Durham Public Schools will implement a hiring freeze and sweeping budget cuts despite securing strong county funding, while also eliminating out-of-school suspensions for younger students.
Interim Superintendent Moore implemented a hiring freeze and budget cuts for 2024-25 despite county funding approval, citing prior overcommitments and a $29.5 million Charter School shortfall that requires a 'starvation diet for a year.'
The board approved eliminating out-of-school suspensions for kindergarten through third grade starting 2024-25, requiring restorative practices and principal supervisor consultation, though staff warned the district lacks resources to fully implement the initiative.
DPS named the new partnership with Duke and Durham Tech the 'Durham Early College of Health Sciences,' funded by a $29.5 million Bloomberg Philanthropies grant, with the first cohort beginning August 2025.