Good evening everyone. The Durham Public Schools Board of Education work session for February 9th, 2026 is now in session. At this time, we want to extend a warm welcome to everyone who is 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, serve, and lead.
The interpreters for tonight are Consuel Nordan and Karen Reyes. Thank you for taking the time to join us. I'd also like to introduce our superintendent student advisory representative. Welcoming Lasagna Are Araetta from City of Medicine Academy. She is an 11th grader and we are so thankful to have her here. She is proud to be able to complete healthc care courses early in high school to prepare for her becoming
a CNA and pharmacy technician next year as a graduating senior. and also will earn her associates degree upon graduation. And she was even telling me how her career goal is actually to be an OBGYn surgeon. So, we are so proud of her and knowing that she is ready for her future.
>> Welcome. >> Thank you for having me this afternoon. Um I really appreciate and um to have this opportunity to be here as a representative. >> Thank you so much.
We are proud of you. All right, I think we'll begin with a moment of silence. A moment of silence recognizing um that this is a celebratory month, a black history month that we are in. Have so many local heroes, national heroes um to celebrate, to remember. And um I'm going to read a poem that I
found that I love by Nikki Giovani who just passed in 2024. It's called Black History Month. If Black History Month is not viable, then wind does not carry the seeds and drop them on fertile ground. Rain does not dampen the land and encourage the seeds to root.
Sun does not warm the earth and kiss the seedlings and tell them plain. You You're as good as anybody else. You've got a place here, too. So, as we uh begin this evening, let's celebrate all that is Black History Month all year round in Durham public schools. Thank you very much. That brings us to
our agenda review and approval. Colleagues, any changes noted? Miss Harrell Goff? Um, >> I'd like to make a motion to amend the agenda to add the policy committee update for information only before CTE month proclamation.
Uh, >> second. That'd be moved by Miss Harrell Goff and seconded by Miss Carda-Auten that we add an information item, an update from the policy committee update um right before academic services number four. Any further discussion? Any other changes needed this evening?
If not, all in favor? We'll do a roll call vote because Miss um who's online? Let's see. We'll start >> with M.
Rogers. >> Um, Millisent Rogers and I vote I >> you. Mr. Tab, >> Mr.
Tab, I vote I. >> Miss Harrell Goff. >> I, Miss Chávez.
>> I, Natalie, I vote I as well. It passes unanimously. Can we have a motion on the entire agenda? >> Move approval of the agenda as amended.
A second >> moved by Miss Carterton and seconded by Mr. Tab that we approve the agenda as amended. Any further discussion? Miss Rogers.
>> Mills Rogers and I. >> Mr. Tab. >> Mr.
Tab. I vote I. >> Joy Herald Golf. I >> I as well.
It passes unanimously. That brings us to the board of education meeting minutes from January 15, 2026. Um, I was going to move approval, but I just noticed one issue. Could we correct, please, the um at the header of the
minutes it says 2025 instead of 2026. So, I would move approval of the meeting minutes from January 15, 2026. um with that one change. >> Second been moved by Miss Cardottton and seconded by Miss Harrell Goff that we approve the minutes with a small amendment to the date.
Any other discussion? >> If not, we'll start with Miss Rogers. >> Nissent Rogers and I vote I. >> Mr.
Tab, I vote I >> I >> I. It passes unanimously. Thank you, Miss Smith, for those thoughtful and complete minutes. That brings us to item E, general public comment.
We have two speakers this evening. A quick review of the rules. First, please state your name. If speaking for an organization, please state your name and the name of the organization. Second, speakers are asked to present their comments in a specified
time of three minutes. When the yellow light comes on, you'll have one minute left to start winding up your remarks. When the red light comes on, it will beep, which indicates that your time is complete. 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 the comments, but we do not engage in a discussion with speakers. Our first speaker is Katie McDonald. >> Uh there are several of you who are not running again for your seat and I don't want this to be your legacy.
Here's remediation at Little River. This is not my classroom because my classroom clearly didn't inspire the board to to change or make this better. staple gun
to the wall. It clearly states in the SN the SNME report that any wallpaper that is peeling from an elaminant should be removed. Here you can see a bubble where everything's stapled on the side. All that is going to do when mother nature turns her temperatures up is create I'm sorry, according growth.
I'm just going to call it what it is. Mold. This classroom, these photos were taken on January 15th. By the way, this is one of the classrooms that had a 23,000 spore count in September.
Along the other side, because I wasn't going to pay $17 to blow this picture up, it's stapled to the wall. We didn't even remove the growth before we stapled it. It's all right there. Room B6.
Here's another example of DPS's handywork. More stapled gun peeling laminate. Not in my classroom on bee hall. Brand new mold on a hall right above the boys bathroom outside the cafeteria.
That makes everybody want to get a slice of pizza on Friday, doesn't it? Yeah. ceiling tiles on a-hole building services has said for the last two years this is dirt. Clearly after our AI IAQ done this year we've realized that it's not dirt it's mold.
We had catastrophic circumstances at Little River this year. You guys can't prevent that. You cannot. But we could have a catastrophic reaction and we have not had that. Today I had to leave work at right at the bell because in my classroom my face
was flushed and I had a rash. My classroom has not given me a rash in months. Months. I as I walked out Dr.
" I'm sorry. He actually said Miss McConnell. uh he doesn't call him mad. And I said, "Well," and he's like, "I see.
" And it shouldn't be your legacy, ladies. Hold these people accountable. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss McDonald.
Next speaker is Rob Fields. Good evening. My name is Rob Fields. I'm a grandparent of three DPS students, soon to be four.
Uh, three things I want to address. First, I have connections from Wake Forest. I got a degree from Wake Forest.
I've got uh family connections with Wake Forest. And I want to thank the district for the statement that you put out about Rodney Rogers. Um, I watched him play. He was a dream to watch play.
It was so much fun. After he finished playing, the way he dealt with adversity in his life is a model when I wish all of us would have the strength that he had, inner strength to deal with adversity the way he dealt with it. And appreciate the district recognizing him. He deserved it.
Um, he was a special person and a special product of the Durham public schools. That's my positive comment. Want to um echo the condition of your um schools. I talked to two teachers yesterday who reported 50°ree um temperatures in classrooms at two different schools where they are having to teach students um in conditions that
are not conducive to learning. uh and it would be helpful if something could be addressed with the persistent HVAC issues that pervade across many many many schools um in the district. Main reason I'm here is North Carolina law requires that you conduct your business as a school board in public. It's a legal requirement.
You owe it to the community. There are some exceptions, but they're very limited. The Durham community is entitled to know when this board addressed and what each board member had to say on three questions raised by the events at Eno Valley Elementary School. Number one, going forward, how do we prevent six-year-olds from being tied up as discipline? Number two, going forward, how do we ensure timely reports to law
enforcement? Number three, going forward, how do we ensure that school officials do not cover up or interfere in investigations of child abuse or other violations of the law. These discussions should occur in public, and when they don't, they should be disclosed to public immediately after they occur. The public minutes of this board's meetings do not show any discussion of these three questions.
To find the answer to whether this board addressed these questions in recent special meetings, I filed public record requests. I would appreciate the requested records being made as soon as possible. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr.
Fields. That concludes uh general public comment. That brings us to our consent agenda. Move move approval of the consent
agenda. Um >> second. It's been moved by Miss Harrell Goff and seconded by Miss Rogers that we approve the consent agenda. Any further discussion?
>> If not, Miss Rogers. >> Milison Rogers. I vote I. >> Mr.
T, I vote I >> I I vote I as well. It passes unanimously. That brings us to the item that was added, the policy committee update. Those um that information has been shared with our board clerk and we would ask that now that is on the agenda as an information item that she go ahead and post that.
And it is posted. Perfect. Thank you for bringing that and thank you for leading that work, Miss Carter Autton. That brings us to item four, academic services, starting with the
2026 CTE month proclamation. Good evening board members. Today's career and technical education prepares youth for high wage, high-skll, high demand careers in established and emerging industries. CTE month is a public awareness campaign sponsored by the association for career and technical education that takes place every February to celebrate the value of CTE and the achievements and accomplishments of CT programs across the country.
Throughout the month of February, our CTE program will celebrate and promote the CT programs in our schools and potential careers in Durham and across the US. Over the last year, we have done some exciting work in CTE. We welcomed all eighth graders to our third Accelerate Career event where middle school students engage with employers to explore career options available in
Durham. And we continued the redesign of how middle school students engage with CTE content through the implementation of our college and career labs. In CTE, our vision is for all students to be future ready. I want to thank I want to say thank you to our CT educators and support staff for the tremendous work they do uh to provide career opportunities to students in Durham public schools.
And I remind them to stay future focused. Tonight, the CT department is excited to put before you a proclamation declaring February 1st through the 28th, 2026 CTE month in Durham public schools. At this time, I invite you to read the proclamation aloud. Thank you so much, Mr.
Harris. Thank you for bringing this resolution here. How great to have a CTE student here with us this evening who is in pathways for her future. And wondering if you have anything you want to say or I'm just looking at you, but um you might not. >> Um so,
okay. Oh, sorry about that. Yeah, my experiences at CMA um I actually started uh taking like CTE classes my freshman year in um high school which where I started with um my first classes of health science which are like fundamental classes to learn about healthcare up into like any healthc care um events that have been throughout his um throughout the US. So it get it's like a primitive learning for the final era I like to call it where um as a senior you get to do uh CT pathways which is where you actually get to be um practice that um get your certification in F and um photical technician >> which and there's multiple pathways um at CMA uh we have medical assistant and as well as ENT um So as a CP student um having um
classes really did um you know put it to work so I can be so as a future healthcare professional you could say. >> Thank you so much. That was so well said and and it's so amazing. I think our students are our best ambassadors for these amazing programs and I think if more students and families knew what great programs we had and what great high school completion rates there are within the pathways.
Um it's something we're so proud to celebrate. Um any other comments before we read this resolution proclamation? We could start with Miss Rogers if you're there. Miss Rogers.
>> Yeah. Career and Technical Education Month 2026 by the governor of the state of North Carolina. A proclamation. Is this by the It is by the governor.
Is that right? >> That sounds right. >> Okay. Whereas all North Carolina students, whether they choose to pursue four-year college or not, should be able
to get well-paying jobs that will support them and their families. Whereas career and technical education prepares students and young adults to succeed in academics and careers in both established and emerging industries. And >> okay, whereas the mission of North Carolina secondary careers Oh, there it is. Okay. Whereas the mission of North Carolina Secondary Career and Technical Education is to empower all students to be successful citizens, workers, and leaders in our global economy. And whereas career and technical education
programs help students become the skilled workers that employer employers need to perform the jobs of today and tomorrow. And whereas career and technical education programs provide opportunities for students to acquire durable skills through schooling reinforced by career exploration and experiences in work-based learning. And whereas career and technical education programs in North Carolina provide education for all students in the areas of agriculture, business, finance and marketing, career development, computer science, IT and technology, family and consumer sciences, health sciences, trade and industrial education among others. And >> whereas North Carolina Career and Technical Student Organizations such as DECA, Distributive Education Clubs of America, Future Business Leaders of America, Family Career and Community Leaders of America, the National Future Farmers of America
organization, Health Occupational Students of America, Future Health Professionals, Skills USA, and the Technology Student Association. support the work of career and technical education programs to develop character, citizenship, leadership, and technical skills skills essential for students who are preparing for the workforce and further education. And whereas along with North Carolina's career clusters and state supported career pathways, career and technical education programs aid in our state's workforce development efforts. And >> whereas the strengthening career and technical education for the 21st century act demonstrates the crucial mission of these initiatives to enhance student readiness for successful careers and strengthen North Carolina's workforce. Now, therefore, the Durham Public Schools Board of Education does hereby
proclaim February 2026 as Career and Technical Education Month in North Carolina and urge all students and families to become familiar with the services and benefits offered by the Career and Technical Education programs in Durham public schools and to support and participate in these programs to enhance their individual skills and productivity. signed the 9th of February, 2026. >> Thank you guys. >> Thank you very much.
>> I make a motion that we approve the career and technical education month 2026 um proclamation. Second >> and moved by Miss Chávez and seconded by Miss Harrell Goff that we approve this proclamation. Any further discussion? >> If not, Miss Rogers. >> Millisent Rogers. I vote I.
>> Mr. Tup, I vote I. >> I. I.
>> I. >> And I vote I as well. It passes unanimously and with enthusiasm. Thank you all so much for your work bringing this to us this evening.
That brings us to an update. Item B, summer programs ah have arrived. Good evening. Good evening, Dr.
Lewis Ford and those joining us tonight. Oh, there it goes. Tonight I bring before you for information our summer programs 2026. My name is Ashley Stevens, director of school innovation. And while I lead this work, summer programs is a district-wide effort that collaborates across all central office departments and in partnerships with schools and families. Next slide, please.
As part of the presentation, I will share an overview of the programs, the landscape of summer learning, and how we connect with our community. Next slide, please. The primary of the our work is focused in priority one, fostering academic excellence. There are strategic opportunities for this work to support efforts in priority two, as each program is developed with considering the needs of the whole child.
Priority four as we work to build community partners and priority five as we have implica implemented summer operating procedures ensuring operation operational efficiency. Next slide please. Summer programs operationalize our strategic plan by extending learning through acceleration access and student supports centered and aligned to priority one. Across programs, we align summer learning to literacy, college and career readiness, multilingual learner support, and inclusive practices for students with
disabilities. Next slide, please. Our goal within all summer programs is to improve learning outcomes by providing extended year opportunities to strategic student groups. This summer, we anticipate that of the required and highlighted programs, Durham Public Schools will impact over a thousand students, offer employment to over a 100 DPS staff, and utilize sits funding sources.
These include federal, state, local, and grant funds. Some programs have parent fees and community partner scholarships. Next slide, please. Because we cannot serve every student through summer program, our focus is on delivering required programs with fidelity and maintaining strategic offerings by meeting the gener diverse needs of our specialized populations and building our capacity to serve more students through community partnerships. Despite funding shifts following the ending of ESSER, we have worked to strategically collaborate across the
district to ensure our students have access to robust opportunities. Next slide, please. Durham public schools has a variety of programs open to enrich, enhance, and accelerate the d a diverse population of students process. Summer programs are planned throughout through collaborative efforts across academic departments and budgeted as part of our fiscal year process.
There may be updates and modifi modification as the school year progresses. The next few slides take us through the programs being offered. Each slide will include a brief overview. Details about the camp and instructions on how to access the camp through registration and/or contact information.
First, we have Read to Achieve. It's a summer camp that is part of the North Carolina Department of Instruction's Read to Achieve program. The program's goal is to help students read at or above grade level by the end of the third grade. Next slide, please.
Extended school year services are special education and related services provided beyond the school year when necessary to ensure that a student receives free and appropriate education. Next slide, please. In addition to our required programs, we are able to offer a plethora of other programs to support extended learning opportunities. English for Career Development is a program that targets advanced ELEL students.
This program is in partnership with Durham Tech and will provide students with one elective credit. Next slide, please. English Language Summer Academy provides newcomers in their first year in the US schools with real life experiences through accelerated instruction in English, science, social studies, and math. Next slide, please. High School back and track is to assist high school students in recovering credit for previously failed courses.
This supports seniors who need additional credits to graduate with the 2026 cohort and aids 9th through 11th graders with getting back or staying on track with their cohort. Last year, the Back on Track program yielded over 50 summer graduates who were able to graduate with the 2025 cohort. Next slide, please. Returning this year is the CTE Summer Quest program, a series of career opportunities for students in 6th through 12th grade to have career exposure through week-long programs, field trips, and internship experiences.
Next slide, please. Rising Star Internship Program is a CTE six-week summer internship program for rising juniors and seniors to provide hands-on real world experiences in various career fields. Next slide, please. Camp Fantastic ran by our community education department offers a well-rounded summer experience for students which includes academic
enrichment, science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. Next slide, please. Our spark camp provides an opportunity for advanced learners to explore universal themes with depth and complexity. It also serves as the practicum for Durham public schools arts teachers pursuing pursuing certification in those AIG lensure.
Next slide, please. The National Hall, the National National Inventors Hall of Fame sponsors camp inventions. It inspires curiosity and helps kids build essential STEM skills through collaboration with friends and creative problem solving experiences. Campers explore hands-on challenges and open-ended adventures designed to encourage new discoveries and bring big ideas to life. Next slide, please. We will continue our partnership with
the Hank and Billy Suber Aaron Young Scholars Research Institute. While there have been some leadership leadership transitions within the program, we are actively working with partners to finalize details and ensure a high quality experience for our students. The program provides students with an opportunity to engage in collaborative interdisciplinary research focus on understanding in inequality and exploring pathways towards equity and social justice. Next slide, please.
We aim to provide robust communication to our DPS community to ensure families have an appropriate opportunity to plan for summer enrichment and/or child care child care. This includes updating the DPS website, the weekly spark letter, and press releases this spring. We also work with Durham County's Office on Youth to ensure our programs are listed as additional opportunities. Next slide, please. Community connections. Durham Public
Schools is proud to continue to build partnerships with our community businesses, programs, and sponsors in order to provide enriched learning opportunities for our students. While not a comprehensive list, some include the DPSF Foundation, GSK, Kimley Horn, Duke Facilities, Durm Parks and Wreck, Mark McAdams, City of Durham Water Management, CT Wilson Construction Company, Brown Brothers Plumbing, The Bull City Wood Shop, Durham Technical Community College, DreamWorks, Echo Reverb, Bike Durm, and YMCA. It is our hope that all families find appropriate enrichment activities for their children to engage in during extended school breaks. To support, located on the DPS web page, you will find not only the DPS sponsored programs, but also information about additional opportunities available in Durham County and surrounding areas. We will continue to work with our community partners and build new
partnerships to further enhance summer learning opportunities for Durham public schools families. Next slide, please. Thank you for your time and I open the floor for any questions. >> Thank you so much, Miss Stevens.
Really appreciate all the creative ways we are addressing uh K12 needs all throughout the district over the summer. Colleagues, questions that you all have, thoughts. Thank you. Um I appreciate all the the range of programming that we have for our students.
It's so important and the um continual effort to develop more community partners um and uh grow the opportunities that we have for um young people. I have one specific question and then some um broader things that I want to bring up. Um so the um Hank and Billy Suber Erin Young Scholar Summer
Research. Yes. >> Institute. I'll look that up at some point.
Why? How I got the full name, but um is that funded entirely by Duke? >> Yes, Duke funds that program entirely. >> Okay.
>> But they work specifically with Durham public school students. >> Okay. Okay. Awesome.
I think we've seen, you know, great great things out of that program. Um, and then I wanted to I I sent these earlier this afternoon, but I'm interested to know not right this second, but um in the coming weeks and months and would like to know what other board members think about this if you saw my email. Um, I would like to request the proposed budget for each of the summer programs. Yes, ma'am.
>> Um, by the end of the month if possible um to under and let me say my um desire is to understand Well, how we're spending our money on each. Thank you for putting in the dollar amounts for each. Absolutely. >> Um and um what positions are they all
teachers or are there other positions like you know what are is it materials >> um to understand um where are our funds are going and then also um some of the outcomes. So um so then I would also like to request the following data but I think this would need um board um approval um by the June 2026 work session. How many students are enrolled in each program? demographic data on students enrolled including race and ethnicity, gender low SCES status, ESL students, EC and AIG students, and then um how many staff are enrolled and in what positions and would love to know in August, although I won't personally be sitting in the seat, how many students completed the program out of how many students started the program. So, I'd love to know if other board members are interested in that information.
>> Mr. Tab, >> thank you very much. U I was very fortunate to hear all of this in agenda review. So, it was very nice to hear the the complete layout.
Um some of the questions we did talk about in the agenda review. Um, thank you, Miss Chávez, for the further dive into what you're asking and I'm wondering from you or Dr. King. Um, by listening to that, do we feel as though that that's you can quickly get that information by February the within this month? So, I just want to kind of get a feel of >> I thought I thought it said February 20 in the email. my the first part the budgeted the proposed budget for each summer program I asked for by the end of February right >> and then the other pieces by yes June >> so that's the piece I'm talking about was the February the 2 I think it's 26th or 27th 27th that's what I >> and um just clarify there's an estimated
cost on the bottom of each slide is you want more budgetary detail than the estimated cost on the slide >> yes the the breakdown of cost basically what I was interested in like how many teachers materials you're doing transportation etc. >> And I just want to get a feed feel of what you all thinking if that that's reasonable because she's asking the board to see if it's okay respond. So I want to hear from you all. Thank you.
So I I think we could get some of that data. Um I I would ask for that data to be pushed back. Um frankly pretty significantly because that that will be time that our staff will have to use uh that frankly they you know it would be most efficacious for the district if they could be focused on uh some other things. I would add that, you know, again, as you can
see there, most of our summer programs are partnership programs. So, the the overwhelming majority of those dollars are not Durham Public Schools dollars that will be going into those programs. Um, I would I would ask if if if we might be able to, um, you know, just considering where we are in terms of the year, um, the fact that we are in the middle of and in the heart of budget season, um, it would be probably, you know, helpful to us if we could push that back to, and I'm looking at Mr. Teter, um, April as a as a reasonable time.
Is is that acceptable? I mean, I will support right however we need, but um yeah, I I was going to just um Good evening to everyone. We use our EOI data or endofear data that gives us a good picture of where we're projected to be
for our potential EOGs and EOCC's to make these projections. Um and I believe that those are mid to late April. Um, but we would have more of a sense. We we could also provide you last year's numbers so that you can see what would be comparable, but we try to get those dollars and those allocations down to the the scent in the people because we don't want to invite people to work and then we don't have the students, etc.
So, we we do try to work through April to get that squared away. >> That to follow up that I'm okay with that. Um, and also what is this? I thought that perhaps there was already a proposed budget sitting somewhere in someone's files and that that is what how you came up with the estimated cost.
But is that more sort of like just from last year you're just bringing it forward but you haven't figured out the budget for >> Absolutely. So those costs mainly come from last year and what we've used over the last few years. Um our budgeted numbers we almost always come in for less mainly for what Miss Beyer said.
We really try to be fiscally responsible and make sure our students who sign up, we have correct ratios. And if we're not getting the volume of signups that we want, that we didn't promise um work to anyone that summertime. But yes, it would be based off of what we imagined from last year and then what we look like for this year. So for instance, read to achieve, we have a very large number of students that are eligible.
we have another pot that um register and then another subset that actually comes and sees through the program. So while we may budget for something larger, it usually ends up to be a little bit less and sometimes right where we need to be. April sounds fine to me. April, just to clarify, the work the work session or the monthly meeting so I can put it on my own calendar.
What? Okay. Okay. And and just to clarify and be clear, we would only be able to provide that data
for the programs that we fund, remembering again that the overwhelming majority of these programs are programs that we partner with community agencies for and we don't necessarily provide any funding for those programs. Um so just wanted to to to clarify that >> request that they provide us with their budgets but in but we would be um um dependent on their reporting out u their budgets >> follow up >> Miss Rogers. Yeah. >> Um I would be interested in that data that Miss Chávez is asking for. Um, but for the the events that are funded by parent fees, is the expense of that, the cost of that 100% covered 100% by parent fees? Um, so our Camp Fantastic is 100%
covered by public by parent fees. I believe are um camp inventions. The partnership that we work with, they provide scholarships. So, one part of the program is funded by parent fees.
The other part of the program is funded by scholarships. And then the third program, there's one more program I believe that's oh, Spark is funded completely by parent fees. >> Okay. So to Miss Chávez's point, um I would be interested in the data that she's requesting.
I'm more so interested in the per people spending on that. Um >> absolutely. >> As it relates to Yeah. the per pupil spending because you have to hire the staff and all that stuff. And I know that there's stuff that's going to be personnel costs, there's going to be carrying costs, there's going to be building needs, etc. Um, I'd be interested in knowing how many students are benefiting and which ones that DPS is paying for or routing
the funding is the funding source for um, and able to kind of assess that investment on the DPS side versus the number of students and the demographic of students that are benefiting from the programs. >> Absolutely. >> Okay, Miss Chávez, do you understand what I'm describing? Yes, I think I'm interested in that, too.
So, yes, that's great. >> Okay, >> Miss Carter, >> um I'm also interested in this data. I think what stands out to me most is an interest in whether the programs are serving those that need them the most. And so that's why we would want to look at the demographic data, socioeconomic data just to kind of keep an eye on that and make sure you all are doing I remember this presentation from last year and I think that your communication to us at least about how you're doing outreach to families is even better this year. So thank you for the work that you're doing to get the word out, but I think we it's our job to then kind of
check on the back end and make sure that it's serving the kids that need it the most. Absolutely. >> And um also interested in any of the data there that would help us understand if we're getting a return on our investment or if we are getting what we think we what we're hoping to get out of the programs. And so I'm curious to know to what extent you all gather any data from these camps on um pre and post test scores for those that are academically focused or >> Absolutely.
So, um, all of our programs that run through Durham public schools have metrics that they determine before it starts. So, sometimes it is academic data, sometimes it's parent surveys for some of our parent ones. Um, so we absolutely could bring back the metrics that each camp has. So, for instance, read to achieve, they give an assessment at the end of that. So, we could look at where they ended the year and where they were after they completed the read to achieve camp.
That's great. I think this will give the board a more complete picture of again this investment that we're making, how it's moving our children forward closer to our strategic plan goals of academic proficiency and social emotional learning, all of the different things, right? >> Yes. >> Okay.
Thanks so much. >> So, Miss Stevens, can you can I ask you if one of the slides has a typo or if I'm reading it wrong? Um, slide 13 in my deck about summer quest. You spoke to it as an opportunity for grades 6 through 12th, but then the details say rising 11th and 12th graders.
So, is it a 612? >> It's 6 through 12. I can make sure that's updated when it's on the summer landing page. >> That would be great.
That would be great. I just hope that that was just a typo and that's the easiest thing to fix. Um, I appreciate the uh the work you all do on this. I appreciate the request for data. I think my thinking on
the request for data is that district staff as it comes to you all and you you what you have you'll bring. But I think actually the more meaningful be will be when y'all are looking and bringing it maybe in August. Like I don't even really know. Me it's just preliminary until you actually know who shows up and what children are served.
To me, that's the time that the the board in the future will really dig in with you um on that analysis. The the timing of it does seem um important to see kind of who you expect to come, what you project, and then actually who does come and um how the how the budgets are spent. Um is there a reason also on the what's the name of the camp for the IEP? Is there a reason that EK PO is the site for that camp?
Which one is that? Sorry. >> Yes, the extended um the extended year camp. >> Yeah. Is it just
>> proximity or? >> Yes. We look to find one um that is somewhat centralized and because of the nature of the programs that they support, we try to find a school that we can use year after year. They bring in a lot of materials and EK PO is already prepared to have some of those things in house already and it leaves it a little bit less to move around.
It's also one of our biggest um has the biggest variety. We really don't know those numbers until students finish their um last IEP meetings towards the end of the year. So that number could go up exponentially or it could be lower just depending on the student needs. So having a consistent place for that program to run and EK Poe offers um because of some of their special programs um offers what they need in that school.
Prior it was Hope Valley and Hope Valley is now a year- round school and we try not to utilize those buildings. >> Gotcha. I just wondered about accessibility with their campus specifically and um it being one of our
more senior campuses, more mature campuses, whether um those are ever issues for families as they they navigate um that and the and the playgrounds and things. But um I'm sure you all have thought all of that through. >> Absolutely. >> Yeah.
Um any other questions or thoughts on this? This is an information item. Um, do you all feel like you have consensus on the notion of data that we need? Do you need us to take a vote?
Do you need us to do some consensus thumbs up? How are you feeling? And was it was the request kind of clear enough? >> Yes, we have it also in writing.
And I'll just move that one um that first date back to April. >> April. Yeah, April 23rd. I wrote down for the board meeting.
>> Absolutely. >> I added I'll resend it if you want. I put added the per pupil spending um Miss
Rogers request >> and may I add one more thing which is by August the final budget with actual expenses just so we can >> absolutely compare from what we >> suggested to what was final. Thank you so much. >> Miss Stevens, do you have the the metric piece? I don't think that was in your original >> Oh, yes.
And I'm going to include the metric so that we can >> Can I ask that it not be August? Can it be included in the back to school academic update that we normally get in September? >> Fine with me. There seems to be some head nodding here at the table.
>> Okay. I can't see it. Thank you. I'm trying to interpret it for you.
That is that >> good with folks? Yep. >> With the metrics also >> with the metrics I think so I think. Yep. >> Preliminary data in June however and then finalized data at the back to school in September. >> Perfect.
>> I heard April, I heard June, I heard September. So, April for the budget and then June for some preliminary data on who has registered um what those demographics are looking like and then September for actual data impact from the actual programs, actual cost, and a little deeper dive at who stayed, who showed up, and um are we meeting the needs of our most vulnerable populations? And could I'm asking colleagues, I think, could some of this information be presented in a board update rather than in a meeting or a Friday update. Yeah, superintendent update.
Yeah. Okay. So, we got consensus on that. Miss Rogers, is that good with you as well? Don't have Mr. Rogers right there at the moment, but let's Yeah, Miss Conton,
>> is that um some or all of the data to be provided in a weekly update rather than a board to the April data? Okay, excellent. I was thinking the I think the community probably wants to see the other data. Okay, perfect.
>> Right. Great report. Thank you. Looking forward to getting students enrolled.
Thank you for all your work on these detailed programs. Right, that brings us to item C, a technology update, student device model. Much interest in this for being with us. Good evening, board chair, board members, Dr. Lewis cabinet members present Paul Mimi executive director of information technology here to present to you a technology update about the student device program. I'll be presenting together with assistant
superintendent Chanel Sidbury. Tonight's presentation is about the direction of our student device program. Not just devices themselves, but how technology supports learning across the district. We'll briefly cover where we started, where we are today, and where we recommend heading next.
um grounded in data, stakeholder input and operational realities. Uh this work is a close partnership between information technology and our major partners curriculum and instruction. U because instruction impact and operational sustainability must move must move together. Next slide.
The student device program directly supports strategic priority one um academic excellency and priority five operational responsibility. This program enables customized learning, smarter teaching and future ready skills. And these directly support strategies like supporting curriculum implementation, closing opportunity gaps, career and college readiness, and multi-tered systems of support. Our guiding principle is simple. Learning goals
drive technology decisions, not the other way around. Next slide. According to the world economic forum future jobs report 2025 uh students are entering a work a workforce shaped by data technology AI and problem solving. Uh this emphasizes that papa's full use of technology builds critical thinking independence creativity and digital literacy which in turn make our students ready for the workforce of the future.
Right. where we've come from. Uh this slide shows the evolution of DPS's onetoone strategy. Um this DPS operated on a one to three model um in 2018 and the before.
Um the onetoone model launched in 2020 amidst the pandemic and successfully addressed a critical access and equity gap during and after the pandemic. It ensured continuity of instruction during a time of crisis and that was the right decision. However, the universal take-home model was not
designed for long-term sustainability, and that is not a failure. It's a natural evolution from emergency response to long-term planning. As you can see, when it comes to funding and purchases, we've been all over the place. Um, they were all reactionary based on the different relief available funds that were available.
uh there was CARES act one and two there was ECF we've gone to the state funds and most recent last patch I think we had capital outlay funds this slide shows where we are today uh DP DPS currently operates a onetoone model across all grade levels with with sufficient devices for every student technology is embedded in daily instructional practice and teachers identify small group instruction and timely feedback as the highest impact users students Students also report devices are most helpful for independent practice, research and collaboration. This slide depicts our operational realities. Um, managing a district of this size means managing tens of thousands of devices. Any challenges are
not temporary. They're structural realities. Device and charger wear and tear. I think you all always hear about that.
lost or stolen devices, adapters, HDMI cables, and other classroom accessories, projector parts, bulbs, repair demand, staffing capacity, and budget limits. These are all realities that we face and live with. Uh the expected conditions in a onetoone environment, and ignoring them definitely leads to a reactive decisions and inequitable outcomes. Addressing them requires intentional long-term planning.
Next slide, please. This slide we do technology fees is an is an initiative that was started this school year. Uh the technology fees collected this year have helped offset device repair costs but they've not cover the full operational need. Repairs continue to outpace fee revenue. This reinforces the need for a sustainable system level approach not reliance on short-term fixes. As you can see out of our current student population 12,274 students paid the tech fees and 697
asked for waiverss. um not shown on this slide, we have 250 students who opted out of technology. We managed to collect 293,000 but so far we have 352,000 worth of repairs and this still growing. This is just between July 2025 and now uh we shall continue working with our school leaders as regarding communicating and engaging families about the importance of the tech fees in relation to sustaining our student device program.
Right. Before deciding how devices are deployed, we grounded our work in instructional needs. And at this point, I'll turn it over to President Chanel. >> Thank you, Paul.
Good evening, board uh community administration. Chanel Sitberry here to give you the curriculum's uh perspective, which is the undergirling of our decision for this evening. Next slide, please. If you take a quick glance at this picture, you will see what onetoone learning looks like in action. I will call the board to
the attention of the fact that it's more than just student devices. You see an interactive panel for students to have interactive instruction. You see collaborative grouping and seating. You see a teacher device.
Um so all of these things are part of being onetoone. Um and Durham public schools has been addressing the student device and perhaps not all the aspects of what it means to be onetoone in terms of teaching and learning. Um so effective technology looks like um enhanced teaching and learning collaboration and engagement. Um our devices should be paired with strong teaching and learning expectations um and clear instructional intent and this reinforces that technology enhances instruction and it does not in replace um quality teaching and learning.
Next slide please. This slide is a visual of the three founding principles when you think about Durham public schools philosophies when it comes to teaching and learning. Again, technology should enhance and not dominate um learning experiences. We
want to make sure we have purposeful uh supports for differentiation, access to rigorous content as well as engagement. We also want to look at what's developmentally appropriate um and make sure that students build skills over time without over reliance on our screens. So in um in summary to our community that means we want quality over quantity in terms of use of technology. We want uh active use more than passive use uh sitting on a device and just clicking.
Um and then in our lower grades, we want to make sure that we give clear guidance to our teachers around teacher mediated supports um for our younger grades involving technology. Next slide, please. So this slide is a graphic that shows you um in a nutshell what effective teaching and learning looks like this day and age. Technology is an integral part of that. So devices are a part of a larger ecosystem uh here in Durham. Um we have our high impact teaching
strategies, assessments, feedback, student supports, those are all connected to the use of technology. So when aligned, all of these things create uh strengthen learning outcomes for students. But overuse of course and misalignment with our expectations weakens the system um and dilutes the impact. Next slide, please.
This is yet another graphic to just show the board and our community what Durham Public Schools relies on when it comes to technology. So technology supports critical needs for us. Um in terms of curriculum access, every time this board has approved a curriculum, they have also approved digital access to that curriculum. Um assessments that are approved such as our um interim assessments, there are digital assessments and given online just like our state assessments are given online.
Our credit recovery, reading um reading supports, interventions, e-learnings, all of those things are contingent upon our students having access to devices. So uh in summary we need reliable and well-maintained systems. Um so we want
to make sure again that we undergard this understanding of technology as it is a proponent of quality teaching and learning. It is not a substitute for quality teaching. Um and we want to come back with some guard rails and expectations clearly around how this looks instructionally by using technology as a tool and not the primary vehicle for teaching and learning. Next slide.
I will happily turn it back over to Paul Mujumbi who will walk you through our stakeholder input which includes all facets of our community, students, um leaders, teachers, etc. Paul, >> first and foremost, I'd like to thank you know students and the families, teachers, staff, principals and other district leaders who participated and provided us with this feedback. Uh the feedback helped helped us refine and sharpen the decision we bring tonight. Across all groups, we had consistent themes giving us confidence in the recommended direction. Next slide.
Start with the families perspective. By closing time, we heard from 260 families. Uh these families support device access when it's purposeful, accountable, and age appropriate. Primary concerns included screen time, safety, and content cost if devices are lost or damaged.
And again, these are development and behavior concerns, um, not access concerns. 88% reported reliable internet most days, but the meaningful minority still experience instability, reinforcing the need for equity safeguards. Um, in this case, I think it alludes to things like hotspots. Uh, parents also value devices for homework completion, access to materials, and continuity during absences, not entertainment.
Next slide. We also had we received feedback from over,200 students. Now this feedback we read that students value devices most when used for authentic learning tasks such as projects, research, assessments and catching up of absences. Uh most students use devices primarily for learning not entertainment. Home Wi-Fi
reliability varies which we also heard from the families again alluding to hotspots. Um when homework requires a device, students strongly prefer taking an assigned device home. Next slide. We also heard from over 1,800 staff, teachers and staff.
Uh we also received from this feedback we read that devices are widely used but selectively often for part of a class period. Uh primary us as a practice research and assessment not constant instruction. Um staff's instructional value of the devices but expressed mixed views on sustainability of full takehome models. They also highlighted that equity challenges outside of school persist.
Um damage and inappropriate use dominated operational concerns. Next slide. We also received feedback from over 100 PL 100 school leaders. Uh and from their feedback we learned that instructional value comes from pedig not device presence. Um top pain points included device condition, loss and damage, time
spent managing devices, times 2 to 10 hours per week. Um nearly 80% of the leaders view the current take-home mode as only somewhat not sustainable. Clear preference for limits in elementary grades paired with strong accountability also picked were picked from this feedback. This slide shows a differentiated stu student device model that we present to you tonight.
Um this recommendation balances equity instruction development and sustainability. U for the preK or K through two, we recommend a limited one to one school day model. Um for 3 to 5, we recommend a 1:1 school day model with limited optional take-home for specific needs. Uh 6 through 8, we recommend a onetoone school day model with optional take-home for specific needs such as identified courses, students without home access, and time bound instructional needs. Uh for 9 through 12, we recommend a full onetoone take-home model paired with clear account measures such as insurance
repair options and negative citizenship expectations. Our non-negotiables for equity will will need to be reinforced and monitored um such as in partnership with schools. We shall have clear district criteria for when takehome is required. Uh to meet learning needs, we shall ensure guaranteed access for students whose learning plans require devices.
uh for clarity on the student experience we shall have consistent messaging so families not experience school by school confusion slide this slide shows what's not changing um our commitment to equable access that's not changing technology as a support for instruction defining ongoing teacher access to tools and training student access to devices when learning requires them and our strong collaboration between IT and CNI and also the ongoing focus on % learning engagement and success. This next slide here, this chart shows two things side by side. Um what the board has already invested over time uh
since 2020 and what a planned warranty based model looks like going forward. Uh the key message here is we're not starting new spending. We're organizing spending that's already happening so it's more predictable and less disruptive to learning. I'll start with the student devices.
1 million on student devices. Those purchases were largely reactionary, responding to failure to failures rather than following a planned refresh. The proposed annual investment stabilizes cost, ensures warranty coverage, and protects instructional time for repairs. Repair costs were repair costs were low early on in beginning because devices were under warranty. So most times we saw almost no costs on that but as devices have started going out of warranty that cost has gone up. Um it has grown rapidly reaching nearly 440,000 and still counting under the recommended model those unpredictable costs are absorbed through warranties.
Charges are a good example of hidden costs. Um as we have seen over time so far we had 460,000 worth of charges. We've had that same theme over and over again about charges. uh standardization and inclusion removes this recurring drain on operating funds.
Interactive displays, the bright links, the projectors in the classrooms. Um historically displays were replaced only after failure up to now. Uh it only fails after it fails. That's when we jump into action to put in another one that could work.
Um the last refresh for projectors that you see in the classrooms, this was over 10 years ago. I think if I remember it must have been around 2013 or there about um a planned $800,000 to $1 million annual investment creates a predictable lifestyle and avoids inocable classroom experiences life cycle. Staff devices um staff and teacher devices are often replaced only after increasing failures. I think the last time we did this we had a pocket of ECF money and we did a refresh but that didn't cover everybody. This only I think covered only classroom teachers. 1 million and a
refresh ensures continuity and not convenience and avoids disruptions. Uh again the board has already invested approximately $60 million since 2020. 6 million annual plan investment. Um and again the question isn't whether we pay for technology, it's whether we pay reactively or intentionally.
Um and again if not funded um we shall definitely keep in the same volatile reactionary uncertain mode that we've been in and we're trying to get out of this point I'll turn it back to Missbury. So alongside this I wanted to make sure that I preview some information for the board from the curriculum and instruction side. So as I mentioned the technology and the curriculum goes hand in hand. So this uh graphic shows you over the next three years kind of things that we anticipate alongside of this annual commitment to ne technology would also be responsive to our teaching and learning resources. So this year's uh I think my team would say this is ROI
year. I'm requesting everything that we have purchased. I want to know the usage of it. I want to know the impact of it.
I want us to be very clear around the things that are causing us to have strong student impact and things that are not. Um, and that is going to allow us to clear the roadway for some of the work ahead. So, for this year, we're looking at return on investment um, in several of our tools including e-learning, credit recovery, and our diagnostic and intervention tools. I will be um pro providing that analysis which will include the usage impact on student outcomes, fidelity of implementation and cost effectiveness.
Um the goal here is to determine which tools are delivering value. Um what needs adjustment and what do we need to just stop. Um and so I will be bringing those ROI findings within the next few months back to the board for review and approval. Again, this ensures that any continued investment or decision to replace tools or discontinue them is based on evidence. Um the next year um
is ELA. And so right now that the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction has already revised our ELA standards. After that, it will be our mathematics standards. And for those of us who have been in the business for a while, that means change in curriculum, change in standards, and a change in the assessment at the state level.
So next year um we can anticipate adopting an ELA curriculum um that will primarily be on our K5 side but we'll also look at implementation fidelity on the 612 sides. Uh so next year ELA will become the anchor that we tie everything to in terms of impact on learning across content areas. Literacy is agnostic. Every teacher in our district um should be supporting literacy in some way.
Um and then after that you will see um the following year bringing mathematics back to you. um our mathematics standards are going to be changing as well at the state level. Um and so we'll be looking to uh bring back a recommendation for curriculum at the 612 level for mathematics. Um our goal here is coherence and sustainability. Um and so
I also want to be mindful of the needs of our teachers and so the math adoption following the ELA is on purpose so that our teachers are not implementing two new curricula and trying to figure out standards and curriculum at the same time. So this allows us uh our pacing to um reserve the instructional quality um and teacher capacity. So in this regard you will see that I'll bring back recommendations for purchase and discontinuitive purchases. Um we will look at research best practices on both the science of reading as well as um on the mathematics side.
Um in particular in mathematics we want to do a vertical alignment check and make sure that standards are leading students to the right level of cognitive demand. Um and we want to make sure um that our tech tools um such as calculators and other digital resources that are now called for students to be able to do that they are also embedded in our resources as well. At the bottom you will see um the mindset of continuous improvement undergirling everything that we do here. So across these three years we'll maintain a continuous um annual review cycle. This includes data review,
fidelity monitoring, equity impact and budget alignment. addition, this is how we avoid initiative overload and ensure investments lead to improved outcomes. So these inconsiderations um are to give you a holistic picture of what we're looking for in the next u few years. So I turn it back over to Paul to make a recommendation.
this point. 6 million per year over the next 5 years. Um, which is 23 approximately $23 million over the next 5 years. Uh this is reflected in the 26 27 technology budget asks for student devices and directive displays and teachers devices will be reflected in the 2728 technology budget asks. This commitment and investment supports classroom instructional displays. Student devices required for daily
instruction and assessments. Uh teacher devices which are essential to instruction operations and data use. Again, this approach reflects the true cost of ownership and avoids deferred replacements, system instability, and emergency spending. Next slide.
Oh, okay. All right. That's a present for today. Thank you.
And we appreciate the board's partnership and we're happy to take any of your questions at this time. >> Thank you so so much, Mr. Maji and and Miss Sidbury. You all have brought a tremendous amount of information in the most beautiful slide deck ever presented in this boardroom.
Extra credit there. 6 million times five if I'm doing my math right. Miss Chávez. >> Well, thank you. This is a very well-developed proposal and I appreciate it. you brought data from our various
constituents and also a long-term um or maybe intermediate but plan and something to um have us a sustainable plan and that is so important. I think this is what I have wanted to see. So thank you. Um I do have a few questions.
Um my my first question is about limits on screen time for younger students for K through two. Is that part of curriculum guidelines that are being developed um and during either instructional time or um lunch as well? >> Thank you, Paul. Um so a couple of things I I I want to bring up to the community as well around the research with regard to screen time. Um and so what research has shown us in previous years connected to co it was very much looking at minutes of instruction. How
much time do you spend on the device? Um the research now 202425 looks at the quality of what you're doing on the device. Um we want to do what is developmentally appropriate but right now we don't have in our guidance any stipulations around those minutes. Um what we do have is certain programming with intentions.
Uh so for instance our I ready intervention tools students are supposed to have 45 minutes a week. They can sparse that time out 10 minutes 10 minutes you know how how the teacher does that. Um so we are not we want to bring back guidelines and happy to bring those to the board if they want to hear but we do not have those regulatory um guidelines in our current practices right now in Durham public schools which is why we do see that variance. Um I I can share what research says, but I also want to take the time just like we did tonight to take that back to our teachers, our community, and our family and get their insights on that before we make that our um procedures.
>> Sure. I'm I'm not necessarily I mean you all are doing the research, but so um I I trust that. But that you know, of course that I'm always thinking about
screen time and limits on that, but um >> can I ask a clarifying question Miss about that? When you all are assessing screen time limits, does that include um time in the classroom and time expected to be spent on screens outside of the classroom? >> So, I think what we would want to do is define we don't have any definitions around any of the things you're asking uh board member Rogers. I think that that comes with responsible use of the devices and as Mr.
Mjumbi mentioned to you previously, we're one to one for reactionary to what was going on in our world right now. So now we're playing catch-up in terms of what it looks like daytoday. Um so we would have conversations um with our leaders, our teachers to find out exactly what guidance would say. Um but in terms of what the research says the American Association of Pediatrics look at to not necessarily the minutes of time but the quality of what students are doing in our lower grades and also making very close ties to what adults are doing to mediate and support students during that time. And again, quite frankly, that's
just something we have to tighten up in terms of our um our um guidance and feedback that we give to our community. >> Thank you. >> Well, that I mean I think that sounds great with everything that you have. I I trust that you're going to develop um those guidelines that will be um most evidence-based and useful for you know for students and their learning.
So, um I also wanted to um ask about this concept of tech-free days. We were at a um North Carolina Schoolboard Association uh session in November and there was a district, I can't remember which one now, but they do tech free days. I think it was like Tuesday and Thursday. Is that something that you all have has come up at all?
I don't know if other districts do that as well. Um, but as you think about curriculum, if not, I would just offer it as a possibility um to consider what that might be. Um, it was kind of intriguing and it was it was
um shared in the context of talking about like cell phone policy and all of that. >> Have you heard of this at all? >> I I have not heard of it. I definitely would be open to taking that back to our constituents and find out what what their lives um would be in practice in terms of making those adjustments.
I think that we want to be mindful of kind of what teachers are are experiencing now and how we create a runway to change anything of that significance. Espec es especially in our high schools and middle schools where our teachers um our students have courses that they take um asynchronously and synchronously. They would need a device every day to access those. Uh so I definitely can take that in consideration and bring that back to the board with some data and feedback. Paul >> yeah I would want to make sure we approach that extremely carefully. Um, you know, if if if students are on games all the time, yes, there needs to be a tech free Tuesday or Thursday, but if we're really intentional about using these devices from an instructional standpoint, I don't want the message to um, you know, be received as, okay, now I I'm I'm limited in my learning on
these Tuesdays and Thursdays. So, uh, I I get the the the the motive behind it, but just being really careful in how we approach that. And so, maybe it's called something else. Um but really, you know, think back during our days if we had a textbook free Tuesday and Thursday, we probably would have loved that, right?
But but it it's really a device that um is a avenue to student learning and engagement. So just kind of being mindful and careful of how we roll something like that out if we did. >> Sure. Yeah, absolutely.
I offer it to consider or you know um and maybe it's a tech light day or maybe not at all if you know I do think the most important thing is using these um devices and everything as as tools and very thoughtfully and all of that. So my last question is about uh devices for um non-verbal students, communication devices. Is that part and uh or for limited verbal students? AAC devices, is that part of our tech um master plan or that's kind of a side altogether?
>> That would normally show up in a student's IEP in terms of assisted technology devices and their individual IEP. And those those devices are usually purchased through our special education budget separate from okay we just just made a purchase just signed a document last week um updating some of those >> Thank you Miss Carda-Auten and then Miss Harold Golf >> um I have three my questions are around three broad topics. Um one is around ensuring that text's used to enhance learning not like replace the role of the teacher. There is um concerns around screen time and the other is like safety of tech use. So I guess for the first one the um that one stands out stands out to me as being really most important. We talked about this in agenda review too, but like I'm curious to know how would you describe that we
are as a district ensuring that we are following the best practices available for using technology to enhance learning. Um and then likewise, how are we ensuring that our educators in our classrooms know how to do that and that they are doing that in practice. So I say very similar to to my comment previously. We don't have those safeguards and and um recommendations in place right now. Largely what we're doing with our technology is what we're doing during the co days which is we have it and we can have it to use but we have not give given specifics in terms of what this best practice looks like. There has been professional learning that happened on on-site of when we were coming out of COVID um around TAC um and that was a a strong proponent of professional learning for our teachers to talk about what does it look like to be a good steward as an instructional leader of technology um but as a person who is new but looking foundationally it doesn't seem that we have ongoing
professional learning around that. So that's something that we would have to um come back with some procedures and guidelines um and talk to our teachers. So we know what best practice says, but we also want to make sure that we give our teachers time to make adjustments to their own instructional practices to align to that best practice. So in short, I I could not tell you holistically what we are doing in Durham is very much contingent school to school, classroom to classroom at this time.
>> Okay, that's helpful. I think for me um that feels like that feels important to be in place and for us to know that before we say that we're going to continue to spend millions of dollars every year on the technology. And so I'm wondering when do is that something that you would create a plan and then bring that to the board to take a look at so that we know again that we're not just spending on tech but we don't know how it's actually being used in classrooms um or it's being used consistently um and again that that's following best practices. So could you tell us more
about when that would come back to the board what that could look like when it came back to the board? >> Sure. I think it it looks very similarly as I mentioned a few minutes ago. It looks similarly to getting feedback from our teachers, from our students, from our community around best practice and what implementation looks like.
I'm happy to bring that back. That's more on the procedural side and not really a board approval thing, but happy to bring that back if that gives the board confidence. I think what we can say is that we've put several safeguards in terms of being good stewards over the devices um with our reconciliation process um three times a year as well as our tech fees. So, we are showing good faith in terms of being good stewards.
Um, with Paul being about a year in, me about eight or nine months in, um, trying to get our feet underneath us for something that you can see has been going on in our district for a a good period of time. So, I'm happy to bring that back to the board maybe in the summer. Um, we would want to be relaunching those expectations in the the next school year. um and make sure we have a very long runway to get feedback from our staff which would be
having make have to make those changes in practice and what that looks like. >> Um okay, thank you. And then one um I appreciate I always appreciate going to staff that are on the ground to get feedback. This feels like something that the feedback on how it would be best implemented or how what current practices might align with this.
That's what I would see you would get from staff. But the guidance on like how to approach this, shouldn't that be coming from the district level and then guiding the staff rather than staff telling the district? >> Can you maybe I'm hearing it incorrectly, but >> I I think let me clarify. So any policy that this board approved um it's just words and so how do we translate that into practice? And so what I'm asking is how do we I'm happy to bring to board what research and best practice says, but we also know that there's some gray area between how we're right now acting and behaving in our classrooms with our students and what that transition would look like. So I would want to have
conversations with our staff, with our leaders to say what does it look like? What how much professional learning? How much time um will we need? Will we need less time in K2 and more time in 612?
I would want to know exactly what it would feel like to a teacher who is u compounding other changes um that we're implementing both at the state and local level how this holistically looks in terms of resetting our expectations for the next school year. So it's I'm happy to bring you best practice but what I'm saying is we will want to have that time with our community with our teachers the people who actually have to make these changes to say what is that runway and the support that you need to effectively relaunch this moving into next year. Okay, thank you. And then um the screen time has been mentioned by a colleague.
You had responded to that. Just want to lift that up again as a concern that's came out in the survey that you all do with parents, but I hear that all the time from parents especially. It might be because I have a first grader and a fourth grader. So, I'm in the younger grades, but that is
something that the just the quantity of the time and um and I'm sure they're concerned with quality as well. Um and then the safety is something that we um it came up in the survey results, but we haven't talked about it a lot today, but I know that's of concern to um parents as well, like what can my kids access when they're on devices? Could you speak a little bit to um how the district both through blockers and through education might be working to protect students from uh make sure they're only accessing age appropriate content where possible and that they um are not able to access things that they shouldn't be able to when they're on our devices. >> I'll start on that and then I'll pass it on. uh from a district perspective from a technical perspective uh we've tried to instill tools um you know whether it's starting from straight from the firewalls or we have a tool called zcala that's used to block all kind of sites
um again we can't catch it all most times we you always get requests you always see emails help desk tickets saying hey this site my kid was about to get to this site these sites are being developed every day um but yeah from a district perspective infrastructure perspective we have tools like zcale that's what we use for blocking all sites. Um this year or previous year um there was a tool called GoG Guardian. Some schools are using that. So that that builds on top of what Zcala does.
Um and this is used as classroom management. Teachers can go in and you know um say hey kids in this class in this during this instructional period need to access these websites. Um so the so basically from this perspective we have the tools but I think just to add on to that we need and I think I mentioned it one of the commitments the collaboration to know and say hey block these sites I'll give an example that has been happening the past couple weeks there's Google lens I don't know if some of you have heard of Google lens um on one end it's a good tool and then we started getting feedback from the school saying students are using it to you know to cheat to get around programs and
things of that nature so we started blocking it and currently it's blocked for all students students. But um point I'm trying to make is the collaboration that we have these tools in place. But I think what we haven't been doing effectively or so much so is the collaboration with instruction to say we put this this tool in place. How is it doing?
Should we tune it up? Should we tune it down? Uh and I think that feedback coming from the instructors on the front lines will help us fine-tune and improve the safety of students. Otherwise, these students keep running circles around us and we just have to work with educators to, you know, reconfigure them, beef them up, block more content. Um because on our end we might say that's an innocent site and then someone says oh YouTube shots you know so I think we need additional collaboration on what's that fine tuning that we need as a district to to that >> yeah and I was going to just say and professional learning I was trying to get the name goardian so goardian is a is a very nice tool and it's not expensive in a large scale of what we spend resources on the teacher with proper professional learning can see the devices screens of all students
simultaneously but that takes management Right. So if I am uncomfortable with doing that again that begins goes back to my point of creating this runway for teachers. Go guardian is very sophisticated when you know how to use it. Um and so there are some teachers who can get on and use it right away to manage their students effectively.
And on the other hand there are some teachers who are going to need a lot of support and and with that um I think it goes back to everything that I' I've been saying when I stand up here. We have had these tools um and what we want to do is have implementation fidelity of these tools. We want to provide adequate professional learning and hold people accountable to use these tools. Um not because we say so but because it's a part of the landscape of how we are good stewards over the resources.
>> Um thank you. >> I just add for the record on that uh we are required for SIPA the child internet protection act to have a tool or device that protects um our students from accessing sites that they should not be on. So we are SIPA compliant. >> That's helpful. You had mentioned the
YouTube shorts and you you between YouTube and YouTube shorts. That's what I am thinking of when I thinking of things I might not want my younger children to see. Um okay, I care a lot about this. I just have two more things to say.
Um one I did have a point of clarity which is you said um for elementary or the K2 limited onetoone school day only. What does that what does the limited mean? I guess I'm left wondering if we are staying with onetoone for our K2 students how limited um how we should interpret limited there or are they sharing devices and just not taking them home. >> So first of all um I think limited comes into the use.
Uh so yeah every state again it's one to one u you know if if an elementary school say if they have you know 200 students through K through two they'll have 200 devices but the limit is in the instructional use. A teacher might choose to just you know maybe use 15 devices for that class period or whatever activity they'll need. Uh but say for example when it
comes to assessments they will have the devices one to one. So I think the limited is in the application of the technology in the day-to-day instruction in the classroom which we shall leave the discretion of course of the classroom teachers of the principles but they will have sufficient devices for each and every student. It's the limit the limited is in the application if I put it that way. >> Okay thank you that's helpful.
Um, and then lastly, we um, we haven't updated our technology and responsible use policy since 2017. A lot, and that's on the board. A lot has changed in the last nine years as it relates to technology. If I look at Chapel Hill, Carbross, for example, it feels like uh, more robust and upto-date.
And I wonder if some of these things we've been talking about should be something that the board should grapple with or the administration should bring us recommendations to be putting into policy if we want better. you had mentioned guard rails earlier. Um so just something to put out there into the ether and thanks so much for all of your work y'all. >> Miss Harrell Goff and then um both
colleagues online have questions as well. >> All right, I won't be very long. I just wanted to lift up that I really appreciate the intentionality that the technology use aligns with our district's teaching and learning initiatives, our curriculums, and our resources. Um, that is amazing.
I I appreciate that being a very big part of this presentation on how that's that that would work. Um, I'm on slide 21 and where you talk about um the evaluation and readiness and the curriculum adoptions over the next few years. And so I didn't want to assume does does that mean that next year we will be adopting a new ELA curriculum >> potentially? Yes.
So we want to do we we have core curriculum. Um we want to right now the team is looking at alignment. How well there is no curriculum in any subject that fully aligns to North Carolina state standards. So let me just say that to the board and the community. So right now we're doing an audit of how well
what are our gaps? Is it even worth you know we're really just looking at piece by piece and having a long runway for our teachers. Um if our teachers want to maintain their curriculums there's implications of that in terms of supplemental resources. if they want something new, then it comes to another assessment and how well that addresses state standards.
So, overall, we'll bring those recommendations back to the war. >> All right. I think um what I was curious about and I know that um you've been very intentional also with the engagement, which I appreciate. Um, I remember being in the classroom and curriculum's changing and just being even though we would, you know, we would get maybe, you know, six month, eight month runway and then all of our resources are changing and we're trying to and so I'm I'm curious about how um with the data review and the fidelity monitoring, how are our educators being included in and how everything is going to come out like how they're how, you know, just like everybody's not
listening to the board meeting. Um, how do we get the buy in from our educators when we're shifting things, which which requires them to shift? I learned over time, you know, that that's that's part of the the job description is you just have to be ready. but um wondering how we're thinking about you know what that looks like or how we communicate that to our educators when these shifts are coming with curriculum resources materials and things like that.
>> So in terms of the core curriculum we do an RFP we work with our teachers our coaches our leaders to develop what are the criteria of things that we believe are not absolutely non-negotiable for Durham public schools to have a high quality teaching and learning curriculum. Um we post that out through the RFP process. um and there are um businesses and and companies that will apply. We then bring that back to our RFP committee. Um most likely what happens in Durham in the previous years in adoption, we have core curriculum
teams at each school. Each school gets an opportunity to look at those curriculums, assess those curriculums. Um I'm speaking from previous experience when I was standing at this podium asking for money. Um we did parent nights, we did family engagement nights.
Um so we plan to bring that same level of um responsiveness to our community so they can really get a sense of what our options are. Um and we will bring back those every teacher will have a vote, every department will have a vote um and we'll bring those just like we did tonight bring back those recommendations based on where we are as a school community. I do want to kind of caution just to precursor this on the last time here looking at literacy curriculum. We brought forth a recommendation of two curriculums.
I think that we have a long history of things that we can share about what works and what does not work by making that decision. Um and so I would hope to bring one core curriculum back um at K K5 um for recommendation. Are we looking at like a runway of like does that take course over the t over when a curric when a new curriculum is
and I'm asking because I really don't know when a new curriculum is is going to be adopted is that a runway of a year is that >> so we have about 18 months >> 18 months. Okay. >> Thank you. >> Miss Rogers, do you have questions?
>> Yeah, I do. I appreciate everything that everybody suggested. Um the policy um refresh would love to see a recommendation go through the policy committee submitted through the form uh so the board can tear it for the policy committee to do that work. Um my question is more high level less about how it's implemented at the schools less about screen time. 6 million per year of the next five fiscal years. And so, um I guess my first question is what we
6 6 million covered by the tech fees or is this in addition to the tech fees? >> Um so just on one of the slides in the presentation it gives a correlation of tech fees and where we are with damages and fees and so right now our technology fees are just slightly offsetting that. Um, again, what we will look forward to with this recommendation is to have our damages and warranties lost and stolen type resources will be covered under warranty, which we are not currently. And so, what we in theory what we would have is over time as as our families are paying into that tech fee, we will have a pot of money um that we will be able to use as a resource as we go forth with future purchases. Uh, right now, I think we're less than 50% of our students and families are paying that fee right now. um we're happy to bring those figures
back, but in in theory, yes, this will be able to offset some of those expectations. , etc. So, if anything, that that number could potentially go down. >> Okay, that's helpful.
I think um I don't know if this is something y'all will answer or Mr. Teter, Dr. Lewis, whoever you decide. Um my question would be uh where are y'all recommending that this money come from?
Right. Is this capital funding? Mr. Teter is on its way.
Just one moment. Okay. >> I would Yeah. And if I can jump on your question, Miss Rogers, too.
I would like to reiterate like how much money the state actually gives districts for technology if we have an estimate on that. Um because I'm guessing Mr. Mr. Ter is going to say this is a local request.
>> Yes. U before you before you get there, Mr. Teter, just a
>> a sharing I'd like to make about a a conversation I was in just recently with uh state instructional leaders across the state. Um there there does appear to be this is an issue across the entire state. um school districts who have uh kind of put ourselves out there in terms of technology use and expectation of having technology and you know having done that during the er years when there was funding to support those those purchases and the recognition now that those dollars aren't there and those are significant um expenses for school systems. So I say all that to say there there is some conversation don't can't say how serious it is and can't say how likely it is um but some conversation about uh the expectation that in the budget process here the state uh would be pushed to provide some some dollars specifically around the idea of assisting school districts uh to maintain their onetoone um
configurations. don't know how much that will be and and frankly given our recent history don't know if if that will ever happen. Um but that's a different way of thinking about provision of technology for the state of North Carolina. And so I say that to say as that as the short session begins and that process begins to to uh lay out, we'll be watching that and and at the appropriate time certainly be calling on all the members of our community to um hopefully apply appropriate pressure to help that become something that happens.
Uh Mr. I would say that's exactly correct. Um that this is an item that we will have to run through the process as an expansion request and and and it's something that we touch on in the upcoming presentation. Um and it's also something that's uh lifted up in previous conversations as a priority for Dr.
Lewis. Um and in the context of the state, I'll echo what Dr. King has said. Um and um the state has been a relatively absent partner um where technology funding is concerned. uh and
we only receive a few hundred thousand per year in in state technology funding. It's a drop in the bucket um where where this is concerned and um I know for a period of time um you know there was conversation about the state um relinquishing some fines and forfeiture dollars that lived at the state level that was intended for technology. Um there was never really any closure with that at the state level that I'm aware of and uh and perhaps that will come back up um in those short session conversations that Dr. King alluded to to provide some support for technology in schools.
Okay. You said expansion. Sorry, come back. I'm sorry.
So you said this would be an expansion request for the county if no other resources come through. Um, and but what fund would it be from? >> It would have to be local funds.
>> Yeah. Would it be capital or would it be >> we're we're running it through as a as a um local funding request. >> So, we also would have to share the expense of this with charters, >> right? So, >> it wouldn't be capital funding like they do in person, >> right?
I mean, and we can we can have some conversations around our county's tolerance for that. And so, if we would uh like to uh when we formalize our request, if we would like to run that through um and request the funding through capital outlay, um you know, I think that's it's a reasonable ask on our part and we could certainly try to do that to mitigate the um the need to share that with charters. >> Okay. And then the precy is marked that this is for action. So, Mr. 6 million
expansion for this year's budget on com on on technology? >> That's a loaded question. Uh, I think um I mean to I mean you're you're supporting a plan um and I think it provides a really clear charge for the superintendent and the finance officer to forge a way for that to make its way through the budget process. And I think that's um as as the board engages in the upcoming prioritization activities, I think that uh that's something that you'll have to contemplate as you balance um your financial gives and takes um in in the coming weeks.
>> Okay, that's helpful. Um Dr. Lewis, this is marked for action for tonight. >> Yes. Um, and so is the ask for us to take action tonight or to approve this to come on consent at the board meeting on the
26th. We're tonight we're asking you to uh if you recall um when we came to the board asking for additional um purchase of devices board requested that we do a full deep dive into our onetoone this so this is the model that we're presenting and so we're asking you all to approve the model >> and not the dollar amount Yes. >> The model with the dollar amount or without the dollar. >> So what we wanted to do was bring a model that the board had some indication of what would this model cost us. Um so again when we were looking at what should one to one look like in Durham public schools um this is the model that we are comfortable with moving forward with in addition to this model uh for
example K one and two limited one one to one understanding that you know for the most part all students will need those devices we wanted to give some kind of indication as it relates to what that what that model would would cost so that the board can feel comfortable moving moving forward with the model. >> All right, that's helpful. I'm looking at policy 2235. Uh action at work sessions, action on operational services policy or academic student services topics at work sessions normally would be limited to placing an item on a business meeting agenda.
Agenda for final action. Final action may be taken on any topic at a work session when necessary. So, I'm listen I'm listening for figuring out where that necessity comes to play right here. So, we can bring the the ask back for the um for the devices. Um
6 million tonight. um really just the the model that the board asked us to to bring back. >> Thank you. >> So, we're not again, we're not pushed up against ordering devices or anything right now.
We're good for the remain of this school year. >> Thank you. No, I was just looking for clarity. I don't know what the board's going to decide to do.
I'm just asking for clarity. Thanks, y'all. So I think Miss Some said has questions but I did Miss Chávez is your question related to where that conversation was while we're here. Is that yet?
>> Yes. My question was basically just if we approve the model what happens if we can't afford the model that we approve >> at risk of stepping in Mr. Teter's lane. I I think what we would do in that scenario is what we do at the end of every budget season, which is basically
we we take a look at what our ask was um and what our priorities were and make some decisions about how much of our priority we could we could afford. 0 zero million dollars that we could afford for technology. um at the end of the budget process, we would we would look to um Paul and his team to advise us about what the best way to spend that $4 million was without essentially blowing up the model with the expectation and understanding um that we would need to and certainly want to go back and make adjustments to what we purchased in the coming years to get ourselves back on track with that model. So, Miss Amstead, and then I have a few questions as well.
>> Um, yes. Thank you all for bringing the presentation, doing that deep dive. I
know we the board's been asking for that um for a while now. I'm going to follow up a little bit on Miss Arashia Rogers question. So it this sounds like there's not any funds already that have been allocated for or identified that they could be used for technology refresh currently without any expansion. Is that correct?
>> Yes, that is correct. >> Okay. So, I have uh a lot of concern about even go moving forward saying yes to one to one knowing that we're talking about almost $5 million commitment every year and we've been in a shortfall for the last two years, right? Like I just think the reality of the place that we're in right now feels a little uncomfortable to even say yes to move and this is personally for me to say yes to even moving forward with this model if we're going to put ourselves back in the hole. And so I think I would be um interested in kind of getting also an understanding of like if we were to try
to cut this in half to get a $2 million technology refresh every year and that's you know even could be ambitious what would that include if we had to prioritize you know devices bright links you know the different things that are on that list like how would we prioritize that as well and I just want us to be um completely understand the needs for students and the and the curriculum needs and ideas but I also want us to ground ourselves in some real um realities about where our fiscal situation is. The state hasn't passed the budget, so I'm not holding my breath unfortunately on on that. I hope that we do see um more money for technology. I hope we can get that into our legislative priorities for this year. That's something could also be lifted up to the schoolboard association, which I think has been a part of some of their priorities and we could talk about with our derm delegation. But I just I I guess I want us to be really thoughtful about this work that we're doing and and continue to push us to think more creatively about is onetoone even at a limited day or every school day actually
um the model that we should be using. And so I I don't want to um downplay everything that's been presented, but I think I want us to think about maybe there's an option A and option B. Um, >> thank you, Chair Mstead. Um, there's been a lot said here.
I think I'm grounded in going back to um, when we had this conversation earlier and saying taking I I took some responsibility that I didn't as a board member push us to make a plan once these federal dollars were gone. Um, and I I sit with the notion that I we asked y'all to do that and you brought it and here we sit and we can't afford it. And the state board knows we can't afford it. They've included it in their legislative ask. Other districts are making some noise, but it's incredibly expensive. Um,
can y'all talk a little bit about your evaluation of a of a lease versus purchase thing and what is covered in this lease? You said more breakage is covered, more warranty stuff is and how what's the life expectancy of a Chromebook? Because I also think of Chromebooks as $250, $300 devices, right? So, what's what's the thinking and the plan for how long they would stay in rotation and it's the lease term?
It's a five-year lease or you or we're not at that point yet because we haven't bid it out. Tell me, >> do you want to talk about the lease purchase appetite? Let's start with that and then I'll talk about the Chromebook span. So I think generally um you know from a cash flow perspective in favor of of the lease model, right? So I think the the outright purchase would require a tremendous upfront investment that I think you know is even harder for us to
to digest um than an annual lease payment for a few years. And and I think um I don't want to speak for our partners at the county, but I think perhaps their appetite uh as well would be sort of more preferable to to kind of soften that on the front end. Um and u it's just in past districts um you know have had success um leasing both student and staff devices uh and um really have no reservations about sort of moving forward with with that with that type of model and uh I'll defer to my friend in IT about warranties and and things of that nature. >> So Mr.
Teter, did the state give us anything even for staff devices? I I think it it's um it's really sort of our discretion, right, in in terms of, you know, so we have um a limited pool of funds that come to us specifically uh to fund technology. Uh and uh we also receive state funding for instructional supplies, so to speak. Uh and so then we have to sort of look at what all of our
needs are and and they don't necessarily come to us earmarked as explicitly for student device versus staff device. And um so districts always have to sort of work to build that puzzle and figure out uh what piece do we tackle first and and and where do we fund that from. >> Thank you. >> Just wanted to follow up on the lifespan of a Chromebook.
Um if taken care of well I think you can even last 10 years you know um Google does accept updates to Chromebooks for up to 10 years. The current fleet of Chromebooks that we have is six years old. So I think depending on how you take care of your device, you can stretch it as much as possible. Right now that stretch is the 9 to 10 years of which Google will provide updates.
Um but as we all know the wear and tear that the kids take them through. Um that's why we placed it around the five to six years. Um and of course whether it's le or purchase that would include the warranties unlimited um accidental damage protection and all those other kind of things. So it's the cases and everything.
>> I appreciate it. And with the K2 going towards more limited device, more more classroom devices in elementary school and middle school is what I'm seeing kind of in your um in your model. Do we need more charging carts or that expense that we incurred before and then didn't use? Do you do you have thoughts where are these things going to live in the classrooms to charge?
And >> we still have some schools that have some cuts available to them. Many of them, most of them. Um but but to to your question to your thinking to wondering yes would need some charging cards. Uh the technology fee that we get from the state the 300,000 perhaps that have been seen um yeah those are some of the funds um or even tech fees maybe those are some of the funds that would leave to be but not every school does not have cuts many of them do.
So we just be complenting what they could have lost but yeah we still have many of those cuts out there. I I look forward to just even more kind of robust engagement. I know at uh meet
and confer even on the bright links staff might want to have more specific feedback to give you all. Did you all hear that question about what they would use in a device and what they don't use? Um and I don't know if y'all have gotten to that part of engaging them on specific projector versus screen things. y'all heard those questions as well as I did.
Um, but I what we don't want to do is buy things that staff don't want to use. Um, >> right. And that's the collaboration that we are engaging CNI on to make sure that you know if we go for an interactive display as this, it's what's exactly needed in the classroom. It's if it's an overkill, then we know we'll dial back.
But yes, that's the engagement that would have going into the final purchase. So is y'all said you were comfortable bringing this back to the board meeting. Are there specific things that you all need in addition? It was uh Chair Mstead's notion about different models.
If we could only get half of the money, if we you know that those kind of things. Are there ways to proceed or are you all kind of wanting this notion of seeing how we get through the budget? Tell me tell me what you're thinking. >> Yeah.
And I would offer and I'm looking at the the the team here. I would offer that we could venture to bring this back after we approve a budget or right at or simultaneously when we have a better picture of um where we are because as you know um Mr. T did include technology in the expansion. 6 million I know it probably hit a little different tonight.
And so we're definitely um if that's okay, we probably can bring this back with um the approval of the budget or right around that time. So in other words, when we have a better idea of what that technology number will will look like because we may have to maybe tweak the model. Yeah, I think it was our vision to kind of do exactly what the board asked, which is to talk to our constituents um
undergurt ourselves in the best practice for teaching and learning and where we are in terms of our reliance upon technology and bring forth a recommendation um that kind of honored that. We're happy to bring back any derivatives that the board deems necessary. >> I appreciate it. I I saw Miss Harold Goff and I just also want to chime in on the the very young learners and hoping that we can engage our parent community or some of the pediatricians in the area on and our staff on what best practices for screen time and screen usage are so that as much as possible we can help families be consistent at home.
Um, I do think that's a significant issue for for the youngest of learners and especially as we're teaching children to write and do a lot of manipulative fine motor skills as well. Um, ML call my brain went in another direction when you were talking about that. Oh, I was going to um when we were talking about,
you know, bringing it back, anything that comes up, I do feel like um as we're thinking about budget priorities, that this one is one that is very strong when we talk about centering um student learning. And so um this feels like they have brought what we asked for with you know with an ideal for the one to one what that could look like. I'm curious to know where this pri you know how big a priority this is for administration when they're thinking about the budget and what other priorities balance that. I just I'm not ready to say that we can't afford it.
I because I I don't um just like what they were mentioning before, they're going to go back and look at the fidelity of what we've been using. You know, there might be things that we're spending money on that need to shift. And so I feel like depending on what our priorities are, um that's what I'm what
I'm really curious about is, you know, where does it weigh in the budget next to other priorities that we have? um and the fidel the fidelity of of of the assessment of what we've been using and how it's working. Um how does that all play into this decision we're about to make? So that's that's what I'm mostly concerned about.
It's not a question of you know I hear it. 6 million that we should be spending. So, um, I just wanted to lift that up, >> Miss Mr. Tab and then Miss Carter >> or vice versa.
>> Thank you. Um, I'm I'm just excited to see, you know, we're talking about academics and we have something in front of us that's going to deal directly with the academics of our students and the learning of our students. And so I'm
definitely going to will support you know what you all have brought to us. Um and I know that Mr. will work it out in the budget to make sure that this becomes a priority because I do like the fact that we are talking about the academics of our students and where this is landing should be really what we have been asking for to making sure that we you know get the technology in front of our students so that they can be great scholars taking into consideration the screen time all the other factors that come with that and I'll be ready to support it. think >> um I recognize I might be alone at this because I haven't heard anybody else. Well, actually maybe Chair Mstead was alluding to this also, but um it does still feel strange to be um it it feels like we need to better understand
the how we're going to be using devices for instructional purposes before we decide how many and what devices we're using. Like it feels like we're putting the cart before the horse here. If we're if you brought the plan is beautiful in so many ways. you included so much information, but what I didn't what I'm not seeing is here's how we looked at all of the evidence about how devices should be used for learning to inform our plan to go onetoone.
I heard about budget. I heard about how we're already invested in tech and we use tech for these different things. But for me, we need that first. How are we following the guidelines? This is related to how much and how you know K2 learn you know users learn technology how gets integrated in the classroom. So how do we decide how many devices if we don't even if we don't know that first and again maybe I just haven't heard it but it's there and I'm curious to know what other board members think about that or if you'd rather say yes we want devices
and then we'll figure it out on the back end how they're going to be used or we're just going to assume it's going to be done. So I think that one of the slides perhaps I didn't go into a great detail or enough detail um but we have a over reliance on technology for lots of things. If you recall the slides where I talked about the ecosystem um so in terms of assessments our assessments are 100% contingent upon uh digital access. In terms of intervention resources we're 100% um in terms of digital access um in terms of intervention and that's K9.
in terms of access to rigorous curriculum outside of the four walls of the schools. We are 100% contingent upon that using technology. Um our curriculum resources 100% relying on compliment in in terms of technology. So I think that what the board would love to hear is maybe more into the weeds and gravel of to what that looks like in implementation. Um but I tried to bring to you at a large scale to very much clearly articulate the reliance on teaching and learning um as a complement to effective technology use. Um I'm more
than happy to dig down into the minutes of the day and what whatever you would need. Um, however, I just want to be clear to the board there that there there is not a path forward without a dramatic change in the quality of teaching and learning which will be belabored on our students and our faculty in order to change exactly how they've been doing business um for the last six years by being one to one. Um, and so that's what I kept mentioning that runway. Um, if that is a radical shift we would like to to make, I'm absolutely uh going to support that decision from the board.
But we want to give our teachers, our families, and our students the latitude to say what will interventions look like now that we no longer have I ready um with a onetoone access for students. Um what does assessing our benchmarks with a quick turnaround so that teachers can use that data to respond to the teaching and learning needs because those are digital assessments. Um so again perhaps that's not quite in the weeds of what the board wants to hear. We're more than happy to bring that back. Um but without uh a radical change into our philosophy on teaching and learning um um technology
is absolutely essential in how we've been doing business for the last last six years. It'll be a radical shift to our staff and our students. I'm more than happy to entertain that on behalf of the board. And I will just just add, you know, when we surveyed our teachers, 80% of our pre-K through fifth grade teachers uh were in favor of like the onetoone um device uh option.
And when we surveyed our students, um 95% of our students said uh the students that were surveyed said that the device helps them learn. And so when we couple that with in terms of from an instructional standpoint, let me be crystal clear, there's no device on this earth that can replace an effective teacher. And what we know about our current curriculum resources and assessments is that they're on a digital platform. And so to ensure that our students are able to access those dei those platforms well as curriculum, curriculum resources, supplemental materials, and then also the assessments that are given um periodically. I think
it it causes us to really take a hard look at ensuring that the curriculum also helps drive this instruction as well. I was always happy that um Mr. St. Mary kind of forecasted you know where we're going to go with our curriculum over the next um um several years. Um you know so we think about students on devices um accessing the curriculum supplemental um resources assessment >> recovery >> rec credit recovery at the high school level. I I I think we um heard I think loud and clear from our teachers in terms of what they want in terms of one to one um very small percent mention the one to three or the one one to two and so just knowing that in terms of this is what I need um and I'm putting I'm not I don't want to put words in my mouth but this is what I need to be an effective teacher is this onetoone environment that makes I know that didn't probably answer your
Just a comment on this. I think that um I I am most concerned with the K through2. I heard in your presentation that you were going to be evaluating what was used and this this year would be used for that and that you had a plan to um I don't remember if you use the word develop guidelines but >> guard rails >> guard rails >> um for uh use of technology. Um I I I do think time should be taken into account, but I think that the way you're framing it probably if it's even not around time will impact time so that younger students would not be on the screen for every you know um subject um or something like that. Um so that's where in hearing that I had it gave me
more confidence that you were going to develop something um very uh thorough for the whole district because I think as you commented on teachers are using technology in different ways which makes sense. Um, some teachers weren't depending on when you got your training in being a teacher. You weren't even trained on how to use technology. Um, myself included.
Maybe I was a little bit, but that was a long time ago. Um, and so it's changed a lot. And, um, and then like you said, some are more familiar with, you know, whatever app to monitor their students and that kind of thing. Um, and then we have beginning teachers and we have seasoned teachers and it's very hard to be a beginning teacher and you know monitor all your students while you're also learning maybe your content and everything. So anyway, I just think that um I heard you say you were going to develop a plan to both add and take away and so that's
what gave me more confidence. Um, but I would also be happy to hear more what that would look like, particularly for younger um, learners. So, that is yeah, that's that's kind of what what I heard in it. Um, but I I would want to, you know, be able to visit a school next year and see more maybe that consistency across elementary schools um perhaps more than today.
That's kind of my my sense of it, but if the board supported having that um more knowledge of the details, um I wouldn't be opposed to that. Um thank you all. This is definitely been a robust conversation. And I'm wondering if um folks on M Chairstead or Vice
Chair Rogers have any other questions or insight into this as we look to wrap this conversation up. We'll just ask. I know I kind of put out there plan B or second plan around with a lower cost point around devices and I just didn't hear back from staff. So I didn't know if there was any feedback on that if that was something we would be looking at and I and I asked that question around I hear the need for devices and using them regularly in schools and I'm with the tension that we don't our budget constraints what are they are what are you know what our bud budget constraints currently are so we're looking at that how do we plan for we know we're going to need these devices we know testing time everyone's going to need one like some of these things we know and we might have a shortfall so us a plan to like manage through that as well. And so that's I hear you all loud
and clear. I know our system isn't perfect and I'm grateful because we've been pushing on this plan for that. 7 million and we only get two every year and we never actually think through how we're going to maintain on a lower amount of money um for uh device refreshes. So >> let me um answer your question with a question to the team.
If we did a lease purchase for 6 through 12 since I think that was our highest number of breakage and and lost, we did lease purchase for 612 and then our current how we have currently been operating for preK5. Would that be a significant savings? >> Yes, it would. Um, I just want to uplift the inequities that we've been in, we're trying to get out. And if any options that we bring take us a step back into where we've been, I I just wanted to uplift that. If say like we go with the 6 through 12, K through five will have seven year old
devices, 8y old devices. Where does that put us in terms of inequities? So yes, we can make it whichever configuration we can make it work. the I think it was slide four it has shown you some years we've bought a thousand devices another year we bought 2,000 devices that's what we'll be operating in um because come June I'll be running to Mr. are saying what you got and he'll say hey I have a million dollars and I'm like okay we'll buy 500 but it just puts us back in the same cycle of next thing we'll start hearing parents of K through five saying I'm paying my tech fee and I have an 8-year-old device so we'll make it work whichever configuration because we've made it work in the past five years so it just puts us back where we've been and we'll keep on reacting and reacting to where the noise is coming from and yeah so yes we can make it work if I may answer that question Yeah, that may be an option, but that actually isn't a great option. >> Oh, the back links will be 16 as always.
>> Yeah, it I think it goes to the enormity of the state's responsibility to actually I mean, if the state funded this, we wouldn't be having this conversation at all. We'd just be buying the devices, right? just like textbooks or things that students need. It's like uh the world has shifted and the the state budget has not caught up.
Um are you all comfortable with >> Sher Rogers? Is that Sher Rogers? Is that you? >> Yep.
>> Yep. What you got? So my question was going to be is it possible to get this uh brought to us um like at a work session for the options like chairstead has asked and then for final approval at a board meeting. >> Yes. >> Okay. just making sure like I just want
to make sure that we will have an opportunity to have further discussion and then be ready to move to approval because I too am interested in supporting this ask and understand the importance of it. But yeah, we we will certainly stand ready to to bring this item back in whatever form the board directs um at at whatever time. And I imagine this will come back up in the budget agenda item we're getting ready to dig into on the budget. Um, so if the board is all right with leaving this as an information item with all the discussion we've had and knowing that there will be more questions and answers forthcoming, we are so appreciative, Mr.
Maji, of all of y'all's work. Miss Sidbury, thank you so much for for all the detail you put into this um catchup plan. >> Miss Ber, the precise hasn't marked for
action. Um is attorney there able to say if we're we need to table it or >> Yeah, my box is my phrase is checked information and action. So I was going with where we landed, but yeah, he's here. I think because it's marked for action.
Um, also tableabling it as the cleanest option tonight. >> I would welcome that from colleagues. Then >> chair member buyer, could you be clear for us in administration exactly what we're bringing back and exactly when we're bringing those items back? >> Let me see what Dr.
King says. Yeah, I think we'll just wait for the superintendent and the board leadership to advise us about that. >> So, I would make a motion to table the um
technology update plan uh for a later work session as recommended by the superintendent. and for an action item to come at a board meeting following the conversation at the work session. A work session. >> Second.
>> It's been moved by Vice Chair Rogers and seconded by Miss Chávez that we table this technology update for this evening. refer it to a future work session. Any further discussion? Not um Chair Mstead. >> Uh this is Betatinastead. I vote I.
>> Vice Chair Rogers. >> Millisent Rogers. I vote I. >> Mr.
Tab, I vote I. >> I. I. I >> I vote I as well.
It passes. The motion passes unanimously. Thank you all so very much. Brings us to administration's update on the 2627 budget development update.
Thank you, Mr. Teter, for saving the best for last. >> Okay. Okay.
Good evening, board uh board members and Dr. Lewis. Um so thank you it for doing that presentation. Um certainly another exciting budget season with some things hanging in the in the wings um that are of great interest to a lot of folks. Um it's okay if we can advance to the next slide. Um and so just uh want to sort of start off with um variables um that we are
contemplating in finance department and and with the budget team uh about things that we need to account for and things that we need to plan for as we move forward to build uh Dr. Lewis's recommended budget. And so one uh I I will not belabor uh enrollment too much and the implications that enrollment has on our funding because we have talked about that for quite a few meetings. Um but um just as a reminder um the state of North Carolina um will adjust our funding next year um to reflect um the declined enrollment.
Um they used to make these changes midyear um and in the process of making those changes midyear they would cut the impact in half to to sort of compensate for the adjustments happening midstream. Um so now that they deal with that in a rears, we assume the full loss um sort of in in the year ahead. Um if we end up outperforming um what that declined enrollment was, they will make adjustments um to give us some
money back. Um, so they really do they they've really worked with us over the years in taking feedback to try to make the process where we can plan as best as possible to manage loss uh but also recognize immediate impact in the in the event um that we gained. And so um so I I will thank them every time I can for for having made that change because it is um not not fun to make adjustments in November and December. Um, as you can see, um, we have a number of a number of buckets of state funding, right?
And so we're in our efforts to be increasingly transparent and and to educate, uh, we're lifting up, um, just more more granular level detail, uh, with these things. And so, um, we've spent some time evaluating, uh, funding formulas from the state of North Carolina to assess, uh, how they might adjust us. 2 million of impact um to some of our state aotments. Uh and those uh
allotments um vary um in how they're administered. Some of them come to us in the form of positions. And so just like that very first category where we talk about classroom teachers as an example. Um, so when they when they fund us for positions, no matter how expensive that teacher is, um, in terms of their statebased pay, the state will pick up that full cost if we pay them from that aotment.
And so naturally, um, uh, as a priority, we fund, uh, our more veteran teachers, our teachers with advanced degrees, um, from from this type of funding stream because the state assumes that full cost and it helps us strategically uh, from a budget. Um you'll see some items in here that are addressed as dollar aotments. And so those are just simply um buckets of dollars um that are finite uh and regardless of how expensive something is, we have to make it fit uh as best as we can before moving on to other funding sources. So naturally we love position aotments u and they they have been a way of business for quite some time and uh
we advocate quite regularly to keep those uh as sometimes it is a question of whether or not the concept of position allotments will continue in North Carolina uh we're one of the few states that are still doing that. Um, some others you'll see referred to ase a allotment. " Uh, but we're appropriate um for for items that are not position allotments. We've tried to quantify um the number of positions that might mean.
So teacher assistance um a little closer to the bottom quarter here uh is a good example of that. It is a dollar aotment that we receive from the state. A reduction of na in that nature would would equal about 12 um teacher assistance or instructional assistance. Um a number of these aotments will naturally adjust or we will naturally react to these in the course of our business in Durham. Less
less students, less teachers based on our funding formulas. And so we we can address a lot of this just through good business and our existing practices. uh items um that I have lifted up in yellow uh are items that don't always necessarily react to our uh student population changing. And so these are ones that I'm particularly focused on.
Um and I call up some totals around that later in the presentation, but they're things that we're having to contemplate as a team of how do we react to some of these things that are that are not tied to formulas. As an example, um I'll look at the the third row that is our non-instructional support, right? So, this funds a a good number of clerical positions in the district such as school treasurers, um data managers, uh clerical support even in this facility. Uh and so they those are things that are part of our fixed cost per se. So, every school has a school treasurer. And so when enrollment goes down at a school, we do not necessarily eliminate the
clerical staff that's at that school. Um but our funding uh in that category uh will come down and we have to contemplate um how do we absorb that as we work through this budget process. Um so more to come um on that slide. Um on the next slide um this is just really sort of a framing slide or a conversation framing and and we um in in the upcoming uh presentations will articulate uh some more historical additional historical data on this um in in a sort of a chart format.
Uh but just sort of lifting up the conversation of per people funding uh in Durham. I just want to make sure that as we enter this season, we're reminding our funding body and our partners uh at the county that we are responsible for funding charter school children in Durham. And so that when we calculate per pupil funding from county government, uh we also must include our our charter school students because we are passing along those
dollars. And so sometimes the conversation I think has been just solely focused on our enrollment at Durham public schools and how that and how those dollars follow. But I also want to lift up those charter school students and and the impact that it has on per pupil funding so that we have an appropriate framing on that conversation with things that are going on in our climate right now with enrollment in charter schools. uh we can advance uh two more slides.
And so just lifting up uh conversation around continuation costs. And so as a reminder uh we we generally break our budget out into two very broad categories. The notion of continuation and expansion. Uh with continuation being u measures where we need more money in order to operate as we are. Um, I've spent quite a bit of time sort of speaking to our different groups who have offered us input and to remind them um that there are um entities that are always seeking more money from everyone
um and and to include insurance carriers and utility services. And so we hear that in the news quite frequently as as property insurance carriers, auto insurance carriers are always going to our commissioner of insurance to seek some sort of change u or an increase in how much they can charge for coverages. Um, and that's been particularly um noteworthy in North Carolina uh just due to um hurricanes and and and other natural disasters um that have hit us from the east and the west um in the past couple of years that that affect the property insurance market. Um utilities, you see that in the news as well.
um our our utility rate uh commission is always uh being solicited for increases and so Duke Energy in particular uh is pursuing a 15% increase um in in electric rates and so that's something we have to take very seriously. So we've provided um some costs uh on those two categories. So, $737,000
and some change for various commercial insurance coverages, not to be confused with our staff's health insurance. 2 million that we want to make sure we're holding aside um to to properly plan for potential increases um in utilities and waste service. The next slide um is certainly always one that's more exciting. Uh and uh normally at this point in time um we would be talking about year two of a two-year state budget.
Um so we don't even really have a year one. Uh and so there's normally a little less guesswork in trying to anticipate what next year might look like from a state perspective. And so my colleagues across the state and I find ourselves trying to anticipate what might the general assembly do in tandem with the governor for next school year. uh and I think we will know increasingly more um as we have um additional sessions coming forward. Right? So there
are a few dates in the coming months uh where they will convene uh and so uh myself and a number of my colleagues um are planning budgetarily for the potential for a 5% raise uh from the state level and needing to contemplate what those costs are. uh we know that with the exception of one year in my career that the retirement contribution rate uh increases. And so as a reminder for folks uh our employees who are eligible to participate in the retirement system, meaning they're 75% employed, so working at least 30 hours a week or more uh contribute 6% um out of each paycheck um to the retirement system. Uh and then as the employer uh we contribute um a relatively healthy percentage um as as prescribed uh with negotiations between the state treasurer and the general assembly and so we are preparing for an increase there. We are also uh preparing for an increase um in the um health insurance rate. And so,
uh, the in the scope of my career in, um, you know, the the largest increase that we've seen in a given year has been $600 per year that we contribute, um, per employee for that coverage. We are, um, we certainly know there's been a tremendous amount of conversation around what employees contribute. Um, that those amounts have changed for the first time in a number of years. Uh, they were pretty flat and predictable for quite some time.
um and the new state treasurer and and the state um and the state health plan board um have implemented this new sliding scale model um that has created higher uh contributions uh for our employees and some higher than others now uh depending upon how much they earn uh in salary. Uh so nonetheless we still anticipate our contributions will move uh to support that plan. 1 million uh that we must contemplate in our planning. Um to to sort of lift that up
in the framework of the implications for the minimum wage in Durham public schools. Uh as a reminder, we're currently at 1751 for our lowest uh paid employees in the district. 39 per hour. Uh just to provide some context there.
Uh on the next slide, I will I will kind of sit on this for a minute just to um talk a little bit about what we're doing this year and how we're moving forward. And so we've um as we've had conversations about the expansion phase of the budget in the past um it has been sort of the practice that we have only brought forward in a public way items that the superintendent and his team have already vetted and have determined like yes we want to move forward with those. And so we've made an effort in this presentation to lift up all of the requests um that have come
through to us uh and and attach dollar values to those so folks know that what we were asked for um as we went through the process. Um our goal uh at the next meeting is to bring to you um sort of a a a smaller list of things that are more um that that hug very closely to Dr. Lewis's priorities um as well as items that we can very carefully align with the strategic plan. And so we will have um sort of comments or ratings on that in terms of how does this fit into the strategic plan um and how do these align with the superintendent's priorities rolling forward.
Uh so just wanted to to kind of address that change. Um and I'm not going to touch on all of those slides. There are many. Uh and so we will we'll lift out a couple that feel particularly pertinent as we evaluate the requests that we have.
Um if we can cue to the next slide. Uh just spent some time on this. Uh and so really sort of talking about investment uh in
technology and so we have um two items in particular um that have come through as expansion requests. So, one, we heard conversation around the Bright Link devices and and what sort of interactive panel solution might we move forward with? Uh, and so we're looking at the potential for a $900,000 uh lease there uh to refresh or put in some a new solution. 8 million per year. 8 or is it just we're in formative early ex >> so we are in so we are in sort of formative stages right and so I'm working um so this slide I'm working from specific uh dollar amounts that we received as an expansion request from it
uh and so as we um and so as we roll forward uh with the prioritization activities for the board I think we heard some very valid uh questions about what what might this look like in a in a smaller model. Uh, and so we'll work very carefully with the IT team um to to lift up what some of those tiers might be. Um, and so if this was just a 612, if this was a K5 only, so on so forth, we'll make sure the board has that information as we ask you to work with us to prioritize uh how we might move forward. >> This model did not include teacher devices either, right?
It >> these are these are explicitly student devices. Yes. Uh, and I'm under the impression, um, thank you for lifting that up, Dr. Lewis, and say we did ask, um, I did ask the question of the of the IT team, you know, if, let's say, for example, we were able to successfully secure the funding for student devices this year. Um, what what kind of urgency are we
under with staff devices? uh and I'm under the impression that we can continue as we are through next year with staff devices as they are and that's the student devices appear to be a priority uh when compared to staff devices and and so that may inform why we've got the specific expansion request that we did through finances process. So thank you. Um so um IT team that's manning the slides.
I think we are ready if we can move to number 18. Um and so that's a space where we want to kind of spend some time talking about some pertinent items. So if we and it will be the one specific to the finance department when we get to number 18. I want to talk about some things there. Um so as as the board is aware and and as we have had conversations um through uh the meet and confer process, we've had quite a few questions about bi-weekly pay um and the ability to administer that and we are um
underway uh with a survey. So the last week of January, uh public affairs worked with us to to push out a survey to gauge uh staff classified staff interest in bi-weekly pay. Uh and so just um in and in in doing so mirroring u practices from our other um districts um that have explored this um and then also working hard through that survey to communicate other implications that may come with that shift so that our staff has the best information possible. Uh so before um we wrap up um Dr.
Lewis's recommended budget. We that survey will have closed and we'll have some good data to understand um how many classified employees are looking for bi-weekly pay uh even by monthly pay. We listed that as an option as well uh in the survey. And then we'll have an opportunity to see if there are any trends with particular types of employees. Right? So, is there uh is there a desire among bus drivers in particular to transition from bimonthly
to bi-weekly to avoid some of the three-week gaps that they see occasionally in the payroll calendar? Do we see a particular demand for our before and afterare employees as an example? So, these are things that we'll look at. um the that this first line item in the finance request just reflects the the most expensive model of if we needed to fully operationalize um bi-weekly pay for all classified staff.
Um and I expect that this number will come down as we align that with the reality of what groups are most likely going to want that bi-weekly pay. I may only have the need to add an additional payroll tech versus adding three or four additional staff member to support that. So this is live and developing um like a number of things. uh occupational therapy and physical therapy is a group um that we have um we wanted to lift up sort of at this stage ahead of the next stage in the process just in that we
have had a lot of a lot of feedback um where that's concerned and we also recognize the alignment with student health and student safety uh where those uh practitioners are concerned uh and so looking at um a model that is more closely aligned with how we compensate other related service providers in the district such as speech, psychology, aiology, uh, and trying to really look at those folks in the same way. Those other related service providers are viewed as certified employees by the state of North Carolina. Our occupational and physical physical therapists are viewed as classified employees. Uh, and that is something that has changed. It's moved back and forth a little bit over time um in in in North Carolina. Um and so looking at a model um you know so some of our other districts um that we looked at um treat OT's and PTS similarly to their other related service providers and so that cost to make that change uh would be a little bit shy of $270,000.
So just wanted to lift that up. Um safety assistance is another space where we've had uh some conversation with meet and confer process. Uh and so I know that the desire there was for their monthly supplement to mirror uh the bus driver supplement that was put into place for this school year. Uh and so at this point in time, you know, we're looking at a model where they're not quite as much as a bus driver um just due to the additional requirements that exist for bus drivers.
looking to sort of temper that approach a little bit and so looking at a cost of86,658 uh if we were to offer that $100 supplement um for um safety assistance. So just some some items there that I wanted to pause on because they're pertinent to other conversations that we've had with the meet and confer process and advocacy that we've had here in the boardroom um for for your awareness. Um so IT group I'm ready to advance to number 25 uh in the slide
deck to to touch on those items. And so charter schools um and so we um carry a tremendous responsibility as we shared earlier to ensure that local dollars follow those students on a per pupil basis. Uh and in our work to plan for the new year ahead, um we are aware of two new charter schools that will open in within the geographical boundaries of Durham County in August of 2026. Um one of them um is not necessarily a new school, but it is an additional campus for an existing school.
Uh so the original campus is in Apex uh where we already send a few students from Durham County. uh but they have purchased an office building uh in the in the southern part of the county in the vicinity of Lowe's and and some of our other schools. Uh and they are planning to open at with K5 uh next school year with about a 100 students per grade level. So anticipating an exposure of 600 um
Durham County students going there. We won't know exactly how many until we know um but want to plan for that. Um there is another charter school um that we are bracing for that would start with approximately 400 um students um in in their first year and so obviously monitoring that very carefully. Um so looking at a a potential issue of a thousand students there um so we are certainly sensitive to that u after the year that we've had this year and in managing enrollment concerns.
Um and I will share that our school planning team um has started the early stages of of enrollment forecasting. Um and so um this uh this weekend uh we we saw the first version of that enrollment forecasting. by the time we are back in front of you, uh, we will have another more refined version and I'll be I'll be lining up that enrollment forecast from our school planning team with this information um to make sure we're in
alignment and and we're we're pretty close at this point. Uh and so I just want to lift up that if we see that shift um of enrollment, we're looking at a situation where 26% of the public school enrollment in the county uh would be in charters. 6 6 million or so dollars um of our of our current year local funding that we would need to plan to pass along and and expand that line item at the at at the detriment of some other line items in our budget. So just wanted you to know uh where we are with that in the process.
On the next slide um sort of lift up a summary of of activities here um just in in terms of the the continuation costs, right? So potential for a little over 8 million. Uh we know that any any funding that we get for continuation, we need to net that amount of money and so we've had to apply uh what the chart the charter share would be on top. Um so we would need to
8 million to make continuation work. Um the expansion requests that we received are just that. They are requests. We're vetting them.
Uh and so we know uh we'll work very carefully with the superintendent to craft a recommended budget um that reflects our our our utmost priorities. 4. Um same process with applying the charter um layer to that. Um we've lifted up the charter school growth here in this chart.
uh and lifted up the the state aotments um that will potentially shift downward um that don't hug very closely to our existing aotment formulas that that are triggered u to enrollment changes. And so you can see managing a large dollar number there for our planning. Um and so we're working hard uh with our prioritization processes to call um what could be a a palatable uh request to bring forward. Um
just want to note here also it's a good time um to sort of pause and think about I know classified pay is a priority has has always been a priority for the board. Um it's certainly a priority for Dr. Lewis that we've lifted up uh in previous conversations. And so at the um most recent meet and confer meeting that was this past Thursday, um the the educator association lifted up sort of their u proposal for what classified pay might look like in the district next year.
um in in lifting up a model um that next year would recommend a $22 per hour minimum wage and then increasing um the progression between steps on our salary schedule by an additional quarter of a percent. So we uh currently see a half percent progression and so they'd be looking to see 75% progression in between steps with that proposal. And so worked uh with the budget team after that meeting to apply a cost to that.
5 million um to operationalize um and so we uh also think about um as a work with Dr. Lewis to think about sort of how we move forward, right? We we'll be looking at um some other angles of how we might address classified pay, right? So, we think about as you saw in the continuation slide, we discussed the potential for a 5% state raise. Um, and I do after the year that we've had in the absence of a state budget, I do um I echo um DAE's concerns about pinning the hopes of a classified pay raise on action or inaction uh from the state of North Carolina. And so um we may we may contemplate a model where what would it cost for us to achieve um that 5% raise
for classified pay absent state action, right? And so that that will be a model that we will live forward to give folks an opportunity to contemplate. Um and and really just sort of thinking about our desire to reach the 1922 figure at the county level. It could take a couple of years of investing a little over five million a year in each of those years to get to that point.
And so uh it it's not lost on us that we need to plan for it and work towards it. Um and and we want to be partners in in moving forward uh classified pay. And I I say that as someone who depends exclusively on a on a fleet of classified employees in order to do my work. And so we we we recognize that very much so. So um was really not able to lift that up in our slides because that that meeting happened Thursday evening, but wanted to just provide the board an update that we looked at it right away and and explored that cost. uh and we can we'll have more conversation about it and we will lift it up as as in the menu of options uh as
we develop the budget prioritization tool for this cycle. Uh and and we'll continue to to talk about that. Um but um I would be remiss um if I just did not reflect sort of the reality that all of our counties are grappling with um and and just sort of managing expectations that um we know we wouldn't get $39 million if we asked for that, right? And it's greater it's greater than um you know the the very generous um funding requests that we've received over the past couple of years.
And so, um, looking forward to hearing sort of continued updates from our partners at the county, um, and and just really want to manage expectations, um, that that we come forward, um, with a very a very tight and and very um, very very very well vetted request um, rolling forward u, with them. And so I know that they are they're challenging their departments at the county level um, to think very hard about their priorities. um
extra duty. Uh a couple of slides forward, we're having some conversations um through the meet and confer process about how we examine extra duty. Uh when when do we call something an extra duty? When do we call it a stipend um and and um what are some things that we need to standardize um in Durham, right?
And so we know our athletics and our performing arts are spaces where we've got standardization. There are schedules. um folks know what's involved. Um tech champions is uh is another category um that um in in partnership with it where we uh pay funds.
And so at the meet and confer meeting on Thursday, uh our educators lifted up some specific areas that they want us to look at or some specific duties that they'd like us to look at and we are committed to doing that. um and for for the next meeting confer meeting and as well as lifting up some thoughts around that uh for the next budget conversation. Um our principles that are that are um members of the
committee sort of lifted up um some inequities that might exist across schools. Some of them have the ability to offer uh extra duty pay for some items where others may not. Uh and so we've um gotten some advoc advocacy in that space about how can we further press in um from the central office level to help standardize uh areas where the need for a particular extra duty uh is pronounced um throughout the district. So just wanted to lift that up as well um as another space.
Um on the next slide we think about next steps and so there are some I guess some updates that we want to lift up after uh Dr. Lewis and I uh conversed with board leadership on Friday afternoon, I believe it was. U and so um first two line items are are a check. Uh and then February 19th uh we have our next round of meet and confer. Uh February 23rd um is the the budget town hall where we will provide even more
granular information uh than you saw uh in this presentation today about where our funding comes from, how have we used it, um and and what are our options rolling forward. Um and so we will be pushing out a communication on that very shortly uh with the details of the location time and and we'll have very aggressive communication on that. Um so folks know what what to expect with that. Uh but just prepare for lots of information.
Um the board meeting on the 26th um we've got sort of a draft one of Dr. Lewis's recommended budget where we'll lift up um items that we have vetted and and we're prepared uh to receive feedback. Um I think in in terms of um when we might actually have a public hearing that's a separate function from the town hall, uh board leadership lifted up a couple of dates for us to consider. Um and I think we may need a doodle poll um for the board uh in terms of what might
be preferable. So March uh March 5th and March 12th were two days in particular that were lifted up in that conversation Friday afternoon uh as areas where you all will receive a poll to help us sort of pin down um an explicit uh meeting date that is just truly a hearing um versus a sit and get um of information from me. Uh so happy excited to get that on the books. Um and then we would have that obviously both of those dates are ahead of uh the March 26 meeting um where we would um sort of press and hope for um an authorization for our request to the county.
We know it may spill past that. Last year it was in in early April that that happened. And so we we're going to work with you and gauge you and see where you are and um give you all the information and tools you need to make you feel comfortable with what we ultimately ask for. So, um, so just know I'm not, um, I'm I'm not being overly
aggressive with March 26th, but, uh, we are going to work as hard as we can to get you as comfortable as we can, uh, by that date. Um, and so, um, with that, I know that there are many, many questions, uh, and, um, happy to start answering those. >> Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Teter. I um can't even imagine all the work that you and your team have been doing to get us to this point. Mr.
Tab, >> thank you very much. Um this is just for a clarifying question for the people that are watching. Um, can you explain again in a nutshell the difference between the four million plus million dollars that it presented >> and the numbers that you presented so that people be clear at home because there are some questions about >> yes >> uh what they presented and what you are presenting. >> Yes. So the numbers uh the numbers that we presented are were specific expansion
requests that we received for interactive panels and classrooms and student devices. Uh and then the staff presentation uh this evening from it also included um employee devices. Uh and so we're working with them to sort of balance that of potentially prioritizing student devices next year uh and then and then staff devices to come up in a in a future refresh. And so I think they're working really hard to do their job to give us five years of of planning and lifting up five years worth of needs.
And then we're working with them on the flip side uh to help manage what can we possibly do in year one of that and then what can wait for year two uh in terms of of financial resources. >> Okay. Thank you. >> You Mr.
Tab questions and feedback. I can go to the screen folks or I can start here. Any
screen folks? Let's see from the screen. Um, Vice Chair Rogers, Chairstead, you all have questions? >> I don't have any questions.
Thank you. youstead. >> Um, thank you. I don't have any questions either.
I appreciated Mr. Teter, you kind of framing how you were thinking about these requests. Uh, and there's more work to do to streamline and prioritize them. So, I just appreciate that information.
Um, and look forward to hearing more from you all in a little bit a couple weeks. >> Thank you. other folks at the table? " >> Um, thank you. Um, my question is about the um the supplements.
>> These are existing scales, correct? These are already in place. They've been in place. Um, why do some people make more than others?
Is it based on hours? Are we paying differently like based on sport or I mean that's what it looks like, but I didn't want to assume. >> Yes. >> Um, is it actually harder to do some jobs than others?
>> Yeah. Um, >> cheerleading coach. >> Yeah. So, I'm not the most athletic person in the world, but uh I you know, I would just share just historically for my time as a finance officer paying these supplements um that it is uh I have often seen um those align with particular sports um and in particular sports that generate revenue. Uh right. And so I think you it's not uncommon to see football and basketball to be rather robust when compared to other things like tennis or or or swimming or some
other sport, right? But that's um pretty pretty common practice across um across districts over time. So it's a understand why you're asking that question. So it's Yeah.
Well, I I I mean, it brings up for me a gender disparity. I mean, to see cheerleading versus football. I get the thing about, you know, revenue generating, but we also I mean, is that what do we value, you know? Um, so I'm not sure what else to say about that right now, but um I'm just wondering about the equity in this and and then also with the performing arts um um is it based on hours or you know um is it what is why do high school, you know,
band directors make so much more. Is it that they put in more hours or it's harder? They have more students versus, you know, a middle school um band. Um but again, I'm wondering about disparities or equity across these scales.
So, it leaves me with questions. >> And Mr. Teter, you didn't develop these, you just found them here in Durham. >> These are existing, right?
Correct. I think just like I'll echo like what Mave said, right? These are existing ones and and as a part of the and as a as a part of the expansion requests we have received um there there's desires for us to re-examine these. >> Thank you.
>> Yeah, looked like he had >> Yeah, I respond. You know, thank you. I mean, you brought up some excellent points uh because this is something that we've worked on in Durham public schools forever and ever because it's going to always be evolving. Um but to answer your questions, for example, for band,
if we look at programming, so band was doing stuff, you know, they had more events that they would go to and so therefore it required more time that they were spending. So that's a little easier way to just break it down of how it was decided. But a lot of time it was about programming and and what was included within your program, how many games you had to do, those types of things. Okay?
But I'll be glad to work on anything to help you. We get to where we need to be with that for for all for all extra duty. Thank you. Any other questions before I jump in with mine?
I just want to um appreciate all the um work you've done, the work on getting the audit on time and all the things that are represented in those documents. I want to appreciate your leadership. Um
on slide I don't know the the one the 26 or something slide the bottom line where we get to 39 million typically at this time we also would have a capital um chunk because we cannot sit here Mr. Barnes cannot sit here and not have enough money to keep fixing HVAC. And I remember we had 6 million, we finally got to 6 million annually from the county. Um then we got a little bit extra last year that we were supposed to try to do as much as we could with.
Do you have any feedback on where we are with that? How desperate we are for getting that line item in? Yes. >> As well?
>> Yes. Um, and so I think that's accurate that um I it's obvious um when I came to Durham that there was a lot of effort um to move that figure to the six million mark. Um you know last I guess two cycles ago, right, the the county um um
allotted us some of their ARPA dollars to assist with some targeted needs in the district. Um and then um for the year that we're in now, our our typical annual capital outlay contribution from them did walk back to that five number. Um as they sort of grappled uh how to how to make that work. Uh and so we um we have tried for a couple of cycles to get to 8 million uh in terms of the recurring capital outlay funding from the county and we are very likely to stay that course in that continued advocacy um to to get that uh investment up to that level.
And so I think in the um upcoming presentation you're likely to see us advocate once again to continue that progress and work towards the 8 million mark. Thank you. Um, I continue to share your concern about the living wage and
desiring for us to at least as public entities match and align. So, as the city has moved well beyond us, the county has got leaprogged on ahead. I I hope that models that you all might bring would have us at least starting at 1850, 1875, 19 something that actually addresses um our our starting wage workers in in a a pretty aggressive way in ways that we can also address that compression, which is the impossible thing we were trying to do when we got into this pay crisis. So, I don't know how much we can stretch this ask and how much the county might be willing to to partner with us on behalf of our folks.
I want to reiterate I think I think we still only get 15 an hour from from the state, right? But is that the state minimum wage? They haven't gone above. >> Correct. Right. So the state minimum wage remains 15 and that is sort of the
you know and the maxes certainly go beyond that but that 15 minimum wage from the state is sort of the foundation for their schedules. >> Yeah. 5 million. If I recalling correctly, it's a it's a two-year model they have.
It's based on a 25% raise for starting and and jumping those steps and essentially making a steeper line. Um I'm I'm concerned about the feasibility of that and want to be honest with folks about that, but also I understand how expensive it is to live in this community with um wages that are that are not keeping up with the market around us. Um, and so I look forward to y'all kind of bringing your best wisdom on how we can do that and how we can um, lift folks up. I also going to split speak explicitly to what you spoke of.
We can't freeze someone's salary if the state gives a raise to a category of employees. And I would never recommend doing that. I mean, I just I see the I see the equity lens that they have come out with that. But um >> two the two words I use um and I prepared the interpreter tonight, right? um is arbitrary and capricious um to to make that to implement a a notion of that and I and I understand I guess I understand the thought um right that that administration is generally compensated well um you know compared to but um you know we just as a practice we don't exclude groups um when when we make those kinds of changes and um so yeah um thank you for lifting that up And then on the um slide number, sorry, where you estimated the compensation as a $6 million increase if if the state
gave a 5% raise. I just want to give you the chance to be as explicit as possible that those are lo additional local cost in that model. That's not here's we're getting $6 million from the state for you, but this is actual increase that our local local expenses would go up. >> Correct.
>> Cover that. >> Correct. Correct. Right.
So, this is the uh this is the local implication that we would need to identify funding for to take care of our locally funded employees uh in the event um that the state did uh raise pay and and benefit rates in that way. And so I'll go back to my arbitrary and capricious words again of we cannot we can't omit our locally funded employees when the state takes that kind of action. Uh and so um we we're planning for our local responsibilities in in the event um that these circumstances change from a state action. And then will you all in cabinet be using some of the modeling like last
year to kind of force these impossible decisions and bring something forward? Is that how y'all are thinking about? Yeah, >> that is that is my week's work. Um so now we're we're moving we're moving into the now that we've provided some costs uh on some recommendations through meet and confer.
Um, and we've we've had this technology conversation. Um, you know, we've got uh quite a bit of of of options to um to feed into the spreadsheet tool um that the board saw last year. Um, and um, and I've worked with my team um to sort of thinking about that scale, thinking about the offsets. And so my um my brain sort of always operates. Okay, if we do all these things and then we pretend that what if no new money, what would you do? And what of these things are still a high priority for you even if you don't receive additional money and what are you willing to balance out um in the
absence of that additional revenue, right? And so those are those are our two tools um that we have is to ask someone else for money. Uh, and I think Indy Weekly hit on that very well recently of do we, you know, do we have to ask someone else for more money and or we have to trim back existing expenses? And those are those are our two tools.
Uh, and so, um, I always think about that scenario of what would we do with no new money. Uh and so we've started um thinking creatively about options that we lift up um that can be contemplated of would we is this something we would consider not doing uh and how much would we save if we didn't do that thing um rolling forward, right? And so um I I think we have to think that way and be prepared to think that way and not and not think that way in May or June. Um and and so we're looking forward um between now and and this the next meeting of this body um of having
tools in your hands um so that you can start interacting and and thinking in that way with us. >> Thank you so very much. Any other questions um before we move forward? The item is an information item and we are so appreciative.
Um, and you didn't need us to take action on anything the other attachments for bringing that. Um, we have for information only the overnight international field trip information and the grants gifts and donations wise that would move us to summary of followup items and Dr. Fitman is that thank you. All right. So for our follow-up items around the summer programs in April, we will bring the proposed
budget for each of the summer programs. specifically what programs are covered by parent fees, the per pupil spending, some of the demographics including SCES and that format would be through our superintendent's weekly update. Also, uh determining the effectiveness of the metrics that are helping us determine the programming and how well students are doing. In June of 2026, slated right now at a work session, we would bring information about how many students are enrolled preliminarily in each of the summer programs by demographic data, including race, ethnicity, gender, uh, socioeconomic status, ESL, EC, and AIG, and how many staff are projected to be enrolled in what positions for the summer programming. And then at the back to school update in September, an uh information would be provided about how many students completed the
summer programming particularly um comparing those that started metrics with outcomes for each of the programs, the final budget of with actual expenses and again the per pupil spending by program. For the technology update, there was a motion that no action was taken, rather that the techn technology update plan would be referred to a future work session and action item on a subsequent board meeting following that work session. For the budget development, there was a wondering about the differences of stipens and or supplements and we just captured that as a potential uh piece of information to continue to work to unpack. and models for compensation that address the starting wage workers aggressively and also that address compression.
That concludes our summary. Thank you. Anything else that folks noted that you
needed to add to that already extensive list? We appreciate our team and y'all's leadership every day. If not, I would accept a motion to go into close session. move that we go into close session for the reasons stated on the agenda.
>> I been moved by Miss Cart and I seconded by Mr. Tab. Excellent that we go into close st session for the reasons stated on the agenda. Um, Chair Mstead, >> this is Betinastead.
I vote I, >> Vice Chair Rogers, >> Mila St. Rogers, and I vote I, >> Mr. Tab, I vote I >> I >> I And we That passes unanimously. We are in closed session. Just a reminder, we will not be back to stream afterwards. Good night.