Right. Good evening everyone. Let's try one more time because we do have a full house here. Good evening everyone. All right. Thank you for joining us this afternoon. I apologize again for the delay. We had a meeting before this so we can get started now. The Durham Public Schools Board of Education.
Monthly meeting is now in session. At this time, we wish to extend a warm welcome to everyone who's joining us this evening. The purpose of this meeting is to inform our parents, staff, and constituents about the work aligned with our mission to embrace, educate, and empower every student to innovate, to serve, and to lead. The interpreters for tonight are Consuelo Nordon and Karen Reyes. Thank you all for taking the time to join us. We also have a student representative who is joining us for the board meeting today. She sits on the superintendent student advisory council. We have Leela Lemon. Can you wave for us?
Thank you, Leela, for joining us. All right. The next item on our agenda is a.
Moment of silence. board members, we going to take this moment of silence. We lost a retired educator who's been a pillar in this community, Elton O'Neal, this past week. We also have been navigating as a country, unfortunately again gun violence and many of those things. So, I ask in this moment of silence that we hold both of those moments together.
Thank you. The next item on our agenda is celebrations. I'll turn it over to Miss Sheena Cooper. Good evening, Chair Umstead, members of the board, Superintendent Lewis, DPS colleagues, and members of the Durham community. It is my honor to present this evening's celebrations. Durham public schools has much to celebrate this month as we have witnessed moments of pride, progress, and perseverance across our district. Each month, our celebrations remind us that every achievement is made possible by the dedication of our students, the commitment of our staff, the support of our families, and the partnerships that strengthen our community. We begin our celebrations with our student of the month, followed by teacher and employee of the month honors. We will then close with spark pin presentations.
Please welcome Principal Brandon Hodes from Southern School of Energy and Sustainability to present our September student of the month. Thank you, Miss Cooper. Good evening, everyone. My name is Brandon Hodes and I'm the proud principal serving at Southern School of Energy and Sustainability. Board Chair Umstead, our entire Durham Public Schools Board of Education, Superintendent Lewis, Durham Public Schools staff, and all of our distinguished guests here and afar. Tonight, thank you for the time and opportunity to present the September Durham Public Schools Student of the Month.
It is my honor and privilege to actually recognize our scholar Leela Lemons, a senior at Southern School of Energy and Sustainability who truly embodies academic excellence, leadership, and community service. Leela has a deep love for science and has been an integral part of the biomedical pathway at Southern. She's part of the National Honors Society and part of the Southern Cheer program. Her passion for science began early. Her freshman year, she actually earned the opportunity to travel with Novo Nordisk, sparking her interest in pharmaceuticals and aspiring her future aspirations. She now plans to pursue her studies at Yale University, where she hopes to major in chemistry and neuroscience.
In addition to her academic and extracurricular commitments, Leela works outside of school at ECHKO for youth by youth, where she has served as a youth advisory council director, demonstrating remarkable leadership, responsibility, and dedication to her community. At Southern, Leela has also distinguished herself through leadership. She served as president of the National Honors Society for the 2425 school year and intends to run again this year for the position. She has been a member of the cheer team for three years and recently became varsity captain contributing to school spirit and also exceptional teamwork. She also serves on the superintendent's student advisory council. What sets Leela apart is not only her accomplishments but also her character. She has built strong, positive relationships with her teachers, administrators, and district leaders. Her warm and energetic personality make her a joy to work with and she continues to leave a lasting impact on our school community. We are incredibly proud of all that Leela has achieved and all that she will achieve.
We know that her future is bright and Southern will always be a place that she can call home. Please join me in congratulating Southern's very own Leela Lemons. Congratulations.
>> Congratulations, Leela. We are proud to celebrate and recognize you for your accomplishments this evening. And to me, commemorate the occasion, we actually have a few things for you. So, if you could step a little bit closer to the podium. First, we have your official student of the month certificate. Next, you receive a spark pin for embodying our district's core beliefs, and we hope that you wear it proudly in and around Durham Public Schools, as well as the Durham community and beyond.
Our friends at Triangle ECycling want to make sure that you are powered for success because you have a very bright future ahead of you. So, tonight they are presenting you with a laptop. Thank you. >> And at this time, I would like to ask Ray Trapped and Cheryl Wal Flag to step closer to the podium for a very special presentation. Families and community rising, our partners, are presenting you with a $250 gift card this evening. This organization is dedicated to ensuring that students and families have the healthy starts that they need to thrive.
Because when our young people are supported from the very beginning, their potential is limitless, just like yours. So, thank you so much, Leela, for leading the way and for being an exceptional student. And again, thank you to Families and Community Rising for your generous support this evening.
>> Okay, thank you. We want you to hold your.
A photo with our community partner.
Congratulations again, Leela. At this time, please welcome Michelle Hayes, executive director of talent acquisition and employee recognition to present our teacher and employee of the month.
Good evening, Chair Mstead, members of the board, Superintendent Lewis, and cabinet members. I'm back. It is once again my honor to celebrate two of our most outstanding colleagues, our teacher of the month and employee of the month. Each month we recognize one teacher and one non-eing employee who exemplify greatness, tenacity, perseverance, and leadership. These individuals are nominated around a monthly theme and represent the best of Durham Public Schools. I encourage our DPS schools and departments to continue nominating teachers and staff each month. This recognition means so much.
It allows us to pause and show our gratitude for their hard work, commitment, and passion for their profession. This evening, we are thrilled to honor our September teacher and employee of the month. Our teacher of the month recognition is sponsored by North Carolina Central University's tennis tennis program, the Tonsai chapter of Omega Sci-Fi Fraternity Incorporated and DCL Consulting LLC. Our employee of the month recognition is proudly sponsored by the office of human resources. The theme for September is igniting that spark. This honor is reserved for individuals who bring joy and energy to work every day. Those who encourage everyone around them, offer a helping hand, welcome new colleagues, and exude positivity in every interaction. So, we are going to recognize our teacher first, then our employee., DC Lawson also went out to the school to do a surprise. So, at the end of my remarks, I will ask DC Lawson to come up. Our September teacher of the month is Kelsey Peterson from Glenn Elementary, a second grade teacher.
Miss Peterson exemplifies what it means to ignite the spark. Since joining our school three years ago, she has brought excitement, passion, and dedication to everything she does. She works closely with families and students to ensure every child has the best second grade experience possible. Her advocacy, collaboration, and tireless support of both students and colleagues make her a true cornerstone of our school community. Miss Peterson's results speak for themselves. Last year, 90% of her students met or exceeded their ASES access goals, 90% were reading on on or above grade level, and 100% met or exceeded their annual math goals. These incredible outcomes are the result of her thoughtful planning, high quality instruction, and constant collaboration with her team. Beyond academics, Miss Peterson is the kind of colleague every school dreams of having. When a teammate began the year on maternity leave, she helped divide students across cla across classrooms to ensure they had a positive start and return to their teacher with a strong instructional foundation. She is dependable present. She is a dependable.
Present at every school event. Whether it's bike festival or Hispanic Heritage Night, working from setup through cleanup, she advocates for students in need, secures resources like glasses, drive students to school when buses aren't running, and even supports colleagues in writing and securing grants. Miss Peterson impact is not is felt not only in her classroom, but across the school. When asked to share staff members who bring joy to our community, she highlighted custodians, instructional assistants, teachers, and more, ending with, "Please let me know if you need more suggest suggestions. We ooze joy. I got you." What she didn't know was that many colleagues named her as the source of their joy.
One captured it best. Her class always seems to be doing something fun while learning. She radiates positivity and her students reflect it. Miss Peterson, you are a beautiful person inside and out. An encourager, a problem solver, a joybringer, and a tireless advocate for children. It is both a pleasure and a privilege to congratulate you on being named Durham Public School September Teacher of the Month. Coach Lawson will come with remarks. Madame Chair, Superintendent Lewis, board, I would first like to acknowledge Principal Hunt for recognizing Miss Peterson. If not for your recognition, then I don't think that we would be aware of her exceptional talents. On Tuesday, the North Carolina Central University's men's tennis team did have an opportunity to come out and surprise Miss Peterson with some flowers and balloons. And this evening, on behalf of DCL Consulting, like to present her with a small token for exceptional work in the school system.
So, we have a bag of goodies and of course you'll get our spark pen to continue to ignite your >> Let me get your picture first. It's great.
Our.
September employee of the month is Steve Gupton, our full release mentor lead. So, we have a partnership with North Carolina Central University and with the branch ed where we collaborate and they take professional development trips together. So, he just landed from Chicago at 5:30 to make sure he was here this evening. So, once again, thank you for coming this afternoon, this evening to be recognized. Mr. Gupton exemplifies the spirit and mission of DPS through his unwavering enthusiasm, positivity, and support for others. From the moment you meet Mr. Gupton, it's clear he is genuinely excited to be a part of the Durham Public Schools team.
His passion for education and commitment to our school community shine through in everything he does. He is just not here to do a job. He's here to make a difference. Mr. Gupton has a remarkable ability to encourage and uplift everyone around him. Whether through a kind word, a listening ear, or simply showing up with a smile and a contagious positive energy, he is a constant source of motivation and joy for students, staff, and visitors alike. One of his greatest strength is his dedication to supporting others, especially his team, school partners, and beginning teachers. He goes out of his way to ensure new teachers feel welcomed, supported, and empowered as they begin their journey with DPS. His mentorship and guidance have been instrumental in helping new staff members feel confident, connected, and valued. Mr. Gupton, you not you you don't just bring energy to the room, you radiate in it. Your presence makes our school envir environment more vibrant, supportive, and human. You embody the culture we strive for for in Durham.
Public schools, one of inclusion, collaboration, and shared success. We thank you for your outstanding contributions, tireless support of others, and your contagious love for your work. And for that reason, you are truly deserving of the title Deep Durham Public Schools September employee of the month. And of course, you will get your spark pen and a plaque.
Congratulations to our honores. The spark pen is one of the highest recognitions we give in Durham public schools. It represents the spirit of our mission and honors those who go above and beyond to make that mission a reality. Spark pin recipients embody our core values. They are the individuals who not only get the job done, but do so with passion, creativity, and a commitment to making DPS better each day. This evening, we are also proud to recognize a very special group of Spark Pin recipients. They think they're here for questions tonight, but actually they are here because they are being recognized and honored, and it is our student information system team.
They are making their way in the room right now.
Over the past several months, this team has demonstrated extraordinary dedication and perseverance in supporting our district's transition to Infinite Campus, the new student information system for the state of North Carolina. This was not an easy task, and the team faced many challenges and unknowns. Their countless hours of behindthe-scenes work, attention to detail, and unwavering commitment ensured that this critical system was ready to serve all of our students, families, and staff. Thanks to their efforts, the foundation is in place for managing student information across Durham Public Schools. Tonight we honor this team, Nelson Surles, Priscilla Thompson, Shannita Graves, Amy Tony, and Barbara Goens for embodying a spirit of service and leadership. Thank you and congratulations.
This concludes our celebrations this evening. Thank you, Mrs. Cooper. To all of our celebrations, the Lemons family is a famous family. We saw Lindsay Lemons yesterday at the Durham Early College for Health Sciences opening. So, we're so glad that y'all are here celebrating with us today. Proud father in the back. Thank you so much for entrusting us with your wonderful, brilliant children. All right, so next on our agenda, we have our superintendent update. For that, I'll pass it over to Dr. Lewis.
>> Thank you so much, Chair Armstead. Good evening, members of the board, members of the DPS community, both here in person and online, and also to our student board member this evening. Thank you so much, board member Leela. Thank you so much for being here. Just have several announcements that I want to highlight this evening. next slide please. September is well not next slide the slide I guess. Get the slide deck up.
Okay. I guess it'll come shortly.
Take time. I'll go ahead and get started. Hopefully, it'll come up here shortly., but I just want to make sure I honor September 15th through October 15th. Okay, we're on the second slide. Thank you. September 15th through October 18th is indeed Hispanic Heritage Month. DPS is a is proud to celebrate the rich histories, cultures, and countless contributions of our Hispanic and Latina communities. This month is a reminder of the strength that we gain from our diversity and the importance of creating spaces where students and families are welcome and celebrated. Next slide.
September is also suicide prevention month, a time for us to come together as a community to raise awareness, to offer hope, and to remind one another that no one ever has to struggle alone. In Durham Public Schools, we recognize that mental health is just as important as physical health. And we are committed to ensuring that every student feels supported, seen, valued, and connected. And as superintendent, I encourage students, staff, families, and community members. Let's continue the work of normalizing mental health. Our schools work every day to create safe spaces where students can speak up, seek help, and find caring adults and peers who will listen. We also provide resources from counseling and wellness programs to partnerships with community organizations because protecting well-being, the well-being of our scholars takes all of us.
Next slide. September also marks National Attendance Awareness Month, highlighting the importance of consistent school attendance. We know that increased attendance I'm sorry, increased student engagement yields positive results in attendance. Missing two days a month equals nearly four weeks of instruction in a year. And I share this the this month and I would often ask audience audiences, you know, how many days does it take for a student to be considered chronically absent? And I hear responses like 5 10. It's actually 18 days that a student is considered chronically absent. And we certainly appreciate our parents and families who are calling when their students are absent or sick. and we recognize that 18 days whether excused or unexcused a child is considered chronically absent. So we want to make sure that we we ensure that our students are coming every single day.
There's a reason that the board approves the school calendar well in advance for you to make doctor's appointments and things like that around the school days. consistent attendance helps students stay on track and be successful. Every single day counts and we will continue to stress attendance as it yields results for our students. We will do this throughout the school year. Next slide. I'm excited to announce the semi-finalists for principal of the year. All of whom have discriminate discrim sorry demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment to our schools. congratulations to these outstanding leaders who continue to inspire excellence every day in their schools and communities. We have Dr.
Vanessa Alfred who's at principal at CC Spalding Elementary. Dr. Reita Griffin Jordan, City of Madison Academy. Dr. Tana Stewart, Rogers Herur Middle School. Dr. Kristen Tate, Oak Grove Elementary. Nick Ratosski, Southwest Elementary, and Susan Taylor, CE Jordan High School. We certainly look forward to sharing our finalist and our 202526 Principal of the Year in the coming weeks. Next slide. On August 30th, North Carolina Central University Athletics hosted us for DPS day at NCCU. Many of our DPS staff and families visited campus to enjoy the football game and cheer on the Eagles. DPS athletic director David Hackne and I joined in the fun with a special role in the pregame coin toss and our 20242 DPS of the year honores were recognized during the game. We certainly are grateful for our partners like NCCU for their support of DPS and its educators.
Next slide. On Tuesday, we proudly celebrated the ribbon cutting of the newly renovated auditorium at CC Spalding Elementary School. this space long at the heart of the school and community gatherings has been reimagined to better serve our students and families for years to come. The updated auditorium now provides a welcoming, modern environment for performances, assemblies, and special events, creating new opportunities for students to showcase their talents and for our community to come together in support of learning and the arts. This project reflects the district's ongoing commitment to investing in safe, inspiring spaces where every child can shine.
Speaking of ribbon ribbon cutting, next slide. Yesterday marked a historic moment for Durham Public Schools as we celebrated the ribbon cutting of the Durham Early College of Health Sciences. This is where we had the other Lemon Sister speak on the program yesterday. This innovative school made possible through our partnership with Durham Tech, Duke Health, and Bloomberg Philanthropies will provide students with unique opportunities to explore careers in health sciences while also earning an associates degree and credentials that will make them workforce ready upon graduation. Many of those students who will work right here and stay in Durham at Duke Health.
The energy at the event certainly reflected our community's shared commitment to opening doors for students, preparing them for their future success, and strengthening the pipeline of professionals who will one day serve our region, who will one day take care of us. we are grateful for those who joined us. certainly grateful for our board members who joined us for this milestone celebration and we look forward to the limitless potential that this school will ignite in our scholars. Next slide., as a district, please know that we are we remain committed to ensuring that every student has access to the tools that they need to learn, to grow, and to succeed., our onetoone device initiative has been a powerful step forward toward true equity and access. At the same time, we recognize that this work comes with challenges from maintaining those devices, repairing those devices when they are broken to planning for long-term sustainability to, collecting the devices back and if, your children are anything like mine, sometimes you walk in the room and you.
Don't know where things are. And so, I encourage families if, to peruse those rooms if if you so choose to make sure that there's no devices, in those rooms that are that are missing. We are actively evaluating this initiative to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of our students and our families. We're also being mindful of stewardship, being mindful of the most recent research and certainly responsibility. So more to come on that. Next slide. Last Friday, I shared a message with the entire DPS community reaffirming our unwavering stance on these evolving immigration policies and enforcement. I want to make sure I take a moment to reiterate that message and be crystal clear. in Durham Public Schools, we are committed to ensuring that every student and family is treated with care, dignity, and respect. Durham Public Schools is and will remain a community where everyone is welcome and belongs.
Our schools are safe, welcoming spaces where all students can focus on learning, growing, and reaching their full potential. That's why we are excited to be partnering with Eluro and El Centro Hispano and World Relief to host a series of informal yet intimate conversations with families. That series launches next month. amid growing fear and uncertainty, we want our families to know that we stand with you. Next slide. As we continue to advocate for Durham Public Schools staff and scholars, I want to highlight the importance of urging the general assembly to act on a comprehensive state budget., this proposal includes an average 5.9% pay increase for teachers, restoration of M's pay, and a 3% raise for other school personnel., these steps are critical to us here in DPS to recruiting and retaining our dedicated professionals, many of who were highlighted this evening, those professionals who make the biggest difference in our scholar success. At the same time, we cannot overlook the reality that any gains in salary must also be weighed against the.
Increases in health care premiums., ensuring that educators and staff see real improvements in their take-home pay is essential to supporting them and supporting their families. Durham students thrive when teachers and staff are valued, respected, and supported. And I urge state leaders to prioritize public education and the and the people who make it possible. That's our amazing educators and staff in Durham public schools. Our children in Durham's future deserve nothing less. And so I know we have amazing delegates delegates here in in the Dorm County area. I would encourage everyone if you have family members and friends in other parts of the states, please have them contact their delegates as well to urge them to pass this budget. This concludes my remarks this evening.
>> Thank you Dr. Lewis for those remarks. So, lots of things happening in the district and we certainly would love to have a state budget sooner rather than later., we have over 5,000 employees whose pay is impacted by the lack of a state budget. We know what the impacts of that might mean for our students and for our community. So, the next item on our agenda is the agenda review and approval.
I'll start with Miss Carter Autton. >>, I would like to make a motion that we move the item 5A to our next meeting which is our work session on October 7th so that that conversation can be u more robust at that point. Let's second that and also ask that we add an item perhaps after six maybe our new seven would be the draft the resol Durham Public Schools resolution honoring the life and legacy of Mr. Elton Martin O'Neal second.
No, that was great. It's a little mini motion inside of a motion there. So, so we have a motion to amend the agenda to move item 5A to October 7th, as well as adding, number a new number seven for the DPS resolution honoring Mr. Elton O'Neal. Is there any other amendments? That's been moved and it's been seconded. Any other discussion? All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Any oppose? It passes. 6. our colleague Mr. Tab will be joining us later on this evening. So now that we have amended the agenda, I'll take a motion to approve the agenda as amended.
>> Move that we approve the agenda as amended. >> Second. >> It's been moved by Miss Chavez, seconded by Miss Harold Goff to approve the agenda as amended. Any other discussion? All those in favor say I. >> I. Any oppose? That passes 6. Thank you, colleagues. The next item on.
Our agenda is general public comment. I'm going to read some rules before we I'm sorry, excuse me. The meeting minutes. I apologize. I skipped that. The next item on our agenda is Board of Education monthly meeting minutes from August 28th, 2025. >> Move approval of the meeting minutes from August 28th, 2025. >> Second. >> Been moved by Miss Chavez and seconded by Miss Harold Goff. Is there any discussion? There were a couple of typos in those minutes. I shared those notes with our clerk so she can fix those.
So if as amended >> as amended. >> All right. So in no other discussion, all those in favor to approve the minutes as amended say I. >> I. I. Any oppose? Passes unanimously. The next item on our agenda is now general public comment. I have a quick review of the rules before we get started. When you approach the podium, please state your name and if you are speaking for an organization, state your name and the name of the organization. Second, speakers are asked to present their comments within we'll do two minutes tonight.
Two minutes. All right. tonight when when the yellow light comes on, you will have one minute left to start winding up your remarks. When the red light comes on, it will be which indicates that your time is up. Complaints about named staff, students, or parents should not be voiced in open session. However, we are very interested in hearing your concerns with regard to public education, safety of students, or to the operation of the school system. Finally, board members will listen carefully and consider your comments, but we do not engage a disc in a discussion with speakers. I'm going to call multiple names. So, if you want to come to the podium and line up, we'll go in that order. So, we'll start with Marcy Porter, Megan Mccurley, Tony Musas, and if I mispronounce your name, please correct me when you come over to the podium.
Marcy, you can get started. Good evening. My name is Marcy Porter. I'm here representing the Trinity Park Neighborhood Association. I'm a member of the board of the TPNA and a parent of a high school student at Durham School of the Arts. The Trinity Park Neighborhood Association has adopted a request for action to present to the DPS Board of Education, which I will read in less than two minutes. Request for action. Planning the future of the existing Durham School of the Arts campus submitted to the DPS School of Board of Education by the Trinity Park Neighborhood Association. Durham School of the Arts is relocating to a new campus and the existing campus located adjacent to the Trinity Park neighborhood will no longer serve its current educational function. The existing DSA campus holds historical, architectural, and community significance, and its future use and stewardship are of great interest to residents of the neighborhood and the broader Durham community. There has been no formal communication from the board regarding the planning process to.
Determine the future of the existing DSA campus nor the disposition, maintenance, or protection of the property during the transition period. The community requests the Durham School Board to recognize the importance of collaborative decision-making and to affirm its commitment to responsible stewardship of public assets in a manner that reflects the values and priorities of the community. Now, therefore, the TPNA, Triny Park Neighborhood Association, formally requests that the DPS Board of Education commit to do the following five things. Number one, initiate a formal planning process for the future use, preservation, and stewardship of the existing DSA campus.
Number two, establish a community advisory group, including representatives from the neighborhood, local stakeholders, preservation experts, and other relevant parties to guide and inform the process. Number three, ensure transparency and public engagement through the planning process, including regular updates, public meetings, and opportunities for community input. Number four, take appropriate interim measures to maintain and protect the existing campus property during the planning period, including security, upkeep, and preservation. And number five, provide a timeline and framework for the planning process requested within 90 days of the board agreeing to this request. The TPNA board adopted this the 12th day of September.
Thank you. >> Thank you. If you could also email that request or provide a written copy of that, if you can give it right there to Miss Smith, she'll make sure all board members get a copy of that. Awesome. Thank you. Good evening, board. Good evening, board. Dr. Lewis, my name is Megan McCarly. I am a proud parent of two Club Boulevard Elementary students, and I'm here on behalf of School Parents for Immigrant Defense. I'm here to support strengthening the district policy on relationship on the relationship with law enforcement and passing a private zones of administration zone administrative policy and protocol. Last Friday, I was with a group of other Latina moms when we received Dr. Lewis's email and I wanted to just first start off by saying how grateful I am to Dr. Lewis and all of the staff who were involved in getting that out to community., thank you for reaffirming the district's commitment to ensuring that every student receives a quality education in a safe, inclusive, and supportive.
Environment, regardless of background or immigration status. Thank you for acknowledging the fears and uncertainty that so many students, families, and staff are facing right now, and for sharing specifically what the district is doing to protect students and how the district would respond to immigration enforcement activities. This is the kind of letter and communication that so many of us have been begging for. I want to thank the board policy committee for recognizing the importance and urgency to update the district policy regarding relationships to law enforcement as soon as possible.
Doing so will ensure ensure that Dr. Lewis's words of reassurance are backed by strong and detailed policy that will provide clear guidance for staff to follow a firm legal ground for families to stand on in the event of immigration enforcement activities near school. I urge the full board to approve this policy committee's prioritization schedule so that the relationships with law enforcement policy can move forward. I also urge you to review and adopt the policy the proposed private zones administrative policy and protocol with the same urgency. Families need to know exactly what the district protocol is so that we can feel assured that it is pro as protective as possible. We know that the board and Dr. Lewis want to hear from families and and want district policy to be informed by the needs and concerns of those most impacted. So several families are here to share stories tonight. We some will read them today. Others will be be left in writing so that folks because folks don't want to share those.
Publicly. We hope that you will take this commitment seriously for the safety and wellbeing of DPS students. >> Thank you. Tony, come on up. Next, after Tony, we'll have Jordan Harless Horus, Holly Harden, Fernando Compos. Thank you very much., board of education superintendent Lewis. Thank you. My name is Tony MSAS. I'm a proud parent of two Lakewood Elementary School students and also a member of School Parents for Immigrant Defense and Public School Strong., thank you for your time today. I think you'll find from these stories that we are interested in working with you to improve the level of consistency of those commitments that you spoke to Dr. Lewis because it really does vary school to school as you'll see and maybe as you've heard. So, I'm going to read a letter from a parent right now. It's in Spanish. I'm going to read it aloud in English and so bear with me and this is from a concerned father.
My name is Jackie O. I write to you today as a concerned father of the public schools of Durham. I want to call your attention to the school environment that has had a significant negative impact on the school experience of my student. There is a lack of information and of a strong enough expression of full solidarity from the school district and from the particular school of my children around the threat and presence of ICE in our community. This has led to a great deal of fear and uncertainty in my family and in many other families.
The lack of adequate training of teachers and school personnel on this topic has contributed that it's not being brought up, that it's not being supported, and no one is getting prepared around a legitimate fear that we think about every day at all times, making the school environment stop being one that feels like a safe environment. In fact, it feels like a sight of silence. And this is not acceptable. Official silence not only lets immigrant children and refugee children in a state of neglect, but it also allows the flourishing of hate and bullying because the entire school community has not received sufficient guidance around how to make our schools be more welcoming.
For example, our children are constantly worried and experiencing anxiety even when they don't show it. And even when they do express these preoccupations or concerns to school personnel, the problem continues leaving leading to more emotional anguish and affecting their academic performance of our student. There are more things that he says. I'm out of time, so we'll share this letter with you as well. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> Good evening. My name is Jordan Harless. I am reading on behalf of a school nurse who wishes to remain anonymous due to fear of retaliation and retribution., she says, "Dear members of the Durham Board of Education, I'm writing to you as a concerned support staff member of DPS. As someone who works with students during times of distress or crisis in their lives, school is often one of the safest and most supportive environments they can count on. However, the threat and presence of ICE in our school communities and the lack of adequate training and preparation at both the.
School and district level on how to respond has put distrust and confidence from students and their families at risk. I have witnessed students feeling terrified of separating from their parents or guardians at drop off for fear of their grown-ups being taken away during the day. I have heard countless families say they are fearful of walking their children to school or standing at bus stops, feeling exposed and vulnerable to being targeted by ICE during those times. I hear staff, myself included, say they feel unprepared regarding what to do if ICE comes to our school. There are clear steps that can be taken to address the knowledge gaps among staff and increase support for the most vulnerable in our school communities. I respectfully request that the board one review and improve policies on interaction with law enforcement policy 5120 to ensure that all human rights of students, staff, and families in public schools are protected. This would ideally be done in collaboration with those that experience the harmful effects of the policy the.
Most. Two, train all staff on the new policy and its implementation if ICE appears at any of our schools. Three, publicly express solidarity with the entire school community, including immigrants and refugees in particular, so that students and families can enjoy school free from fear. Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your commitment to making our schools feel safe and supportive for all their student all students and their families. And I would just like to say as me, Jordan, that when you it is impossible for teachers to ignite the limitless potential of our students if they are too scared to come to school in the first place.
>> Hi, I'm going to seed my time to Fernando Compost. >> Hello. my name is Fernando Compos and I'm a Spanish teacher at Jordan High School. I have been with the district for over 20 years. Like most high school teachers, I will teach six sections this year and five of my six sections are in spa are in the Spanish for heritage speakers curriculum. So for most of my students, Spanish is their first language or the language they primarily speak at home. Just last week in one of my courses, we read about and discussed the case of Sylvia Mendes.
When her aunt tried to enroll her in school in California in 1944, she was denied enrollment because she was of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent and because her skin was too dark. Sylvia's family successfully sued in the district and after several years of litigation, California outlawed school segregation. Earl Warren was a governor of California at the time and would later go on to be the chief justice of the Supreme Court that decided the monumental Brown versus Board of Education case that outlawed school segregation across the nation.
Now, of course, everybody in this room knows that the school board that denied Civil Mendes admission to the school was on the wrong side of history. And today we ask that the school board today we we know that the school board has the option to strongly and loudly assert that all young people that live in our community have the right to not only attend school but to feel safe because they know that we have strong clear policies that protect them and that our staff across the district know what to do if and when mass threats come to take them away unlawfully.
Though our current politics make it difficult to stay hopeful, these students inspire me every day. I'll report to you that all of these students are among the most optimistic, courageous, and patriotic people you will ever meet. When they talk about the US, despite all current contrary evidence, they still talk about the American dream and the American promise that most native born Americans no longer believe in. They say things like the US is a country of laws, by which they mean we respect and abide by the laws. They still believe that if they work hard, they will achieve their goals and in their words become someone. But they must be given the opportunity wi without the unjust stress and fear that they are living in now and your decisions can go a long way to reducing their worries.
I'm also going to read a letter that was shared by a parent who was not comfortable to come and speak. this was written in Spanish and I provided the translation to whom it may concern. My family and I want to communicate about the difficult days that we are living through in this country. These times are so difficult, stressful, and full of anxiety just because we have to go to work, go buy food, and take our kids to school knowing that it may be our last day here and we won't be able to return home. And everything that we do is just so our children can have a better life and a better future.
Our request is for you all that are better able to use your voice than us to understand that we that all we want is for the is for the police and any other government official to be able that we do sorry to understand that we don't want what we don't want is for the police or any other government official to be able to enter our schools to arrest a student without a court order all of which would result in further stressing and frightening the rest of our students. These students are already living at home with the stress of their family every day. We also want for you all to inform us of each change that the district makes or approves.
Thank you. Right. Thank you. Next, we have Rosanna Salceto, Mercedes Mccurle, and Ellen Holmes. My name is Rosanna Salceo and I'm setting my time to Ellen Holmes. >> yeah. >> All right. Good evening. I am also reading letters on behalf of parents. So, we are spot translating just so you know., my name is Ellen Holmes. I'm a Spanish teacher at Jordan. Good evening you all. Esteemed members of the board of education for the public schools of Durham, I am writing to tell you all as a worried mother in the Durham public schools that I prefer to remain anonymous because I fear that sharing my identity can bring very negative consequences to not only me but my family and my children who attend public school as well. We hope that you all will revoke the negative impact that exists in our school district right now.
The negative experience that has been generated by ICE in our students and in our community has provoked an immense amount of fear and uncertainty directly in my family and in other families. The official silence and attitudes appropriated by ICE leaves us and our children in a state of abandonment and it is not acceptable. For example, my son has dropped out. He told me that I cannot continue to go to school and I asked why. My classmates are not going there either. We are afraid that ICE will come there and take us away and there is nothing that we can do about it.
We also feel mistreated and we don't have anyone to talk to about it. I don't want to continue any of my activities because I am afraid of being picked up. I do not want to go. Thank you. Can I keep going? Right. Another letter that I am spot translating. Oh, thank you. As a mother of a child in school, I feel extremely frustrated and I can only think of when the ICE agents will come to school for my daughter.
The children need the right to be in school as a safe place and we as parents deserve the right to go to school with our children to support them without fear. Many things are happening in the state for kids right now. They are trying to study and they need to know that it is their right to receive their classes without fear. Meaning go to school without fear and without the fear of being detained. Their parents also deserve the right to be able to go to school without the fear of being detained while there as well.
This is a impact very negative a very negative impact for all the students. We need more secures schools. No ICE, no police. Thank you. And finally, I have my letter that is in English and I'm just going to hold this up. This is why I'm here again., so good evening board and Dr. Lewis. My name is Ellen Holmes and I am a Spanish teacher at Jordan High School. I am here today to ask the board to pass the updated policy f 5120 and the private zones administrative policy and protocol.
These policies are vital to ensuring all students, families, faculty, and staff feel safe and supported while at school or at a school event and they are essential in ensuring the sanctity of the learning environment is upheld at all times. They also ensure our students constitutional rights are upheld during these tentionous times. All students constitutional rights and that is key. I am also here today to share why these policies are crucial and need to be passed ASAP. As you can hear from the letter from the parents, it really depends on the school and the principal at that school. And so a clear policy needs to be put in place to hold people accountable. When I taught at Riverside, for example, any faculty or staff member who spoke Spanish was asked to interpret frequently in parent teacher conferences, in discipline meetings, during interactions with SRO's, and more. I had to call a parent and let them know their student was tased by a SRO officer while at school or that they.
Had threatened to take their own life and needed medical attention. Bilingual faculty staff even had interpretation duty, giving us access to information or putting us in situations that I did not feel were appropriate. I would also be pulled from class frequently to support with translation. While families deserve to be communicated with in their preferred language, using teachers or other untrained staff is highly unprofessional and unfair to all parties. That is why in these policies 5120 and the other, it is stated that interpretation must be provided at all times but not from faculty or staff.
Most of us are not certified interpreters and should not be utilized in that matter. It was what led me to leaving Riverside. a very difficult decision because I did not want the students and members of Destino success to feel like I abandoned them. But I needed a better working environment. So I transferred to Jordan in 2020. I am happy to say this is not a practice at Jordan, but it really depends school to school. On behalf of all my former, current, and future students and their communities, please pass these policies now just like you did in 2017 with policy 4321. Thank you.
Thank you. Next we have Luna Gomez, Owen Ambrose, Katie McDonald, and Patricia Rissick. Our next list, so Luna Gomez, Owen Ambrose, Katie McDonald, and Patricia Rusk.
Hi, my name is Luna Gomez and I'm a worried and sad DPS student. I'm here today to represent and support immigrant students and families. First, I would like to talk about the North Carolina Children's Bill of Rights, specifically articles 2 and three. Article two states, "Children have the right to an inclusive and accountable public school. Children under no circumstances should ever have to feel excluded or singled out because of the way we speak, look, or where we come from. We shouldn't have to feel worried about it." Which leads into article three. Children have to write to a safe and healthy learning environment.
Unfortunately, many immigrant students are behind academically and need extra support. And if you on top of that at the constant fear that our families can be separated or taken away, then it will be hard for us to improve. And that's a very, very unhealthy learning environment. That's where we need the schools to be accountable. And that's why I came to ask you, Dr. Anthony Lewis, members of the board, you talk about how you always love when students give you their opinion and you say how students should feel safe. Well, this is it. Adopt this policy, please. Thank you.
>> Good evening. Oh yeah, good evening board. My name is Owen and I am the communications coordinator of the Sunrise Movement Hub at DSA. The National Sunrise Movement is running a campaign to make polluters pay, a legislative campaign that would pass bills at the state level requiring large polluting corporations to pay proportionally to their emissions. These funds would then be collected in a clim a state level climate super fund which in our proposed resolution would be distributed back into our local communities for green initiatives in public schools.
This kind of legislation would not only address environmental concerns but also social justice issues. As an example, we hope to include in our make litter pay proposal to the state a 40 a justice 40 clause ensuring that 40% of the super fund would go to marginalized communities. While it seems great, this kind of legislation legislative change won't happen without local resolutions of support, and it also won't happen overnight. When we came before you two weeks ago, we introduced our new demand of the school board, one that urges your support as we move to state level action while also calling upon our district to move towards green initiatives in creative ways that don't require state funding.
We have proposed that the board pass the items of our previous resolution that requires little financial comp commitment but high levels of information gathering, community collaboration, and uplifting of young voices. In addition to our lowcost demands, we urge the Durham Public Schools board to advocate to re relevant state representatives for statewide super fund legislation that will fund green initiatives for schools. In order to tackle climate injustice, it is imperative that we have climate legislation in place at every level of government. We as students cannot make the necessary change of at the state level without the support of city councils and school districts. All of our more detailed requirements are outlined in our new resolution draft and we are eager to discuss with each and every one of you what it will take to for this action to move forward. We are proud of the work we put in and believe that our resolution reflects both the values of both the values and abilities of our school district and us. Now we.
Need you all to act. Our time is running out. We must act now. Thank you all for your time.
Hi, it's Katie McDonald., I think Dr. Lewis board members that that little girl who just stood up here deserves a spark pin. That was brave. It was eloquent. It was amazing. Thank you, friend., I've been here so many times., as you know, we've been fighting moldy conditions at Little River., I have been sick now for this is day 18. Day 18., yesterday my physician ran an panel to determine if mold antibodies are elevated. This will likely cost me $300 to $700 out of my pocket., I may just be sick. That might be it. But the failure of this district to proactively respond to the first report of mold knowing about our extenduating circumstances has left myself and multiple colleagues seeking excuse me costly medical answers that we can't ignore.
I was actually counseledled by my administration this week that using my work email and social media could be seen as insubordination. If my transparency is just, excuse me, if my transparency is a violation of board policies, I want to remind you that this district is in direct violation of your own policy 6540, hazardous materials. Policy 2122, role of superintendent and constituent services, which requires timely and transparent communication to your stakeholders, and policy 92000, safe schools, which clearly states the district must provide a healthy and safe learning environment. If I'm going to be formally disciplined, so should they.
This isn't just about mold. It's about trust, transparency, and accountability. I'm standing here ill and it's unacceptable. Thank you.
>> Hi, I'm Patricia Russ. Dr. Lewis acknowledged and responded the air quality and surface mold tests complete. the experts called. But still, the cleaning and remediation is delayed and stalled. Behind the wallpaper, the mold grows. A threat that the community now knows. SME recommendations. Pull up the carpets. Tear the paper from the wall. But where's the action? Who's making that call? And when? Next summer. Really? Why not this fall? Our HVAC an issue for years now running cold to alleviate growing mold fears. AC running cold. A stop gap for the dread. What happens when the heat is turned on instead? Stanky air. A scent so strange.
Spore counts far exceed the normal range. Your hearts and minds know what must be done to safeguard every daughter, every son. For health is not a promise, but a fragile thing. And those most sensitive feel the unclean air's cruel sting. A rash, a cough, a breath that catches low. From what? On our walls, under the paper, mold grows. I stand for learning character and grace and what of Monasuri the path lost a vision incomplete at what cost is this board's desire or just a fail poor design and incomplete DPS tale the monatory vision I embraced but the latest plan lacking certification is a disgrace DPS PS fail your.
>> Yes, if you have you can give that to Miss Smith. She'll make sure the board receives it. All right. And with that, that concludes our public comment.
All right. The next item on our agenda is our consent items. These items have been reviewed by the board in advance of tonight's meeting.
>> I move approval of the consent agenda. >> Second. >> It's been moved by Miss Harold Goff, seconded by Miss Beyer. Any other discussion? All those in favor say I. >> I. Any opposed? It passes unanimously. The next item we have on our agenda is our Board of Education. There's a policy committee update. I'm going to pass it to our policy committee chair, Miss Jessica Carter Autton, to get started on that. Give that presentation. Thank you., it is not easy to go after public comments, so I'm going to try to switch gears., so, next slide, please.
I'm here today to provide, with the help of my colleagues a, update, from the policy committee. please next slide. So we this update contains a number of different things from our last meeting and accomplishments. We've been a pretty busy policy committee so far. the first thing that I'll talk about is the prioritization of policies. So for those that have been following, we passed a new policy about policy committees in June. and per that policy, it's our job to first prioritize the policies that we're going to be working on. So, we met last week on September 18th to work towards that. we developed a priority list again per that policy that we're bringing to this meeting. and I'll explain our process a little bit today and talk through that with other board members. Next slide, please.
So the policy committee considered a number of factors when prioritizing these were outlined in the policy that the board developed back in June. So again, as you see here on this slide, the we needed to consider relevance to district goals and strategic priorities, legal compliance, or obligations, a sense of urgency, but also considering feasibility and anticipated impact, and then just also to keep in mind the periodic need to review policies and update them over time. So with that we had the hefty task of working towards this. Please next slide.
So the process that we used we opened this up. This is the first year that we've had a policy committee at least in a while and we wanted to get public feedback and get input from community members. So we had a online portal where folks from the community, staff members, board members, anybody could submit proposals. so we opened that up during August and the beginning of September. Then we had staff also compile a list of policies that we were required to update or add per the general assembly. I then worked as chair with staff to create a rubric that was based on the criteria outlined in our policy and tried to assign like values to create an objective measure for prioritization to at least get the committee started with something because again this was maybe around 30 I keep meaning to count 30 35 or so policies that we were grappling with here already., so then, we had, do Dr. Giovanni go ahead and pre-populate our rubric though with legal, obligations and.
Compliance because that's something that, she's familiar with. And then committee members independently reviewed all of the policies that were submitted through the portal, submitted by members of administration and those that came, through legal compliance., and we completed the rubric. then we respond average the responses and we use those to kind of guide our conversation last Thursday. next slide please. Next slide. Okay. So we decided that our we would tier the policies so rather than ranking all of them. So you'll notice this we have three tiers well actually four tiers maybe we'll talk about today. the first tier, these are not I'll note in ranked order. this is a group of policies all of which are required to be updated by the North Carolina General general assembly for this school year. and that's why they've been ranked as tier one.
And so no specific order. This is the list of those policies. you can go to the next slide please. So then this is tier two. So this is where we use a bit more of our like the rubric and the prioritization activity. So basically we we have the first policy here in tier 2 is the use of wireless communication devices. So this here is a new policy that we are required again per the general assembly to not only have pl have finalized but be implemented by January 1st. So we chose to put that at the top of the tier 2 policies. The next is a narcan or nlloxxone policy. so for those that aren't familiar this is a medication that's used in cases of emergencies.
It's life-saving treatment that can reverse opioid overdose. the next is relationship with law enforcement. This one came up this evening during public comment. We This one we have received strong recommendation from community members about and there's interest in restoring some aspects of a former policy, but the basis of this is a desire to enhance protections for students and staff. And then number four, this is transportation service vehicle contracts. So this one is strongly recommended by the state schoolboard association and our attorneys. it aligns with and kind of goes alongside one of the policies in tier one. it's also pretty straightforward. So, one thing that we tried to do board members is we tried to kind of what's the word? we tried to put in some lowhanging fruit or some easy ones that maybe we could kind of knock out in between some of the ones that are going to take a bit more time to grapple with.
Maybe we just need to feel success, but also we want to really keep things moving forward with these policies. all right, so that's one through four. And this again is a ranked list. So these are in order. the next next slide please. So next on our recommendation list is rules for use of seclusion and restraint in schools. So this was discussed by the board back in June at our board meeting at length and then referred at that time to the policy committee. We've also have community members that have provided recommendations and there's a desire to improve alignment with best practices and federal recommendations and to make sure we're getting all the community input built into this policy. the next one's grievance procedure for employees. Again, recommended by administration and community members to clean this one up. And number seven is student code of conduct. So again recommended by community members and it's the their suggestions include prioritizing reduction and suspension restorative practices and using evidence-based strategies and really considering to a greater.
Extent the long-term well-being of students and consistency of practices. And so what we did is put together these kind of rationale for why we ranked these as why they were important to us. But I do want to note that we're talking tonight about ranking them, not about making any decisions about the policies specifically or the changes that we are going to be making in the policy committee. This is just the order in which we think is important to tackle these policies in the committee. next slide please.
So onward to tier three and this is most of the other policies that were submitted. so the and this includes a number of different policies. I'll say we this is the first year we've done this. So the submission system was new. We had some technical glitches that resulted in us not having a chance to assess. There's a few policies that we need to go back and revisit. that we didn't formally go put through this prior prioritization process. So, we're planning to do that at an upcoming meeting and we'll bring that back to the board to integrate into the tiering system. It's just a few of them, but those are not all on this list. so, this is not a ranked order list. This is just kind of like a a group of policies that we will be taking up after tier one and two. So if you can move to the next slide please can kind of explain further our plans for this.
So we'll have a discussion tonight. Ideally some version of this will be approved by the board. then we plan to tackle the tier one policies at the our next meeting which is going to be next week. these as I noted earlier are all policies that are supposed to be implemented during this school year. They're also fairly straightforward in their edits. So we are ambitiously hoping that we can tackle them in a meeting. I'll just note too though that while we have some deadlines in here or some dates that is our hopes for how we'll accomplish things, but knowing that things come up and sometimes they take longer than anticipated. But this committee is very dedicated to moving through these policies as efficiently as possible.
Next after the next meeting, we'll work through the tier two policies starting with number one., and then once the committee re finishes work on tier two, we would revisit the tier three list and organize that and put them in an order for the board to, have a look at., I'll note also the administration's going to bring us a tier four policies. This is never ending, folks. and we will be receiving recommendations on a rolling basis and rep prioritize in January. So we'll be really busy this year, but this is our loose plan. if you could go to the next slide, please.
So a few other things to note. next slide, please. Other things that we discussed at our last meeting., while we had originally planned to meet once a month for one and a half hours, we quickly realized that was not going to be enough time to do all of the work that needed to be done. So, we are now going to be meeting every two we're going to be meeting twice a month at least for 2 and 1/2 hours each time. So, hopefully we can make some good progress and if we don't go crazy with that schedule, we'll bring back some policies on a regular basis for folks for the board to look at., and these meetings will be on Thursdays when there's not a board meeting or a work session., and we're still in the process of scheduling all of them, but they should be posted online, so that folks know when they're happening because they are public meetings., next slide, please.
All materials from the meetings, as I mentioned, these are public meetings, so they'll all be posted 72 hours prior to all the meetings. We intend to have a list of all the policies we'll be discussing and drafts of them. That way, the community is aware of what we're going to be talking about. And if they want to share feedback during board meetings or during work sessions when we have public comment periods, folks are invited to do that or of course send emails and contact us in other ways.
We're also going to be considering as we move through the policies, there will be policies that need additional input. So we will be looking at various ways depending on what kind of input we need and who we need it from various ways to gather that input as we move through the policies during the year. Next slide which I think might be the last one. Oh finally we also discussed the support that we want from the Smith during the meetings. We decided that for right now, while we have a lot of work to do, and this is very new, we're going to have our Theington Smith assigned attorney attend the meetings. and we'll continue this until we the committee decides to make another decision. But we did weigh a number of different factors including again the burden of the work, a sense of urgency, due to the legal compliance, competing priorities of other staff members, and fiscal implications of them.
Okay, with all that I think that's it. If you can move to the next slide, please. Sorry, I'm talking a lot. So, I would love to give other folks a chance to share their opinions their input and any questions that you might have about either our process or where we landed with this. >> Thank you, Miss Carter. You all did a lot of work in that first meeting and have a lot of work ahead of you. Board members comments or questions? Miss Har, >> I'm very appreciative of this committee and the work that you all have done to this point to prioritize all of those policies that were brought forth through the submission process and from the staff and from board members.
That was a lot that it's amazing that you were able to do all of that and to h lump them and and to give us something to to begin moving forward with. So appreciation for that. I look forward to attending some of the policy committee meetings. it makes sense to me that there would be more in this in this moment. and so appreciate that. Also, it gives us more opportunities to be able to come in and have some flexibility to participate more. I was curious about the effectiveness or efficiency of the submission process of the policies. How did that go? is there anything that we we we would reconsider or need to tweak in the future to make that or was it seamless?
I would just a little discussion about that. Would you joy would you miss her would you repeat the what and the efficiency of the process was the first thing >> I'm I'm curious about the effectiveness or the efficiency of the of the submission process. >> So that was that was a huge thing to to to open it up and to to consider to have all of to have the community to submit things and to have you know everything and to and then to compile. So, I'm wondering if you could tell us a little bit about how that felt what worked well, what might we want to reconsider? Is there anything that we you know, how did it go? That's basically what I'm wondering if there's anything that, you know, because this is to me that feels like a very solid effort at community engagement. I want to, you know, and when it came in, did everything kind of l how did it land?
Roses and thorns. So, that's a good question. I want to start answering that by expressing gratitude both to Miss Carter Autton who's led led this process and her project management skills are on full display because she is she's brilliant at it. and also to Dr. Giovani who has done a tremendous amount of work negotiating all kinds of submissions both from within this board but also the greater community. and so I think through this process we've learned things. I think that there were glitches with the form and the way that stuff came in., but I think we've got a tremendous list of of work ahead of us., I think, Miss Cooper really got, public affairs pushing out the policy committee and its existence, the dates, the time to come. We had six or seven folks attend the first meeting which was great., so I think we're off to a strong start and I know there's there's always things that we can improve, but that's that's my sense of like I'm glad we're we're moving and.
That we will continue to accept submissions on a rolling basis and continue in deep engagement with this community. it's going to be great but tedious work and so we're gonna we're going to start knocking it out. It's going to be great. Thank you. And, yes, I agree with with those comments. And I think the only thing that I would add is maybe there are two things I was just thinking of., one that I'm trying to make sure that we're flexible with this process because we really are building this plane while we fly it and I think that we're just trying to learn from what we're doing. So, I appreciate the question, Miss Harold Goff., and I the only thing I would do differently at this point is just and make the window larger because the time I think in the future we can create more space between the submission period ending and we'll get better at doing and then that'll give between the submission period ending and when we need to have.
Reviewed them and prioritize them because that felt like a crunch I think all around. So I think that's something that we can do as we get better at this. And this was again just the first year so or just first month of the process. >> Yeah, we learned we learned a lot quickly but I'm excited about it. So the only thing I would say this is no blame. I the just that we next year can share the opportunity sooner and I think board as board members also we can talk it up with community members and and think through things that we want to you know submit ourselves. So I think we'll have more of a a runway next year and we'll be able to prepare even in the spring for you know this August deadline.
Any other questions or comments? I do have one clarifying question around the pol the meeting schedule. I is that for tier one or was the goal to meet twice in perpetuity for the year? We discussed and correct me if I'm wrong committee members but through the fall and then reassess is that what you all recall it's not for tier one we here I am being ambitious we hope tier one won't take the whole fall.
I just I I want us to be able to be get this work done and I recognize the urgency but I'm just want to balance time and how staff are spending time, we're spending our time and that kind of thing. So that's it's not a don't want the policy to move forward, but just want to be mindful of, you know, two meetings is two prep meetings, which also means, you know, a different thing. So Vice Chair Rogers, I'm glad that you all be reassessing.
Thank you all. I'm really excited about this work that you're doing and I trust that these pro policies will reflect the desires of the board as well as the community and meet the standards of state statute. my question would be are there any minutes from any of the meetings and will those be posted publicly or submitted to the board at all and when can we expect those? >> Thank you. Thank you for mentioning that. I forgot to mention it. That's yes, there's minutes from all the meetings and once they're approved by the committee at the following meeting they'll be posted publicly. So the public should have access yes to agendas, meeting minutes and the list of policies that we are and one of the you did not ask this but I forgot to mention it and we're talking about what's going to be public. we're going to be sharing all the submissions. They're not currently available, but those will be available so that folks from the community can see.
Not just the list, but the actual submissions from the policy process. That's helpful. great ad. I didn't ask that and but I do have a follow-up question about that., will the submissions be can will we be able to see the submissions as they were submitted?, if they were submitted in Spanish, will we can we get them submitted in Spanish? Can we see there's something authentic? I don't maybe it's the English major coming at me, but there's something about hearing the authentic voice of the person who submitted the proposal that kind of helps me and maybe some others to understand exactly where that person's coming from. And so I just want to make sure that we're not going to get a cleaned up polished version of the submissions.
>> yes, I agree. I think we're on the same page about that. And I think that there I think there's been challenges. I want that also. So I'm hoping we can get that. And I think there's some challenges in the back end or pulling things from the the form. So we're working towards that. But the plan is not to like clean up things or change the wording or anything like that before the plan is actually the opposite, which is like whatever was submitted gets shared. So that that's the transparency we're providing for the board and the community. Any other questions or comments?
This is on the agenda for action tonight. So that we would approve the prioritization list. A part of the policy also has the policy committee will bring back this prioritization list I believe in January as well as they're working through this. Move approval of the prioritization list. >> Second. >> It's been moved by Miss Harold Goff and seconded by Miss Beyer. Is there any other discussion? >> All those in favor say I. >> I. I. >> Any oppose, please use the same sign.
That passes unanimously. Seven. No. Welcome, Mr. Tab. >> All right. The next item on our agenda is the admin. We have a couple items from the administration. with the first one being an executive summary of classified salary study. Mr. Teter. >> Good evening, Chair Mstead, board members and Dr. Lewis. We do have a presentation connected to this item this evening that we'll call up. and so as the board u may recall from previous conversations we shared that the first step that we would do in this process is share a confidential survey with our classified staff and just want to thank u the assistance of my colleague Miss Hager in HR who helped us to make sure we had an appropriate database for sharing that survey and for Miss Cooper's office that helped us to disseminate that with the thought exchange product. and so we made that available on August the 18th with the with the deadline of closing that shortly after Labor Day. and so we if we can move to the next.
Slide we'll just share a little bit of background. And so we did have 592 participants who answered questions to varying degrees. I think just a variety of reasons why folks don't answer every question. but we're really looking to gather just general satisfaction of our employees where their compensation and benefits are concerned. looking to see if perceptions of of peer and aspirant employers from senior administration is in line with with our classified staff as a collective and looking for opportunities you know to improve our transparency efforts. We did have some questions embedded in the survey about how staff is feeling with regards to our transparency around how pay is developed how finances are communicated and and their relationships and and their feelings or their comfort level communicating with their supervisors. So we are very glad to have this information and and looking forward to making strategic decisions with that. And and just as an example deeper into the presentation, we kind of call up the question around do staff feel like we're communicating transparently about.
Our financial situation. And so if you had asked me that question, I would say yes because we talk about it all the time. But we still see opportunity for improvement and and that's something that we will obviously think about as we go through this next budget development process here in Durham. On the next slide, we call up, just sort of a a word cloud here that really kind of captures the essence of the the types of employees in in Durham who participated in this and instructional assistance came through very strong in that. Obviously, it's a very large they are very large and important component of our classified employee workforce on the front lines with our students every day. And so very very pleased to see their participation and you can see other categories that we often think about such as data managers, treasurers, interpreters and and other and other important folks that that stood out.
On the next slide it really sort of gives us an essence you know just in terms of you know are you supervising employees or not and so very pleased right you know so this was not a supervisorheavy participation 55% of the folks that participated do not supervise folks in the district. And so that was certainly something that was important for us to see as we were gauging that. on the next slide is just some just some basic background information on education levels. So just no no comments from me on that other than just pleased to see a span of the spectrum there and and feeling good that we captured all all folks with various backgrounds there. on the next slide we really get a look at the full-time work experience. and so really see our our staff and this is reflective of work experience both within Durham and outside of Durham Public Schools and very seasoned workforce in in general here in Durham. 48% with more than 20 years of professional work experience.
On the next slide, it captures specifically the service to Durham public schools. And we see a pretty smooth distribution there throughout the survey with a with a noticeable kind of uptick in in the 3 to 5year range for folks who participated in this survey. in the next section, we sort of pressed in specifically on how long have they been in their current role. relatively again relatively smooth with that noted sort of bump in that 3 to 5year bracket. in terms of folks in terms of feeling whether or not their title accurately reflects their responsibilities, you know, we were pleased to see a mostly favorable perception of that. and so we do have some folks that feel like that you know, the title is not reflective of of the work that we're doing. And I think we we run into that in particular, I think, with our employees that are serving multiple areas of the district, right? So they have they may have multiple supervisors under the same umbrella of the district's organization. And so that.
Sometimes creates some complexity and and certainly we have folks that are doing a certain degree of work u where it may deserve some other distinction that's greater than what their current title denotes, right? And so we get we get many questions as a staff about at what point is some does someone constitute a director and executive director and what is the difference between a senior executive director and executive right so that's that's something that our staff thinks about quite a bit on the next slide we sort of gauge staff's satisfaction or agreement with their their that the salaries in line with the work they perform. form. I think that this is expected. I think we we this is something that we could have predicted that we have a majority of staff that that don't feel that their salary is fair for the work they perform. I think that's we see that in lots of places and and therefore we're doing this work to to move us in that direction of fairness.
On the next slide we talk about if they feel that the pay is competitive compared to similar positions in other school districts. it was a little less on the negative perception there. A little we saw a slightly different distribution and so I think our participants have some awareness that all school systems face the same challenges in in order to be competitive. But there's certainly still the the perception in some cases true that other school systems pay a little bit better in some areas.
On the next slide we have a a question about whether or not the compensation reflects experience and qualification. So again similar result to the other question about compensation and just obvious trend there right with folks feeling like the the compensation could be higher. on the next slide we really sort of have a question here around transparency and and I think this question in particular really speaks to the situation with our current classified schedules that we see online where folks understand how their salary was determined. And so I think one of the really sort of goals for us is to make sure that we come on the other side of this with a schedule that's easier to consume.
And so not surprised to see this based on the number of questions that we get trying to interpret the schedule and where where folks might fall on that schedule. on the next slide we have questions about if folks feel valued by the district through their compensation package. so similar similar to those previous questions related to compensation in terms of those responses. I do think I I did come away from this survey though feeling that our employees do feel valued. but it's for other and it's and it's through other ways that they have felt valued. and so I just maybe want to be careful that they're not it's not that they don't feel valued but I think they recognize opportunity to feel valued in this way. and and changes in their compensation.
And so on the next one we really sort of seek some feedback from participants about what method or approach they would prefer in how we address their compensation. And so obviously the the largest group was was seeking an immediate across the board increase of of some nature., and interestingly, we had a a few respondents that would prefer to see a focus on benefits., but that is certainly certainly the minority there., but nonetheless, we did have you'll notice, right, we had 61 folks that chose other and and really what we saw there were folks that were a lot of folks that were looking for some blend of some of the items above. And so looking for us to maybe concentrate on a couple of pathways of perhaps raises across the board, but having those favor folks based on merit or based on experience or things of that nature. So that that type of hybrid model among some other suggestions that we received. So I appreciated the the staff.
Who took the time to hit other and write out some thoughtful comments for us. I personally don't enjoy doing that in surveys, but our folks did that for us. and then the next right on the next slide we talk about the transparency about clear communication with policy changes. and so hopefully with that work that we just saw unfold a few minutes ago that's a space where we'll see improvement u with the work that's going on with the policy committee and Dr. Giovani and Dr. Pitman and and everything that they're doing there. So, it would be interesting to see feedback on that in the future as the policy committee continues to do work. On the next slide is another transparency related question around the district's financial situation. I feel like we have been, but we we're going to continue to keep that being a focus. and and and hopefully over time that that sentiment will sink in that we're being as transparent as possible where those things are concerned. And we.
Certainly understand it takes time to to work through the past. on the next section folks we have the question of understanding how compensation decisions are made. and I think right again that's again that kind of speaks back to the schedule issues and and folks under trying to understand why people make what they make. and so we'll continue to focus on that in this process to to improve that. on the next slide we talk about folks feeling comfortable raising concerns with their supervisors.
This seemed more good than bad. And so glad to see that and and so obviously we're all mindful of that and and hopefully that's a space where with the work that we're doing with Dr. Lewis and his leadership we'll continue to see improvement in that space u where we have supervisors leading in a way that folks feel comfortable coming forward with concerns. on the next slide we really look at trust trusting that leadership is committed to fair treatment of all employees. Just sort of an interesting kind of bail curve distribution there of sorts. U and hopefully that's a space where we continue to see improvement as we continue to do good work and and putting our employees in the forefront. and the next space we just the next slide we just ask about how they prefer to receive communication and they could select more than one option in that category. And so certainly email was a prevalent a prevalent spot there. and staff meetings was another area where we saw preference for communication.
The next slide was really of keen interest to me and that was to sort of understand who our employees perceive as our our competitors, our appear aspirants. And so Wake County shines through very brightly there in the middle. and so we do see some other other familiar names like Chapel Hill Carro. and we see universities and so we know we've got a number of universities that are in the region. And so as we go through that you know I'll share Wake County is certainly a space that we are looking at and and I think in some cases it is a perception and and in some cases is true. just depending upon the position. So, we're looking forward to continuing that work and appreciate them for sharing. on the next slide, right, we asked staff what do they perceive as the most difficult classified positions for us to staff.
This was not surprising to see bus drivers, EC assistants, instructional aids, right, things of that nature. So, that is certainly something, right, that we're thinking about as we do this work. On the next slide, we ask folks how likely are they to recommend Durham Public Schools as a place to work. This is something that we hope we will grow and improve as we go through this type of work and and continue to build momentum with our employees. On the next slide, we kind of ask folks about the goal, right, or what they're hoping to see come out of this pay and compensation. obviously at at the forefront, where where that's concerned and and we did see transparency peppered in there as well.
So on the next slide you know I think this is a space u based on the board member questions that we received ahead of ahead of the meeting I think this is a space where I anticipate we may have some conversation about how we want to move forward and so we we know we've gotten some feedback about some other elements that we might incorporate into our work and so I will open to modifying how we move forward based on based on board consensus and based on Dr. Lewis's direction of me and I will not you know I'm not I'm not married to kind of how things are mapped out at this point but certainly we'll work diligently to make sure we honor everyone's wishes in in a way that we get this done on time and we can incorporate it into u the next budget request. So, with there, I will, defer back to the board.
>> Thank you, Mr. Teter. Appreciate you walking us through that survey. Board members, question,. Comments. Mr. growth. >> Thank you for this information. I have I I did want to bring up one thing in the timeline and to have a little discussion about it for some clarity., I believe that the first meeting confer our our brand new meeting and confer process begins October 16th. October 16th is if is that still the meeting date? And so I'm wondering if we could consider this timeline process to include some discussion in that you know since that meeting and confer process will be beginning to test that out by bringing this to them before it comes back to the board so that we could also have that input as well.
>> I'll defer to Dr. Lewis on >> Yeah. So I'm Yeah. >> Yeah. I was I'm wondering so can you discuss any how how that could what the possibility of that is before it comes to the board to be able to have the time for meet and confer to to also have the discussion and meet and confer about these schedules. >> I hear that request. I saw it emailed in. I appreciate that. I also want to acknowledge that we moved our work session to the 7th and the board meeting to the 21st of October. So, that would kind of switch this. But I wonder what I wonder with y'all I think is what happens when if we were to go with the proposal of it coming and being presented and explained clearly on the 9th because we're not taking action on the 9th, right? is just the proposal and then when it comes back on the 21st, we also get the feedback that came with meet and confer and what changes.
Administration may have made based on the conversations they had in meet and confer and or they didn't accept the changes and then the board could choose to accept some of those changes if we so desire on the 21st. that we were not really modifying the timeline, but we are asking them to make sure that that's on the agenda for meet and confer and that feedback comes to us. >> You mean the 23rd? >> We're meeting on the 21st.
>> Is the Yeah, we had two board meeting dates that have shifted since the original >> calendar. So this what I'm looking at here. So this 23rd is really the 21st. >> Okay. And and the reason yeah and the 9th is the seventh. But the reason that I ask is because I think that there's confu I know there's confusion around the current schedules and I would like some interpretation. I would like administration to be able to provide some public interpretation that can be digested ahead of meet and confer so that everybody's having informed conversation.
Vice Chair Rogers, I appreciate that comment. Colleagues, I'm looking to see if there's consensus around that proposal. I think that is y'all's first meet and confirm meeting. So, we'll be kind of setting your agenda before the the meeting has gotten started, but I do think it's an important topic that I know our educators will want to have input on. Miss Carter, I like that proposal. I worry a little bit about the time between like I guess I want to hear from administration to know if that timeline is feasible and then what Dr. Lewis thinks about that.
But I think it it feels good to me. >> Well, first of all, salary compensation is certainly one of the topics for meeting confer and obviously if it's the will of the board, we will talk about whatever at at comedian confer. I do want to acknowledge that you know that is the first meeting and I want to make sure that we begin collaborative and not come in with obviously if the board can direct us and we will have those conversations but I definitely want to have an opportunity to speak with our folks at folks with DAE because there is the bulk of the first meeting we have a a proposal out for another date as well because we want to do some ground work on the front end in terms of how we will operate and setting norms as well. So that could be part of that first meeting as well. So I just want to be mindful of of of that time frame in terms of just setting the norms.
As well taking some time. Miss Travis. >> So I wonder if the classified salary schedules come back to us at on October 7th if then administration could also present just a more of a plan for how they will go through meeting and confer since how the meetings are two hours. Is that right? Three. Okay.
Well just thinking about like all the agenda items that you have how you want to break that up so that it does go through meet and confer but I don't know if it would need to be okay >> what if it if it would need to be done over two meetings meet and confirm meetings yeah but then that pushes back the the approval date. And is that October 31st deadline for expansion request a hard and fast deadline? >> That's a that's a that's a teeter self-imposed.
>> Okay. >> Deadline to always have cushion built in. Yeah. >> If I'm looking and and I'm sorry I didn't mean to cut you off, Mr. Chavez. Were you finished? >> I >> Okay. If there is a consensus that this and I do think compensation is an important topic to have with me and confer, I think we can you all hear that as staff that you all can kind of figure out what the right way is to have that dialogue with our educators and bring that feedback back., and I think I trust between you and and and leadership at at DAE that they can you all can work to figure out that schedule., Miss Byer.
>> Yeah, I I really appreciate that. I think Perhaps it can take part of your agenda but not all of it. That's not certainly how you want to spend the majority of your time. And I I wonder also I was really impressed with the thought survey thought >> thought exchange get my product right. The robust feedback that we did get and how we might want to actually collect feedback or or put something out there to groups that might not be within the meet and confer, right? And and staff that that wouldn't be represented in that way., I I do think I I trust you all to come up with ways to get robust feedback as we'll probably be forced with making really difficult choices and not being able to accelerate this as we continue to wait on the state, right? And I appreciate, Mr.
Ter that you've got some flex on the October 31st, but you're also trying to meet the county's needs and help us meet that county's needs and and recognizing that once we get to the winter break, there's a long piece that is not productive there. So, so I don't want us to squeeze squeeze the timeline that you you and your staff need for modeling all different things that will come out of these conversations and and different ways of feedback. So, yeah. Yes. And I guess is what I'm saying.
>> Okay. So it feels like there is some interest in seeing this work feedback from the schedules from me and confer as well as from our our other employees who are all will be impacted by this and so reviewing those proposed salary schedules and maybe planning for what feedback and engagement looks like so all that can be brought back to the board. All right, I see some head nods. That sounds good. Board members, any other Oh, did you have something Dr.
>> I think you you you clear it up for me. The wondering is in addition to the feedback we received through the survey, it sounds like the board wants feedback from meeting confer on the schedules. Yes. Okay. And I look forward to the presentation on the schedules because I hope hopefully that can also be almost like homework, right? Watch this presentation before we go into this conversation to for me confer so we can get some flip learning. Exactly. U so that we can that you can be able to have a robust conversation, Miss Chavez.
>> Well, thank you, Mr. Peter. I'm giving my comments now, but after I've already spoken anyway, thank you for this data. it's all very enlightening to see. And I just wanted to make a comment on the goals. Thank you for answering my question about the goals. I think again that's important for us just to lay out what we're trying to accomplish with these new salary schedules. So can I ask you to share in the meeting now what you see as the goals are and then I have another comment.
>> Sure. Right. So I think so really three kind of core tenants of this is one right we have on the heels of the most recent studies we have a significant number of classified employees that have essentially a hold harmlessness in place and we would like to to move to a space where we can keep that at a minimum. There's always going to be someone it's hard to avoid when you do studies. But really try to minimize that to bring some clarity to our schedules.
Make make that easy for folks who are with us already to interpret how they operate and then while also making it clear for prospective employees what they might make if they come to Durham Public Schools., and then really sort of the final piece, right, is is maintaining that competitive edge and making sure that we're doing everything we can with the folks that we're competing with for for this talent pool. >> Thank you. I So, I think all of this if you're able to do all of this, that will be a great accomplishment. I know that you will., the only other thing I want to be a broken record about is considering having establishing a higher aiming for a living wage which using the I always go to the MIT living wage calculator as a as a goalpost you know that kind of shows what people need to live in a particular area and we can't do it all but I would just say I would love to think.
About you know how we can support people to be able to live where they work through higher wages on the lower ends lower ends of the scale. I feel like I've said this several times but I don't know if other people feel like that is also a goal that you share would like to see., I think that also has to do with being on par with other, competitive employing bodies in this local area. Any other comments or responses to M Chavez? I I think I agree with you and I want to see us address compression. when I look at those numbers and see that the large number of folks that were three to five years and then we talked about the was it five to seven like if we can make sure they don't flatline from five to six to seven years I think that also improves retention in our district because I think what happens right now is the way the schedules are designed around 8 n 10 you.
Kind of teeter out and flatline teeter about Peter sorry and and flatline and then folks who are coming in are like wait a minute I've been here for eight years this person coming in we're too close together and then people are looking for other opportunities so I think and we know that folks that stay with our district often are bringing expertise and information so I just want to also put that a balance of the two because I also I mean I cannot forget the conversations I have with folks around compression and the people who have been here 10, 20, 30 years who are like, I have flatlined in Durham public schools. So, Miss Beyer, >> yeah, I I we can't sit here and not not advocate for folks for the living wage to be increased when the city and the county have raced by us. That is our market competitor. That is where I think you'll be looking, Mr. Teter, and and compression. And so I just want to.
Commend you again for being able to do this in house to have the skill set for that we don't need another consultant. And I'm remembering how much we enjoyed and the thought process of the spreadsheet that you forced us to do with this year's budget and I think cabinet struggled with it and celebrated like making these tough decisions. I think some of those tools that you might develop for all of us as we think through how do we maximize what we can do with the limited resources from the state. I think that that would be really helpful for any discussions of this going forward just and I'm so appreciative of your leadership in that in kind of simplifying really complex issues as we make difficult decisions. So, I look forward to those tools and and your leadership on that.
Any other comments from board members? Is it I just want to look to folks. Is there consensus around thinking about living wage and dressing compression and not some thumbs up? Got your work cut out for you, Mr. Teter. We want it all. here cuz our we think I believe our employees deserve it. Any other comments or questions? All right. Mr. Dr. Excuse me, Dr. Lewis. >> Yeah, and I definitely agree in on that compression piece because if we take a look at the percentage of of our employees who start at the lower end of that salary schedule, it's a very small number of employees that start at that level. And then also just remind the board of the policy 7600 which which is a living wage policy that states that annually we are supposed to look at that living wage that we get from the from the county. so just want to be mindful of that as well.
>> Thank you. All right we'll move you right on to your next item financial update. >> Thank you. so this there's a presentation that accompanies this one as well., and I'll just sort of start speaking to, some of these things kind of move fast and so, one one bullet point on this slide is already dated from the time that we kind of consume and prepare board materials. But I'll kind of address that when we get there., so in the next slide, we just sort of talk about the the cadence and the cycle, again as the state releases things that we're entitled to. and that's been a little wrinkly this time because of the mini budget model that we've been under. And so just as a reminder, we ended last year with 245.6 245.6 million or so with the resources. We started this year at 199.2. and we've made a slight uptick since the last meeting when we discussed this a couple weeks ago.
So, still monitoring that space., again, we just we were just in receipt with within the past couple of days of the invoices from our J1 teacher providers. So, we're working through those processes that we have to go through to make conversions and cover all of those pertinent costs. So, that's fresh on our heels. also we sort of make a comment here about the conversion rate for restart schools. that that's another sort of con special conversion that we have to go through for our two restart schools that that that affect the the makeup of our state budget. And so we did receive that rate in in the past week after we submitted board materials. And so we're going through the mechanics of making that conversion.
So, we've had a little bit of movement in these spaces that weren't quite moving along at the time that we had to carry our information through agenda review. we sort of remain firm in that estimate that it would take you know $3 million in order to do that. but as we as we continue to go through our work, I think it it continues to highlight the advocacy that the board made a couple of weeks ago and the advocacy that Dr. Lewis made this evening just how exceptionally dependent we are on the state to take action and we have we have over 1300 employees that are classified who who come from state funds and so it's it's a huge lift and so we're not at a place where we feel comfortable saying that we can shoulder the state's burden with with our local dollars. So, just wanted to you know, keep that in front of the board and and we'll continue to honor that request that we hear for transparency and and keep.
Moving forward in that way., and so that's really sort of the extent that I wanted to say and just again to stress, anything that we can do to to advocate the general assembly to to take action, is is appreciated and and I've got a limited voice in that space, but you all maybe can do more than I can., happy to answer any questions. >> I wish Mr. Teter had a magic wand and could do lots of things down at the general assembly, including pass the budget., any questions or comments from board members on this update?
Do want to note on the just on the federal level as well, we do receive some funds from there and there's a lot of questions around shutdown or not, what funds might be released to schools relation to the big beautiful bill. Are you all monitoring that, watching those things and planning for what might be to come? >> So been through this a few times. There's almost a little bit of fatigue with the federal government, but we you know, so a number of our federal grants that we kind of consider like our entitlement grants are forward funded. and so you know, so the Department of Public Instruction is sort of the middleman on those. And so they've made their way to DPI and then they pass on to us. And so sort of in past sequestrations we have maintained our ability to access those major grants like title one our idea funding federal CTE funding things of those nature the space where we've experienced difficulty in the past sequestrations has been our child.
Nutrition programs in North Carolina and so those are managed sort of on a claim basis and and I have been in situations ations in in in the past where we've had to provide sort of temporary support to to cover claims that might be delayed as a result of that sort of thing from the USDA. Some of our other sort of direct spend grants. think about the our MSAP grant is sort of our largest direct spin grant that came to us instead of running through a middle agency like DPI. we've got a certain level of authority to to pull down cash for that program. so we we feel at a reasonable spot with that that we could manage that. So for us we would largely be concentrating on on our monthly food claims with the USDA.
Thank you. Any other questions, comments, board members? >> Thank you, Mr. Teter. >> Thank you. The next item on our agenda will be the recommendation to solicit proposals for potential use.
Good evening, Chair Mstead, board members, Dr. Lewis, members of the community. I would direct your attention to the precies that is shared in board docs. At this time, administration is requesting that the board approve administration working with the county to solicit proposals on possible uses or plans for old the property commonly known as Old Lowe's Grove. And I am happy to answer any questions andor would request a motion. Miss Beyer. >> Yeah. Can I lead off with a motion to get us started as we So, I would move that the board direct the administration in consultation with the county to seek options for 4550 South Alustin Avenue other than the demolition of the building.
>> Second. Been moved by Miss Beyer and seconded by Miss Harold Goff there any other discussion board members from colleagues Mr. Yeah, just clarifying question. Were we saying other than the demolition, we're saying that's off the table alto together? Miss, I'd say it's off the table for now until we explore the options that come back through the proposal process. There's some support partnership ideas that we would like administration to explore with the county to see to explore what the needs are for the community and what the community wants to see happening to this space.
>> Could we make that part of the motion then? Which part are you asking for to be a part of the motion >> about what Miss Rogers just said at at the end? Because I want to be very clear that the community needs to be part of this discussion. >> I see. So that would that would to to modify the motion. And I guess the friendly amendment request would be to make sure through the development of the RFP process that community values are reflected and solicited.
Yes, I think that requires a different. Before the develop in the development of the process, community values are honored because I think that would require us deciding what those community values would be before we do this process. Correct. Or no? >> Yeah., yes. And I think it's interesting because I'm thinking through the process and.
I I don't really know what the process would be with the county. And so, we're just asking administration to seek input from the county, like not really not committing themselves or committing us to go into partnership with the county, but soliciting their support in developing this RFP and seeing what comes of that. And I don't know if part of that would include like a public hearing or something to assess what the community is. We I have no idea what that process is.
So I do hear you chair unstead about concern around adding that to the motion. I think there's a lot of questions and and the reasons why we're interested in in working with the county is because they've done this a couple different times with other properties. And so I think in in seeking consultation with them if staff maybe can come back with what what should be the next steps and how we go about that which I I know we'll include some engagement at some point because I think that's a value of of all of ours is I think I think I'm a little hesitant to dictate how that goes at this moment without having more information around how these processes normally work. That's this >> I guess I have a question about the RFP will come back to us for review before it's posted and solicitation is happening.
And in that process we could dictate what the community engagement would look like once it's posted. I don't know. So that couldn't be part of the motion. I just want to be very clear. We talk about community engagement and we we've had discussions about the Lowe's Grow project for, you know, for a little while now since I've been on the board. So, and some of the discussion was not so much more than a month ago was to demolish the building.
So, and it was a kind of let's do it now. So, now we're going let's not do it now and let's bring more input from the the county or the city or I'm just not I'm just not clear on this this pivot that we're doing. And if we're going to pivot, I'm okay with the pivot as long as we're very clear on what the community engagement is going to be even on the front end, not on the back end, but on the front end. So yeah, as as the person that brought the motion here today, I think we are trying to craft a motion that leaves open the world of possibilities as we go forward and and has us has staff bring the RFP, RFQ back here for more conversation, discussion and and I'm looking forward to that process and to that partnership., and and that will of course be with our community. I I don't think that this motion needs to be amended at this time. I think.
It's just to get this moving in front of the public because that's where we are tonight. >> okay, that's that's fair enough. I won't spend a lot of time on that's fair enough. Because of that, I I can't support the motion because I want that community engagement to be part of but that's fair enough. Thank. >> it's been moved and sec moved by Miss Byer seconded by remind me her golf is there any other discussion miss Carter Autton just before we move forward can we make sure that we're really clear on what we're going to be getting from administration and then we can maybe we'll feel more there.
What administration will bring back at a subsequent board meeting, I can't promise it'll be the next meeting, but and understanding there is urgency here is a draft RFP proposal that we will craft with the in consultation and with the county using their expertise and that will be publicly shared with the board and the community will be posted on the so that we can get some of that feedback and then we will make sure that we are reflecting what it is that the board wants and is considering as a body corporate with regard to those proposals.
But as it with any RFP, it is ultimately the board's decision to reject any of those proposals and as was stated potentially go in a different direction. But those would be later after the RFP, final draft of the RFP is approved. Thank you. So, we'd have a chance to weigh in on it, have conversations about all the different next steps that could or should happen after that. As would the public because it would be posted in board docs. Yes. >> Okay. Just >> Mr. T.
>> Thank you. I just want us to be very clear that when we I respect the motion, but when we're not totally well, maybe I'm not totally clear on what could happen. So therefore, I'd rather prefer to have it in the motion. I just want to be on record with this because we've been in this position time before where we were not clear about what we were voting on and then it came back and we had to revisit this and have long discussions about it. So I just wanted to be very clear that what we are voting on that is exactly what we need and not have to reinvent the wheel again and saying well this wasn't talked about as part of that.
So, I'm just concerned about that is noted. Any other discussion? All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Any oppose, please use the same sign. >> No. >> The motion carries 61. Right. The next item on our agenda is for information only. We have information about a couple upcoming overnight field trips. Oh, I'm so sorry. It's right here on my list, too. The the new number seven is a resolution honoring the life and legacy of Mr. Elton Martin O'Neal. Colleague,.
Come on in. Yes, we have a couple family members here, so please come on in. We'll wait a few minutes for a family member to come on in, family to come in. board, as our tradition, we will take turns reading the resolution. I'll start with you, Miss Rogers, and then we'll come down. we're really excited to honor was an amazing educator, mentor to so many students and family and educators here in our district. All right. and a family that has given to Durham Public Schools. Not just Mr.
O'Neal, but a whole family that has given so much to our district and continues to give. So, we'll start with Miss Rogers and then we'll move down the dice. Durham Public Schools resolution honoring the life and legacy of Mr. Elton Martin O'Neal. Whereas Durham Public Schools and the Durham Public Schools Board of Education mourned the September 16th, 2025 loss of beloved educator and servant leader Mr. Elton Martin O'Neal, a veteran educator, humanitarian, mentor, and role model whose dedication uplifted generations of students, faculty, and staff. And >> whereas Mr. Elton Martin O'Neal, a native son of Durham, North Carolina, peacefully transitioned to his eternal home, leaving behind a legacy of faith, family, service, and education. And whereas Mr. O'Neal was born to Reuben and Nako O'Neal, raised in Durham's West End, and graduated from the Hillside High School class of 1969 before continuing his education at North Carolina Central University, where he earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees in education. And whereas at North Carolina Central University, he was initiated into the Omega Sci-Fi.
Fraternity Incorporated through the Taai chapter in the fall of 1971, demonstrating a lifelong commitment to service, scholarship, perseverance, and uplifting his community. And whereas Mr. Mr. O'Neal devoted more than four decades of his life to education, beginning as a sixth grade teacher and later serving in many leadership roles, including assistant principal at Little River, instructional supervisor in Durham Public Schools, and as the inaugural principal of Lake View School. And >> whereas he faithfully served countless Durham Public Schools throughout his his career and into retirement including Mangum, Eastway, Holton, Merrick Moore, Riverside, Hawaii Smith, Neil, Lake View, Little River, Eno Valley, Durham School of the Arts, Bethesda, and Jordan High School, leaving a lasting impact on generations of students, teachers, and administrators. And >> whereas Mr. O'Neal lived his faith through service as a devoted deacon at Morehead Avenue Baptist Church where he ministered to the sick and delivered communion embodying humility, compassion, and dedication to God's call. And whereas Mr. O'Neal will be remembered for his unwavering love for his wife of.
Nearly 51 years, Mrs. Myrtle O'Neal, his cherished daughters Dr. Kendra Tor to O'Neal and Kelly Juvie O'Neal, his grandson Joel O'Neal Tanner, and whereas he is lovingly remembered by his siblings Elaine O'Neal, Ellis O'Neal, former Durham public school administrator Dr. Ununice O'Neal Sanders, and former mayor and honorable judge Elaine O'Neal Barnes. his special cousin Terrence O'Neal and his beloved nieces and nephews, all of whom cherish his memory and continue his legacy of love and service. And >> whereas he will also be remembered as a proud West End community icon, an educational trailblazer, a quiet warrior whose steady strength inspired others, and as a man who brought joy, kindness, and authenticity to every endeavor. And whereas, Mr.
O'Neal embodied the mission of Durham public schools to embrace, educate, and empower every student to innovate, serve, and lead, serving as the blueprint for a great educator and role model. And whereas his light, faith, discipline, and love for quote cookies, cakes, and pies in that order reflect a life lived with joy and sincerity that will forever remain in the hearts of all who knew him. Now therefore, be it resolved that the Durham Public Schools Board of Education declares acknowledgment of the contributions made by Mr. Elton Martin O'Neal for his extraordinary contributions as an educator, civic, and church leader, and devoted family man and proclaims that his legacy shall continue to inspire future generations to live with purpose, integrity, and service. this the 25th day of September 2025.
>> Thank you board members. I'll take a motion to accept the resol or to approve the resolution. >> Move approval of the resolution honoring the life and legacy of Mr. Elton Martin O'Neal. >> Second. >> It's been moved by Miss Beyer and seconded Miss by Miss Chavez. Any other discussion? Miss Beyer? Actually, I wanted just to thank Mr. Tab and start with him and I should have let him make that motion and I would be glad for him to make that motion as well.
>> we're all one board so this doesn't matter where it comes from, but I do want to just say that I've known Mr. Elton Martin O'Neal for my whole career being here in Durham Public Schools and he was just an awesome servant and took care of our students and he would definitely be missed and I just want to say to the family that he was truly truly a remarkable man and so thank you for sharing here with Durham public schools for four decades. So, thank you so very much, >> Miss Beyer.
My sister and I had the honor of being students of Mr. O'Neal at Little River, and it has been heartwarming to see the messages light up on social media and other places of this beloved legacy of a faithful, quiet, gentle leader. And the list of schools that have been impacted and the staff and students and lives that were touched is is infinite because that kind of leadership goes from generation to generation to generation. And so we thank you for sharing your father with us. We thank you for conveying our love and respect from the whole DPS family to your whole family.
Thank you. Board. This motion has been moved. It's been moved and it's been seconded. Is there any other discussion? All those in favor say I. I. >> I. Any opposed, please use the same sign. It passes unanimously. Thank you. Thank you.
No. Right. the next item on our agenda now is that for information items. we have a couple items for information for per board policy. And following that we have our closed session.
>> I move we go into closed session for the reasons stated on this agenda. >> Second. Been moved by Miss Herog, seconded by Miss Ro, excuse me, Miss Byer. Any other discussion? All those in favor say I. I. Any opposed, please use the same sign. It passes unanimously. We're now in close session. We will not be streaming when we come back. Good night, everyone. Thank you for joining us.