called versus school administrators, whether uniforms make students uncomfortable, and whether enough Latinx and bilingual officers serve the district. Burkehead responded that the department is offering hiring bonuses for bilingual staff and continuing recruitment efforts. SRO calls have dropped significantly from 2,008 in 2022-23 to 621 last year.
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