The Durham Public Schools Board of Education held a budget hearing to present Phase One of the superintendent's recommended budget and gather stakeholder feedback to inform Phase Two.
Custodial workers testified that unsustainable staffing levels and payroll failures, including a $300 short paycheck and unpaid overtime, have forced employees to choose between health and employment at Durham Public Schools.
The district's physical therapy team shrank from eight therapists to five, with departures driven by noncompetitive salaries; the superintendent's $269,730 occupational therapy recommendation only partially addresses the crisis.
CFO Cheeter presented a $19.7 million Phase One budget requesting five percent salary increases for staff while navigating state funding uncertainty tied to a Senate District 26 primary election outcome.