Board of Education · Work Session · November 6, 2025

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 Iet Perez. Thank you for taking the time to join us.

We will now [clears throat] have a moment of silence. Thank you. The next item on our agenda is agenda review and approval. Millicent Rogers. Colleagues, I'd like um to move the Chromebook repair service

contract item 2B to a discussion item. I don't know where it would go on the agenda. >> Okay. >> Or 4C.

Yep. >> There a second. And I guess I'd like to also we want to remove the 3620 policy 3620 and bring it back at the next board meeting. >> Yeah.

Okay. Second. >> Okay. It's been moved by Millicent Rogers and seconded by Miss Byer um to move um consent item B Chromebook repair service contract to 4C under academic services and then to remove consent item G policy 3620 and put it on our board meeting agenda for

uh November the November board meeting. Is there any other discussion? All in favor, please say I. >> I.

>> I. It passes unanimously. 6. >> Then I'd like to make a motion to pass approve the agenda as amended.

>> Second. >> It's been moved to approve the agenda by Millicent Rogers and um seconded by Miss Byer. Is there any other discussion? All in favor, please say I.

>> I. I. It passes 6 and um board member uh Tab will be joining us uh momentarily. All right.

Um so the next item is our board of education meeting minutes from October 7th, 2025. Um as well as we have um well we have three um sets of meeting minutes. Meeting minutes from our special meeting on October 13th and meeting minutes from

our special meeting on October 20th. >> Move approval of the minutes as presented. >> Second. >> It's been moved to approve the minutes from October 7th, 13th, and 20th by Miss Byer, seconded by Millicent Rogers.

Is there any other discussion? All in favor the work session 107 is on here too, right? >> Yes. >> I'm sorry I missed it.

>> All in favor, please say I. I. >> I. >> Passes 6.

And now we will move to general public comment. So I will review the public comment rules. Please uh 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 in a um specified time of 3 minutes. When the

yellow light comes on, you have one minute left to start winding up your remarks. >> One minute. Yes. When the red light comes on, it will beep which indicates your time is up.

Complaints about named staff, students, or parents should not be voiced in open session. However, we are very interested in hearing your concerns with regard to public education, safety of students, or to the operation of the school system. Finally, the board members will listen carefully and consider the comments, but we do not engage in a discussion with speakers. And our first speaker is Katie McDonald, followed by Paula Januzi Godfrey.

Hello. Um, earlier this week I went into my office and I discovered this hat and it is completely covered in mold according to DPS experts because that is a it needs to be thrown away. Um, this

hat belonged to my sister um, my big sister Kelly. Uh, she died suddenly in February of 2022 and she was just 46. Yesterday I turned 47. I'm now older than my big sister will ever be.

Um, I want to be completely honest. I've been actively seeking employment outside of this district because I feel like you no longer represent my personal values until this morning. Because as I drove into Little River this morning, I was reminded of how much that place and those people mean to me. how much they've given my children and myself in the decade that we've become proud Durhamites.

We moved here in 2016 in the wake of a divorce. Little River was my children's constant in a year full of change. It became their second home and in 2019 it became mine too. They are my family and you fight for your family. The Department of Labor may have closed its case against DPS because on paper

you appear to be handling everything. Um, but let me be really clear. Relative humidity has not been addressed. I'm still sitting at 73%.

Um, I have [clears throat] mold in a closet that I reported in September. Um, in your letter to them, you said, uh, you promised to remove all the peeling wallpaper in the restrooms. " Half measures and lack of follow-through have become your pattern, not the exception. Last year we rolled out our monastery program without furniture or a single monastery material.

It wasn't until May of this year that those classrooms were fully stocked. Um and now we're a premier monastery school when only eight of 19 teachers are actually trained in the monastery program. I can't undo what you've already done to my Little River family, but I can keep showing up. I can keep demanding that you follow through on your promises. You've promised to keep our staff and our students safe. If you really want to

improve your image in this community, stop wasting money on guest speakers and invest it in the programs you claim to provide. Repair the buildings, repair the HVAC systems. Stop polishing what the public can see and start fixing what's broken underneath it. My sister was a journalist, a teacher.

She demanded accountability, honesty, and integrity. And I think this district could learn a lot from her. Her name was Kelly Lash. >> Thank you.

>> Our next speaker is Paula Januzi Godfrey and our next speaker after that will be Patricia Russip. Okay. Uh I am Paula Januzi Godfrey and I'm speaking on behalf of myself. Um I've been a DPS employee since 2002. I served as an EC and fourth grade teacher at Forest View, dual immersion teacher at Southwest, instructional coach at Pearsontown, Merrick Moore, DPS full release mentor, and currently as

librarian at Glenn Elementary. My son and daughter both attended DPS kindergarten through graduations from Jordan High. I am a longtime advocate for and supporter of Durham Public Schools. I don't want to beat a dead horse, but I am here tonight to reiterate my disappointment in the recent decisions made regarding the mandated professional development event that was held on Tuesday, November 4th.

When I first learned about the event on October 23rd, red flags immediately went up for me. I thought maybe it was just me, but within minutes of an email from our principal, other staff members came to me upset about expectations and the venue chosen for the event. and then learning about the cost of the event was an even bigger concern for me. I'm aware you have received a high number of emails and phone calls about this and it's been a topic conversation on social media.

I don't need to repeat any of that for you. Um um but and I am also aware there was a lot of misinformation floating around that did not help the matter. Um but I am here today to say

I've yet to hear or see an apology or admission that this was not well thought out. It was in fact offensive, confusing, and hurtful to many DPS employees. I'm assuming you all know that because I have not seen any of it on DPS social media at all. So, it is clearly not a great photo op or PR event.

As an educator and parent, I strive to model for children that it's okay to make a mistake as long as we own it and try to do better next time. I'm waiting to see if that's what our administration and board will model for our teachers and families in this case. I also want to point out that a PD on culturally responsive teaching may not have felt as urgent if there would have been more proactive thought and support for teaching staff in all the schools that received those students after growing together plan began. I'm in a school that lost 250 students perceived as those students over the past two years.

Yet, they were never seen or treated as those students in our school. In fact, they were thriving and succeeding beyond anyone's expectations. The speaker and structure of the event

the other day ended up being underwhelming to me personally and ranked on my list of PD experiences of um one of the lowest that I've attended. We have experts in DPS who address that topic and teach every day and do a great job and people could just go and observe them and learn from them. The questions that remain unanswered for me are whose idea was this? Was there input from teachers?

What was the actual total cost? Not the $10,000 fee, not the $1,000 fee, not the bus transportation, but who paid for the speaker's travel, food, accommodations, um, and the empty buses that were nobody went in hard in the buses. Thank you. Um, okay.

Yes, thank you so much. Patricia Russ is next followed by Christy Glenn. >> Good evening. I'm Patricia Russk. I

teach at Little River. First, gratitude to our custodians. Each day they stand doing far more than planned. The work of mold is not theirs to fight.

It calls for experts to make it right. A plan dates December 22nd through January 2 awaits. Wallpaper and carpet soon to be gone. A timeline we can lean upon.

For that I am thankful, hopeful still that talk will turn to action and will. Details shift not quite clear and questions linger falling on whose ear. So, as we look towards winter's break, let's ensure this promise does not shake. For children and staff deserve to know that when January arrives, the mold

will go. Reports tell one story, the rooms tell another. The second air test, one that covers what wasn't retested, what was removed. The data adjusted, the truth subdued.

When staff falls ill, when parents call, you cannot say you've done it all. Let mold remediation experts lead. Let the health of our children take heed. For mold does not wait for votes or consent.

It grows in the cracks of haphazard intent. Our children breathe the lessons we teach. Words mean little without reach. So reach with courage, with care, with trust, and do what's right because you must. Thank you to each of you tonight for

listening, for leading, for choosing what's right. Your roles are important, your task never small. You carry the welfare of children of all. Thank you for hearing, for seeing, seeking to see, for problem solving with integrity.

Not just this issue, but every concern raised. Your service and e effort deserve to be praised. Thank you for all you do. >> Thank you.

We have Christy Clam, followed by Brian Schneidererman. >> Hello, Christ, physical therapist. Thanks for um letting me speak tonight. Um I appreciate everything Miss Januzi said. I've crossed paths with her at Glenn. And as an itinerant employee, those things she said I've heard in every school I've been in the last

several weeks. And as an itinerary employee who's on different school distribution lists, I can tell you very different information comes out from one building to another. One says, "All certified teachers have to go. " Another email says, "You have the option to do virtual.

" Another one says something else. So as an itinerant um you often just sit back and somewhat chuckle because you don't know what else to do at all the differing information that comes out and what are you supposed to believe? What are you supposed to follow? Um so thank you for everything that you said regarding that.

Um you know I'm here to talk about classified pay of course uh we are not going away. I'm I'm here showing up for all my OTPT friends, all my Kota friends, um and all the other classified folks. So, I know it's not on the agenda tonight, but still we're looking forward to new information and hopefully some new proposals that have increased um

percentages, raises between steps versus something to help address the compression to see what those options are and then numbers of what some different things might actually cost um to to continue to move that going forward, especially as we know premiums are going up. And I believe I could be incorrect on this, but I think I recently read and have heard from some other people that um our December paychecks we might be getting two months of insurance coming out. Do we go next month where we or next year where we start paying ahead? I could be wrong, so don't quote me on that.

And I know y'all don't answer me directly, but there is some confusion or talk in school that there might be a month that two months come out, but I see a headshake and no, so maybe it's misunderstood on our end. So, thank you for indiscreetly answering me. Um but so for for OTPT pay um PTS we're still about 19% vacant. I mean we're a small group.

One and a half people were down. That is a lot to cover. Um I'm going home tonight to try to write 19 notes therapy notes. 19

notes will not get written in one evening. It won't happen. But those are revenue producing notes. Direct services provide by related service people.

We we can get reimbursed from that. Um, so option is to continue to work lots of hours outside of the school day that's not sustainable to try to cover vacancies or maybe fix some pay so we can get some dedicated good people in here um to stay to help do that. OT's had multi a couple of contractors already quit. They came for a few weeks and said this is too hard.

We can't stay. They had somebody a couple weeks ago who turned one down um contract or a a position down because they said that's what I would have made 10 years ago as a new hire. Not going to be an option right now. Um so just know >> thank you.

And our last speaker this evening is Brian Schneiderman. >> Good evening. Um first I guess with my name is Brian Schneiderman. I am a

parent of a sixth and a seventh grader at Lakewood Mor uh Lakewood Monastery. And I would just like to I guess first say I'm really humbled always humbled by the teachers and the staff of DPS and so appreciate y'all's work. I'm actually here to uh just raise my hand to say uh I support limiting devices during a full school day. Again, I have two kids in middle school.

uh sixth grader and seventh grader and after and so they started the year at Lakewood without having the ability to use devices from when they come in till when they go out. So not just during instructional time but during uh free time or cafeteria time. And for them I've actually heard from them it's actually a bit of a gift. That may sound strange coming from an 11 and 12 year old, but it really does reduce their stress that they do not

have to worry about who is talking to who during school. They can let that go. At DPS, we talk a lot about social and emotional learning, not having devices, not having watches on their arms. they actually can focus on being kids and getting to know their fellow students.

And so for me, the strongest advocate for a policy of limiting devices uh in the school for the entire day are my kids. Like no one would ever think they would appreciate that, but they actually do. And as as we all say and joke, it ain't easy being in middle school. and any way we can support them, I'm a huge advocate for and limiting devices really does support the kids.

Thanks. >> Thank you. Thank you every everyone who spoke

tonight. And that concludes our public comment. We will now move to number two, consent items. I move approval of the consent agenda.

Items A through if we took one out F perhaps. >> We took out B as well as G. >> Right. You want me to read them?

The 2025 2026 budget resolution. The city of Durham easements for Go Durham bus stop improvements on Freeman Road at Southern School of Energy and Sustainability. Durham School of the Arts new build utility easement to Inbridge Gas, North Carolina. Grants, gifts, and donations.

October 2025 reporting. Board policy committee policy 3210, parental inspection of an objection to instructional materials. Second reading and adoption. Second. Thank you. The um consent items A

throughE have been moved by Miss Byer, seconded by Miss Carter Odden. Is there any other discussion? All in favor, please say I. >> I.

>> I. It passes unanimously. And now we will move to number three, policy committee update. A U policy committee update um is a document that's just from information only.

So I don't believe we're going to discuss it. Um, and then B is policy 4318, student use of cell phones and other personal wireless communication devices for first read. And I'll pass it to Dr. Giovani.

And we have 15 minutes for this item. >> Thank you. If you could please pull up the PowerPoint labeled thought exchange summary and I will defer to Miss Cooper to share the sum and Dr. Lewis to share their a

summary of the thought exchange information. And at the conclusion of the presentation on the thought exchange summary, I would ask you to pull up the PowerPoint for cell phone policy draft 11625, PowerPoint number two. I can start. I wasn't prepared to present here, but I can start um with with this one.

So the engagement that um I conducted was with three different groups. Uh my superintendent student advisory council that was our very first meeting. So you can imagine um they had a lot to to share as it relates to feedback on the cell phone um policy. Uh my superintendent uh teacher advisory council and then with parent ambassadors.

And so those three links are there. I think those those are three links that are there that kind of shared that feedback. Um overall um you know our students had strong opinions about

um making sure that it's consistent throughout all schools and making it uh one suggestion that they made was making it um advantageous for them. So if there's a place to put their phones um was out of reach maybe it's a place they can get it charged as well. So it's a win-win. Their phone is out of reach and their phone is being charged as well.

Um, additionally, there were some conversations about, you know, the you may have heard these yonder pouches around, they were not interested in the district spending money on on those because, as one of them shared with me, um, currently on TikTok, there was 75 ways to get those phones out of those devices. And so, uh, that was, um, you know, some, uh, great feedback uh, we shared from them. uh as it relates to our our families uh they were really concerned about um contacting their students in emergencies or if their students need to contact them in emergencies. I know these are different times but I shared with them you know when we were in school my mom need to you know contact me she would call the office um similarly if I was sick uh or

needed her I would um go to her but I do recognize real-time information uh that the parents were asking for and there just a sense of safety and security and I do find myself sometimes when it's dismissal checking and see where my kids are you know so we do recognize and respect and honor our parents feedback in terms of ensuring that there's a way and you can see that in some of that summary that they really talked about ensuring that there was a way for um them to contact their students in case they needed them uh for emergency purposes. As far as our teachers, they wanted to make sure that it was consistent throughout all buildings as well. Um and and they definitely agreed with I think some of the feedback we received from our principles is uh ensuring that it's administrators that if they have to be called to a class to, you know, um um assist a student with maybe putting devices up or um you know, confiscating the device, we didn't want our teachers and the principles agreed to. because they didn't want the teachers in the in the middle of that. So after that, we engaged in a broader um uh collective intelligence as it relates to seeking additional uh

feedback from the community at large. And so we uh issued another thought exchange to our um staff and community and families. Uh Gina, you want to kind of share a little bit about that? >> Absolutely.

Good evening. You'll see on the screen in front of you an high-level overview of the engagement that was conducted in addition to what Dr. Lewis described with these various councils. Uh the question uh that you see on the screen in front of you is what was posed to our families and our staff as well as other community stakeholders.

" Next slide, please. This slide simply provides a breakdown of our participation. We had 353 participants, 277 thoughts that were shared. And within those thoughts, there were 6,27 ratings, meaning those who participated in the engagement were asked to rate the

thoughts and opinions of other people who participated to ensure that we were hearing equity of voice and getting similarities of thoughts within that process. Next slide, please. This you will also see who were the people that participated. 71% of our participants were parents or guardians.

We had just under 20% um DPS educators and staff. We had 24 students who participated. So, additional student voice in this as well as um community members and those who identified as other stakeholders within DPS. Next slide, please. This word cloud simply um dis um showcases the words that were um most used by our participants throughout the entire thought exchange. Those that are represented the largest or were the ones that were mentioned the most and if they were smaller um not as high ranking in their mentions but also held enough gravity and weight to ensure that they were represented um across all of the

entire across the entire engagement. Next slide, please. This goes through several of the key thoughts. Um these um um from my seat are a little bit smaller, but I'll just go through some of those high-level thoughts and you can see how they were rated by our participants.

And that rating is just off to the side represented by the stars. So you can see how many people engaged within those. Um but these um are rather um comprehensive. In addition to what is in this slide, there's also a document that provides a more in-depth interactive um presentation for um our stakeholders that has been shared as well where you can see all of those um thoughts and ratings um in real time.

Next slide, please. These are the top themes by their thoughts. Um you'll see um some of those keywords that are mentioned as well. phones, cell phones, emergency, class time, um, policy. Thank you, Mr. Teter.

Devices, social media, education, safety, and instruction. You'll see how those thoughts rated amongst our participants. Next slide. In addition, these were the top themes and their scores.

Um, again, smart classes um were one of the one major themes and topics um that were highly rated by our participants in addition to instruction, social media, education, focus, and so on. You'll see those are a little bit more evenly balanced with their star ratings. Next slide, please. And then this breaks down some of those um high topic areas regarding um the thoughts that were shared.

Smart glasses did get quite a bit of traction and feedback from our participants. And you can um see some of those comments in front of you. Next slide, please. in addition to additional thoughts on instruction and how those rated as well. Next slide. Social media was another um hot top hot

hot topic amongst our participants um having lots of thoughts and feedback and rating about um the use of social media and the access that devices provide that during the school day. Next slide please. This is about education and how the impacts of devices and social media in the classroom could potentially impact. These are just again participant thoughts on these various topics.

Next slide please. Again focus allowing students to focus during instructional time. Next slide please. This is related to policy enforcement.

Um, as you continue to look through that interactive um, guide for additional comments, you can get greater detail about some of those insights um, shared by our engagement participants. Next slide, please. Chromebooks. Again, Chromebooks received quite a bit of feedback and engagement um, and how students should utilize and leverage those Chromebooks in balance or

in comparison to cell phone use and other devices within um, the school building and throughout instructional time. Next slide, please. Again, supporting of class support of class time um for students to engage in instruction. Next slide, please.

More feedback on devices in general. Next slide, please. And conversation about apps. Um this was another area of concern for some of our um participants regarding the use of apps with instructional time.

Next slide please. And these are just some of the differences in how they were rated amongst our participants. Um some that received high ratings and some that did not receive great ratings. Um, this is just a way for us to kind of balance and see that feedback and some of the competing priorities regarding uh, cell phone use within the classroom. Next slide.

Again, more differing opinions regarding safety and security measures and the use of those devices within or access to those devices throughout the school day. Next slide, please. more conversation regarding emergency opportunities um for engagement with our students who access devices during the day. Next slide, please.

And that concludes um our engagement feedback. Thank you. >> If you think about Thank you, Sheen. If you think about a policy like this as it relates to cell phones, you you can imagine that there will be some that you know that you can imagine there'll be two sides and Tina kind of spoke to those.

But there's also a document in board docs that's entitled cell phone policy engagement summary. Um after we collected the data, what I appreciate about this tool, it kind of gives you those two sides based on the feedback we receive. And so um the side that I mentioned that some of our parents shared was u many people expressed concerns about safety in school and argue that cell phones serve as critical

as crucial tools for communication during emergencies. So many of our parents uh responded and said that they felt more secure knowing that they could reach their children um quick quickly in a in a crisis. " The other side was cell phones are learning distractions. And so there were strong opinions that cell phones serve as distractions during the instructional time.

It may hinder educational uh outcomes and and the fact that phones can uh interrupt social interactions and and focus. And also we heard that it can um increase with some tension between students on you know things that happen during the day on social media or texting. But then in the middle there was like some common ground. So we have these two sides.

I need cell phones for safety. Cell phones are distraction. But what did they have in common? So both sides agree that the importance of of in terms of creating this policy it should be balanced that takes into account uh responsible phone use while also maintaining um safety. And so if you look at that middle column, it pretty

much gives you like some common ground as it relates to, you know, yes, you're going to have different opinions, but this is what we all have in common as it relates to uh creating a um robust cell phone policy. You could pull up the PowerPoint number two. And while they're pulling that up, um policy 4318 has several different sections. The first section just from a Next slide please.

From just a high level just discusses policy, purpose and vision. Now again I'm not going to read the slides to you. I do want us to have some time for substantive conversation with the board. Next slide please. The new statute that has prompted and mandated this new policy provides a list of personal devices per statute and the definition of personal devices is expanded in the statute to include additional items including uh smartwatches, headphones, um personal

computer laptops. With regard to the Durham Public Schools draft of 4318, a majority of the policy committee did recommend a complete prohibition on smart watches. There are two options provided in the policy. Next slide, please.

There's option one that isn't shared in there. If you look on the board docs, you can find the track changes version of 4318. Option one is a complete prohibition and the supports for that from the feedback that we received indicate that there are concerns around privacy and potential furpa violations. Option two is to allow smart glasses as prescription glasses with the disabling of tech features. Um it is my understanding from folks that are more savvy than I that the smart glasses only work when linked to a cell phone that is active. But in under even option two, smart glasses would be prohibited during exams.

The communication expectation portion of it um discusses and this would obviously be fleshed out more in the implementing regulations, but families are encouraged to as Dr. Lewis mentioned reach out directly to staff um to uh have contact with your student versus relying upon the cell phones to reach your student. It is encouraged that devices be left at home in the draft policy. And next slide, please.

This policy, there are different there's a different policy that would apply to the use of DPS issued devices and laptops. There is a leveling in the policy that determines when use is allowed. Elementary is bell-to-bell prohibition. Middle school is recommended in the policy to be a bell-to-bell prohibition. In high school, there is some additional leeway for high school students to utilize their personal devices at all levels. And in all schools and during public schools, there these prohibitions

can be set off by the having an IEP or a 504 safety plan. Next slide, please. On the bus, use permitted of personal devices. Audio can only be listened to with headphones or earbuds and you must not inter interfere with the safety of operating the bus.

Next slide please. Consequences. There was a lot of conversation um with the policy committee around what the con and what the principles when we met with them around what the consequences are. Um generally verbal warning um is the first step unless it falls under one of the justifications for immediate confiscation.

Confiscation occurs only after a warning or again if it was immediately disruptive and the student refuses to comply with requests to not use the device or to stop being disruptive with the device. Repeat violations that require a confiscation may require u the parent come and retrieve the cell phone. Only administrators confiscate

devices and not teachers. Next slide please. Searches of the devices are covered under policy 4342, student searches. And the last um portion of the policy provides that Durham public schools is not liable for any loss or damage and to these devices, including during or after confiscation.

Next slide. Thank you. I'm happy to entertain any questions. >> All right, board members.

Um, we are at about 15 minutes right now. So, I'm going to suggest that we uh take about 15 more minutes and kind of borrow that time, see if we can make it up later um with another item. But in any case, let's go ahead and start. So, who would like to begin?

>> Mr. Tab, >> thank you very much for the um for the information. Uh just a couple questions

just for clarity for those Dr. Lewis shared both sides. Thank you so much. And the common ground I'm wanted to know about if a parent that does not agree with the policy does not want to retrieve the device and it leads to other consequences.

Does those consequences lead to suspension? There we make sure I'm understanding your question. So if the student's device has been confiscated by the principal, the principal says to the parent come and get the device and the parent refuses to get the device. Think I would like to take that back to the principles in this back to kind of get their feedback.

Dr. Lewis >> and that actually came up because our principles wanted to make sure that there was a secure location. So, in this instance, making sure that there's a secure location to store the phone should the parent not want to come to school to to retrieve the phone because

what I've learned is um the district has had to spend some money on some lost cell phones in in previous years. And so, uh that was the feedback we received from our principles as it relates to ensuring that you know if a phone has to leave a classroom in the in the office that one of the administrator retriees it retrieves it and places in a appropriate location, secure location. >> Thank you for that. That's that's very helpful there.

And the second part to that is does any of this lead to any suspension of students the policy? No, it does not. Let me clarify that if what if the students behavior is warranted under the code of conduct, like if there's something that they're doing with the phone as well, then it could lead. But just the possession of the phone and the phone not being put away is not there's not a um an express punishment tied to that. >> Yeah. I was concerned because I didn't want our suspension rates all of a

sudden to go up because of cell phone policy. All right. Thank you. >> All right.

Vice Chair Rogers and then Bettina Umstead. >> Mr. T, I have a question about your question. I need to understand better.

I'm a parent. Student's phone gets confiscated. I don't come get it. Who still has the phone?

Why would the student continue to get um more disciplinary action, more consequences because the student no longer has a phone in their possession? The school has it, right? >> Yes. I just wanted to put it out there so that it's very so it's very clear that the students is not finished.

>> Okay. Okay. Thank you. I just wanted to understand.

>> Yeah. >> Bettina Umstead. >> Um thank y'all for all the work on this.

It's been a hot topic um of conversation across the state as this law was getting ready to be implemented and school districts are grappling with it. Um I have a couple of questions. I want to know I don't know if this is for you Dr. Giovani or for the committee around smart watches being prohibited or not allowed.

I guess how does that and there's and the policy language is specifically called out. Can y'all speak a little bit to like why that is not allowed and what that actually means in practice and like is that different than all the other devices? I can try to speak to that. First, I I think that I noticed that there is an error in this version of the policy around that the sentence that says smartwatches are not allowed, I think needs to be um that's I don't know why that's there. Smartwatches are in the list that precedes that which

includes them with the smartphones, etc. And then um unless other committee members remember differently, but the smartwatch um conversation lump those together, which means that when devices have to be turned off and put away, that includes the smartwatches. Um so rather than them being separated out and like not allowed in the school building, which is kind of what it sounds like right now, and that was not the intent. If other committee members have other recollections about how our discussion around that, please share that.

Sorry to interrupt. >> Just for clarity, I will say if you recall, this was I think we were having the tech problems and so when we came back, I think I was we had that conversation and I I may have missed the nuances around your conversation on smartwatches. So, >> so did Miss Bayer, did you want to share anything about that conversation? >> I mean, I I think I think we had about

an hour with this policy. I think we made some first attempts at at bringing it like some changes that we thought would improve it, but really wanted to get feedback from all seven of us before we went too far down any of these kind of decision points and wanted to have robust conversation on the things that Dr. Giovani um highlighted in the PowerPoint. So, tell us what y'all think.

I think that's how I think we're talking about this tonight. What do y'all think about smart watches? Also, this was our stab at it. What do you think about tightening things up like middle school, which is different than the draft that Dr.

Lewis and the team brought to us from y'all's draft, right? Um, so I I don't think there was anything definitive we really thought. Um, I think I thought that I often forget to turn mine off or silence it and it probably should just be put away as well. Um, and so it was a a way to minimize that as a distraction. Um, or to encourage students to leave them at home. Um but but I don't know all the ways that they're that students are

using them. So I think uh just to answer that, thank you. And just to answer further, I think there was just um conversation about um not having to monitor whether a device is turned on or not and having it simply put away like a smartwatch rather than allowing it to be used as a watch. Um but it just kind of takes one extra step for the student to turn it on.

So, um, go ahead. >> That's really helpful. I think you pointed out, Miss Carton, that we might need to I think love we can get some page numbers on these policies, but page I think it's page one, the last paragraph, it says smartwatches are not allowed. And then in the presentation, it said smartwatches were prohibited, which made me be like, is there a different rule for that or is this something that is included with the rest of the devices? So, I think that'd be helpful to clarify that that part. I don't know that I have a strong I like it being grouped in with the

others. Um, second question I have around middle schools. Well, actually, let me ask this question about smart glasses, then I'll go to the middle school one. Um, if so, you can use I don't I don't own smart glasses, so excuse my ignorance on this, but you can have smart glasses with prescriptions.

If you have smart glasses that are helping with like a disability or something, that would be included in your IE. Is that correct? Is what we're saying. So I just want to make sure that like not for vision correction but for a disability beyond vision correction.

>> Correct. >> Okay. It that would depend on the IEP team. So it would be something that the IEP team would discuss the use of the smart glasses. I know that there are some students that have like some potentially significant vision impairments that utilize the smart

glasses to navigate >> the world. And so it would be my expectation that that would be a conversation with the IEP team or the 504 team or a medical note from a provider that would then be considered by the principal and the parents would have those conversations >> and then would there cuz I don't again excuse my ignorance but my assumption would be they need the internet like they need their smartphone on for those features on the our glasses to work. And so I just we might not have an answer to that, but we need to consider that. Um that might get back to the concerns we have about privacy, right?

Uh and so how do we is there implementation guide? Is there a um you have this permission with your IEP, but I'm asking you to sign and be clear about when you can use these smart glasses or when you can't. I just think there's a nuance there, but you know, I believe our students are responsible. And I also know that I I

have them on. I might walk around and go to different places um with them on still connected to my phone, which is what we're also concerned about. >> Does that make sense? >> Yeah.

I say there are some exceptions within the policy for cell phone use, smart watches, smart glasses. uh if it's notated in the student's IEP or individualized education plan, their 504 plan, if there's an approved safety plan, um or if they need them for translation uh purposes. And so to your point uh um chair, vice chair, uh Armstead is that it'll be spelled out in the 504 and IEP as it relates to when they can use uh and not use those devices and what, you know, particular classes and durations and all that will be spelled out in the in their IEP or 504 plan. >> Right. I think I'm also asking for maybe there's to be some kind of agreement that families and the student are also reviewing around this is an exception to our rule. These are expectations around the use of this device responsibly uh in our school system like while you're at

school. Um because there's a reason why we were like there's an unsure around smart glasses should be prohibited or smart glasses should be available. So I think if we're leaning into that being an option, how do we make sure that we're clear around our expectations with students for that? >> Yeah.

And so in that example, like again, I don't have smart glasses either, but for example, I'm making this up. I don't know if the smart glasses can do this or not, but if a student needs u text to speech and the smart glasses do that, that will clearly be spelled out in their IEP. >> Yes. And they will know what the expectations are with their smart glasses at school, right?

that I can turn them off during this time or when I'm doing these things, you know, I need to turn them off. Like that's what making sure that part is clear. >> Yeah. So, if they need it for reading, they may I need it for math.

I'm just making that up, right? Yeah. So, yeah, they'll have to know those stipulations, >> right? And then so, and sorry.

>> And then I have one more question. It seems like we have our middle schools. We know that some schools have already implemented policies this year and I'm wondering have we pulled our middle

schools around bellto bell versus um guess or yeah between classes having it like what are middle schools doing now? What are high schools doing now? So we have not pulled middle schools or any school. We did convene um a group of principles and get their feedback on the initial draft of the policy.

Um they have the principles have not given feedback on this draft since the policy committee um has waited but it hasn't changed that much. >> Yeah. So, I would be curious to know what Miss Byer, you lifted up middle schoolers and whether we should be by bell to beginning of the day, end of the day versus having an option to review them in classes or during recess or um lunch. Uh public comment speaker today said their school is beginning of the day to end of the day. So, I'd be curious to know what other middle schools are doing because we could introduce something that'd be different than what majority of our schools are

doing or we could do something that would be aligned with what majority of our schools are already doing that the consensus of the board did pull. >> Okay. So we have consensus around that um around pulling our middle school principles and um did you want to hear from the policy committee members about that issue or is was that what you were asking or you were more so just you said you wanted to hear more you want to hear more mo mainly from the middle school principles. >> Yeah from the middle school principles.

>> Okay. Vice Chair Rogers >> I think I have a couple questions. I'm going to start I'm going start with smart glasses or no I'm going to start general my general question is is we're addressing this policy with smart glasses smart watches etc. Who is expected? Who is go then responsible for the reporting of this?

Right? You say smart glasses are allowed if they're prescription. Who's reporting that? Are you are you requiring families to report, hey, I have smart glasses.

Are you expecting teachers to say, "Hey, I think I have somebody in my class that has smart glasses. " Is there a form? >> Oh, and Dr. Giovani, would you like to respond?

No, there's not a form yet until the policy is adopted. Um, okay. We wouldn't have that. But I I guess that's the question that I would have.

My son does have smart glasses. Got smart glasses just before exams. Found out he couldn't wear them on exams. Didn't wear glasses for the exams.

Didn't do great. Couldn't read the test, you know, or things look different. Um, I don't know that we would I don't know if we would have self-reported, but if it's included in like the onboarding packet, then that's something that would be thought about. Um,

I wonder about what a wa what does a waiver look like? How do you prove that you have prescription glasses that are smart and they're just turned off? Uh we've gotten some emails. Um again had my own experiences with my son in fifth grade uh with a BMI that was way too high.

So I have some concerns about the smartwatch. Um because when his BMI was way too high, the doctor said, "You need to start tracing his steps. You need to start making sure he's getting his exercise. Soccer and swimming are clearly not enough.

" Um, and so it's been something we've used as a tool to track him, uh, track his exercise, track his movement, and keep him in the right direction. And it's very passive. We've gotten some emails from folks who, uh, whose students use smartwatches to give them, um, when their heart rate goes too high, um, to monitor their anxiety, give them exercises to deal with the anxiety that they're experiencing. And uh there are

young people who use smartwatches to track their menstrual cycles. And I don't know that we want to get in the business of coming between folks and their healthcare providers and what does that look like if we're allowing for waiverss and how much are we asking people to share their private information with people that they may or may not trust. I want us to think about how that happens. And if we're allowing smart watches, like they can't be a distraction. They have to be um on silent, you know, the you know, or you know, whatever the notification needs to be, but it needs to be very passive and uninvolved. If we think about how it's measuring, they can't get messages or do anything when the sale device is off or when the sales service is disconnected, but they can still track all those

things and allow people to have intelligent conversations with their healthcare providers. So, I think it's something we need to think about, but I don't know, you know, do you want them to just write a note? I I would be open. >> Thank you.

Um, thank you, Vice Chair Rogers. So, I just I just want to be mindful of the time. We have spent over 30 minutes on this item. 15 minutes over 15 minutes on discussion.

So, um, I want, you know, everyone who um needs wants to speak to to do that. But just be mindful of time. We are going over the allotted time at this point. Um, so I think um I saw Mr.

Tab and chair um Mstead and I see Joy Harrell Goff let me start with Mr. tab. Go to chair go to Miss Herald Gooff and then I'll come back to chairstead. >> Thank you. This is just here again another clarifying question. I don't really have a question but just a

thought. A lot of the students now in classes have IEPs. So if a larger percentage of your class have allowed to use their devices, does that create a situation where the other students know that that they have some type of maybe disability or something if it's a larger number? Uh just wondering I'm just putting that out there just for privacy or how we look at how we really look at that.

Um because I know in my last few years I was getting more and more students with IEPs. So larger number of my class would have fallen under this policy of being able to use certain devices. Just want to know how that looks. Okay.

Thank you. Thank you, Miss I'll be very brief because my my comment was a little Sorry. >> I'm sorry. Hold on one second. Did you

want to respond? >> Yeah, I was I was just going to say it'll be interesting to see how many current students with IEPs require, for example, a smartwatch, cell phone, smart glasses. We do know in for, you know, um quite some time now, students have have received assisted technology device in their IEP that could be, you know, a communication tool or things like that. Um, so that's a I appreciate that question and and we because we definitely don't want to, you know, single students out.

Um, and it makes me wonder what type of accommodations um, could a cell phone provide or smartwatch or smart glasses versus traditional assisted technology devices. So it's the purpose of this get together for the first reading to get this feedback. >> Great. Thank you, Miss Herok. both of you spoke to combination of so I was had the same question about how that impacts you know or how would that create new IEPs if you

know um somebody hasn't where they didn't need an IEP before and now they because they have smart glasses or they need to use their watch now we're creating more IEPs um and really you know just to demyst IEP you I I've always been of the train of thought that, you know, everybody needs IEP. All our kids have individual, you know, they should all have one. I just, you know, um but so, but I bring that up. And then the tying it back to what Dr.

Lewis was saying about how many of them already use, you know, um a device that currently have their IEPs. Um but my thought process went to um sorry dropped the thought but it went to um I I just lost the thought. It was about

the the actual the individual device like if you need it. Oh. Oh. A lot of times our our smart devices have lots of different tools on them that instructional that our instructional you know our um instructional tools resources there are other things that provide those same things minus all of the extra things that come with these devices.

So some of the you know there may might be something you know if there's something in particular that they need then what kind of instructional supports you know are we asking people to seek out those other instructional supports or other things that they need um in lie of that device and are we assisting with that in any way. So, um that could be um a way to to do that because I do think that a lot of these devices have many distractions, but like my son uses and he needs those. He's using tools on his computer and I I fight with him. This is

what this is for. Don't use it for this, you know. So, um having those separate and not having the other distractions with these other devices could be also something that we can explore. Thank you.

Um, Chair Umstead and then let me see if Ms. Jessica Carda-Auten or Miss Ber have questions, comments, Miss Carter. Let's see. We have a little bit of time.

I have so much that could be said. Um, we have more work to do on this policy. So, I appreciate y'all's feedback today. Um, I think I'll speak to the um, like why from my perspective where we landed in the in for middle school feels appropriate. I think that there's not very much research out there about young teens and cell phones. But that that does exist which is in the peer-reviewed literature does demon does indicate that

when you don't allow cell phones in schools there are increases in academic achievement particularly for low achieving students um indicating preliminarily that not having cell phones in the schools could have the potential to reduce um the achievement gap. Also, there has been some research to indicate, which makes sense, that you would have see reductions in bullying among teens, particularly younger teens with cell phones. Um, I would be interested to see the polling of the schools, both I'm not sure if what the other board members were looking for and what um, Bettina Umstead was asking for was what the schools are doing in middle school right now or what the principles and staff would prefer. But I'm interested in both of those things. Um my like informal polling it has indicated that there's a a wide range of things that our middle schools are doing. Um Githens, for example, has a

contract that require that says no cell phone use in the building. Um and all students have to sign it. And even the first infraction in requires documentation in educator's handbook, which is something we hadn't really talked about for this policy, the educator's handbook piece. Um, and then uh whereas Brogden does allow cell phones in the lunch and hallways.

Um, that's as far as I got with our middle schools. I did look at Wake County and Chapel Hill Carrboro though are peer districts and both neither of those allow cell phones um during the day in middle school. [cough] [clears throat] Um I also looked at what our like other competitors are doing. So, some of our larger charter schools and our private schools and one of our largest charter schools that pulls over a thousand students from our district every year um

does not allow any cell phones bell-to-bell for middle schools. Um neither do three of the big private schools. And I as we're thinking about enrollment um later today, I can't help but wonder how many families are opting out of Durham public schools because they don't want their students to be to have devices. Um clearly there's probably lots of different reasons that people are choosing different schools, but I think more and more people are thinking about tech and concerns around um technology for their middle schoolers.

So um I'll stop there. That's just like my um thinking around this. curious to hear what others thoughts are. But for me, it feels important that we not only preserve the instructional time for middle school students as is mandated by the state statute, but also the other learning that happens for our middle school students that which is outside of the classrooms, which would be in the lunchroom and in the hallways where they have a chance to interact with their peers face to face, not just like have their heads in their cell phones during

those times. >> Thank you, Miss Buyer. So I appreciate it. I wanted to also take a minute to share um some thinking on the same topic which is middle schools which are our most uh delicate grades.

Um I actually uh appreciate the research uh waiver back and forth on on all of this because it is new research and I believe that we need our families to be in alignment with us. We need the digital literacy standards that we're talking about bringing as we work with families to to really partner and help us um teach children how to be good digital users. I think we're adopting this policy for one more semester this year and then can can modify it. But we're already halfway through the year with practices in place and I want us to be as consistent as we can with what's already going on in schools so that

we're not disrupting um systems and rules that children have gotten accustomed to. So that's why I look forward to hearing from our schools and um appreciate the recommendations. I think when we looked at this chunk about middle schoolers, um I think we quickly made the recommendation that we didn't see a need for for instructional time and students to be using devices in the hallways during class changes. That's an easier piece.

Um the piece that we did talk about that I disagree with the recommendation brought from the policy committee and want to state into this place is that lunch I think is not instructional time. I think children actually do some things on their phones that are constructive. I think there we our staff talked about apps that are used by extracurriculars and athletics that students can check about practices and whether they're on or whatever. And I think that makes it less policing for our adults that are having to monitor children in the cafeteria um to have folks going, "Put

your phone away. Put your phone away. " Now, it is my hope that, you know, as we get more teaching and partnership with families and we have the wait until 8th, there's a whole movement of like don't get your kid a smartphone until 8th grade. Like there's a whole kind of reculturing kind of parenting and and um decisions that could be more collectively thought about in Durham that I think we could get towards.

But I'm I'm really interested in um the smoothest transition we can have to the second semester of this year for our students and families. Um and to me that that comes with some some ability, not requirement, for kids to look at phones during lunch as non-instructional time. and um especially as as older kids learn how to use um devices in a healthy way and how we help support that. So, um

not a hill I'm going to die on, but also um I think our our schools would appreciate our our being consistent and what practices are already going on and the apps that they're using. I very much think that no matter what we do, our kids are going to outsmart us and use technology in ways that we cannot ban by policy, but um I think consistency in this will be super important. So I look forward to hearing what what schools are doing and how we can support them with this change. >> Chairston, >> um appreciate all this conversation. It's really helpful. Um I wanted to know is there going to be any like implementation guidance also sent to principles and teachers maybe around this and not in a way that like we know that our educators are are really great professionals but I think even you know speaking about confiscation like are we providing a lock box for them or a locked space for them like is there any of that conversation around what implementation

would look like and what the district might need to provide to schools to make sure that they're able to implement this well >> we And when we convened the principal group, they all indicated that they had secure places to lock up phones that were confiscated. So, I mean, I asked that on several kind of two different ways to make sure that they did not need any additional resources from the district and they all um did confirm that. Um I think once the policy is adopted and then I think we would most likely convene you know meet with the principles again and kind of the social emotional folks just to make sure that kind of the messaging and how these things are shared with students and families is as seamless I think to Miss Buyer's point you know as possible just as smooth of a transition as possible. So we have relied on um Miss Cooper's expertise in messaging and

would obviously do that again rely significantly on kind of her expertise on how we message to families and to students and to schools. Did did I answer your question? >> Well imple implementation guide I was thinking more about the school people when you said you um talk to the principal group. Is that all schools happening?

all schools have a space to put because even elementary school would need. >> So we had the principal supervisors and we because we have to rely on because we can't you know it's hard to convene all of them but according to the principal supervisors um that was not a concern. I think we can circle back again and certainly take a you know a full poll and you know work with Dr. King and make sure that all principles have that and depending on um what additional needs that they have. So just circling back to your implementation, that was some significant feedback from principles that it was important to them that it be consistent across the district. Like they didn't want in their school like

they're following the policy and the school, you know, across town is not. And so I think the short answer is that there would need to be district level guidance with principal and school and teacher input, right? um that is expected to be followed just like board policy is expected to be followed across the district um by everyone. So I think I'm understanding what you're saying right implementation now.

Okay. >> I just I think that guidance can help >> some of the logistical things that we may have not thought about or like I know some teachers do um the little slide things at the front like everyone puts their phone in there at the at the beginning of class like is that okay to keep going? Like that we make sure we're clear about guidance across the district. And then you started speaking a little bit to my second point around messaging to families.

Um I many of y'all know I serve on the governor's advisory uh council for student well-being. We spent a lot of time talking about how do we communicate why behind the policy not just we're putting your phones away. Uh but how why this is important some of

the research behind it. And then also that has to be age appropriate for for every group. And so, how do we um get clear with families around this is the new number to call when you need to leave a message for your kid? Like, how is that all so clear that that's at the top of um family's information?

Um just a question around smart watches and smart glasses that are are either one of those called out in the legislation specifically or no? Is that also why we're wrestling with this? When you say called out, like >> are they spoken to around what the rules need to be in the legislation? >> They're listed as in the definition of personal devices.

Is that what you're asking? >> Yeah. So, if they are spelled out in the legislation around rules, do we need to have something different for smart glasses that they need to be put away? >> I don't think you necessarily need to. There's some confusion sometimes and we want to always have clarity for schools. And so that's kind of where why this was lifted up for conversation because the

cell phones is clear, right? Like you everybody knows what a cell phone is and like what that looks like like that that's put away, but people do have smartwatches and other things that they use that can be used out and not be connected to the cell phone. And so that's why, you know, it's not often that I I don't think I've ever given y'all a policy that's like clearly like, oh, here's option one, option two, right? Like usually there's a recommendation, but it really was just wanting to kind of have that conversation.

I think we've done significant um input from you know Dr. Lewis met with his advisory councils um several times. Miss Cooper led the thought exchange um survey gathering that information. So it's really the a conversation you know it's a community conversation and so that's why we lifted it up. to your point um if you look at the standard policy that NCSBA their model policy it's maybe three paragraphs right and it just kind of puts a lot of the onus on schools and that's what we were trying to like move that back so that we really could provide our schools

and our families with guidance and make sure we were listening to the community and through to the board. So that's why that's lifted up. So yeah, the answer is no. They don't they don't need to be lifted out like they don't have to have like a special section like oh smart watches are this or smart glass or that.

You can say these are personal devices. You can't use personal devices bell-to bell. You can use personal devices during lunchtime. So >> right.

But the statute the reason the statute exists and it lists some things. It doesn't list smartwatches and smart glasses. >> It does. >> It does.

But doesn't the statute require you not to have them out? it the statute prohibits the use of them during instructional time. >> Okay. So that the conversation now is so smart glasses should be not used during instructional time also if that's the statute.

Is that correct? >> I think I'm understanding making sure I'm >> I think you the way they're used are two different things. So if they're not

turned on, they're not connected to the phone, then it's not cons are they considered being used. If they're prescription like my sons are, they're going to be used during instructional time as the same in the same way my glasses are right now. And so I guess what the clarification Bettina Umstead is asking for is they're not supposed to be used during instructional time. And does the statute already take care of this and we don't need to discuss it?

And so I'll just jump in here. I I'm happy to send it to you all. Um I believe it lists I'm looking at it. It lists wireless communication device or it names wireless communication device and um defines it as any portable wireless device that has the capability to provide voice messaging or other data communication between two or more parties including the following. cellular, telephones, tablet, computers, laptop computers, paging devices, two-way radios, and gaming devices. So,

it doesn't specifically name them, I don't believe, but it does have a broad definition of um a wireless communication device. >> That's that's helpful. Um that's helpful. Thank you, Miss Chavez.

I think we can include the statute maybe in the next time when we bring this back that just so we can have all of that there. Um, I'm I'm gonna hurry up because I know we're way over time. Smart glasses are prohibited during testing. If I have an IEP, though, they're still prohibited or not prohibited.

And maybe that's a question we don't have an answer to and we need to think about. >> Could be in the IEP, >> right? But I if uh if they're in the IEP and they're prohibited during like that I don't it feels this feels like a contradictory place if I shouldn't have my smart glasses on because of the worry about um cheating fura cheating all those things

I don't that feels like there's more to flesh out in that is there more guidance around that more guidelines that we need to be thinking through or is it just actually no we're going to prohibit them because you could or couldn't use them during testing, right? I just I don't have an answer to that. I know we're in a new space right now around all of this conversation. Um, and I don't even know if there's guidance from DPI around that part too, right?

Around testing regulations and could one wear smart glasses during the regulation? >> I I'm not sure. I think as as always the case, right, technology moves much faster. >> 100%.

So I just think there's a I'm just looking at that as a in like we brought brought up the um speech to audio earlier but if I can't use it during testing then is I don't know any let's look at that. That's all I want to say. >> I think we will look at I just think that when you the prohibition about the use during testing is if it's under option right if you got option two and

they're allowed to be used as glasses. What we were saying or trying to say in this draft policy is that even if they are being used as glasses are smart, you can't have them during exams. But if they're allowed to be used and tied to your cell phone as part of an IEP or a 504, testing and assessments would be addressed. The use of them would be addressed in the IEP and the 504 and not in this prohibitory language in the policy.

Um, I would love for committee to work maybe look through that one a little more. I I think I'm lean and I'm asking these questions because I'm not sure where I lean. The other part is if my glasses are prescription but I can't use them during EOCC, then it doesn't really help me in any way. I need another pair of glasses for my ELC, which is making me lean towards option one, but I don't I think there's more to dig through maybe there.

I'm finished. I'm sorry I took so much time. >> Thank you. This is for first read. Um

I'm gonna throw in a few brief comments and round out this hour. Um that's okay. Um [clears throat] so I just want to raise the issue around um language access and language justice. Um I brought this up in our policy committee, but I just want to reiterate that I do believe it will require more of staff to um to interpret or uh access language line the language line.

Um, forgive me, I can't remember the official name. Um, if parents um or families are trying to reach the school and they speak a primary language other than English um and can no longer communicate directly with their student at any point in time during the day, it will put the uh responsibility of of having that communication on staff. It will do that in general. Um but it will be a um I think more of a concern for um

families again that don't speak English as their um primary language. Um and I would be remiss not to mention that we um know we are living in a time of increased fear for many immigrant families. um in addition to general fear that um some families have of uh emergencies happening at the school um that where they would want to be able to contact their student. Um and we talked a little bit about this.

Um I I think we did we got awesome um you know input on on the cell phone policy. I would love to know more from Spanish- speaking families and other families whose primary language is is not English what they think about this um cell phone policy. So I don't know if there is um more to to do or there or if um or if that's even something if there could be a particular question kind of

tacked on to the conversations with principles who know their families. um talk with their families. Um but I I would be interested to to learn more about that. The other thing I want to comment on is the middle school um thing.

So >> I get some clarity on what sure >> we're doing with the language access. >> Okay. Um hopefully it was clear, but I would like to know um have more input from Spanish speaking families or families who speak a language other than English. um as to what they think about the policy and the restrictions, but I don't know if um if it's possible to to get more input at this point or if um alternatively if the principles might have some insight based on their interactions with families. That was my ask Miss Cardon. Um we well I I wanted I will respond to

that and I wanted to also respond to the your concern about the language justice. We had talked about that in committee and I thought that what Dr. Giovani and maybe Dr. Pitman as well had we had talked about what resources were available generally for interpretation in the main offices and I thought we had talked about the multilingual resource center.

The response we got I'm looking Dr. on was that they are available. So if somebody calls or comes in then the call goes to the MRC and any language within reason I suppose maybe there's many different languages like there's an interpreter available at that point or interpretation services is that correct or can you share more about that because I share that concern from Miss Chavez but I thought we had talked about it and I can't remember that >> we did my notes indicate that um there was conversation whether or not all schools had Spanish speaking staff and then some concerns about whether they were, you know, available at all times. And then I was asked to confirm with Pablo Freriedman um how translation

works. I did share with you that my understanding and I would ask Dr. King to weigh in if he knows has a different understanding, but my understanding is that when and this is from conversations with Pablo is that if a family calls in, if there's not a Spanish- speaking person or a translator available, they are then put on the language line. And it's the same for other languages as well.

they are connected with the multilingual resource center who then connect them with a translator who speaks their native language. So that's something we have on call that's part of a service that we've always provided and so I have not had a chance to talk to Mr. Freriedman to confirm that but that my that's my understanding remains that that's the case. >> Thank you.

I think it'd be helpful to confirm that. And then to your other um um question or desire to hear more from Spanish speaking or other non-English-speaking families, um I share that I wonder if we could talk to the principles or maybe there's networks of communication. I know that um

uh I don't remember her last name now, Claudia, Dr. Lewis, right? has um communication channels through WhatsApp with like pretty large networks of um Spanish speaking families that she's been using through in office of public affairs. I wonder if she might be able to use her um her reach to be able to get some feedback in a way that also doesn't delay the process because I wonder because we are this is timesensitive.

We're supposed to be implementing by January 1. So, what are some um quick ways to get the feedback we're looking for or ensure that we're getting the feedback we're looking that we have the feedback we need? >> Did you want to jump in? >> Yeah.

I just wonder if we have a specific question that we want to ask families because like we know that we have to the law says you got to restrict it during instructional time. So, I'm wondering if there a question around like like a more specific question that we might want to put out to those groups um just to help us get feedback that's can help inform what we're doing. I don't know.

>> I think the general question that was asked was a good one, but um Miss Byer has a thought about that. >> No, I I really appreciate the the change that this is going to be for families, the need to have increased um accessibility to to language services. Um, and I sit here knowing that we have we had talked about wanting to have this passed at our November 20th meeting, unless I'm remembering wrong, so that schools could have it before Thanksgiving so that we could have public affairs have the December weeks. We got two meetings left before this goes live, right?

Um, and so I'm not sure what feedback you could get that quickly that would be meaningful, but that I guess that that would be helpful. And it also use it as another reason to say that's why I liked kids looking at them at lunch. That was my um, oh, you can check your phone at lunch. So at least it would be another, at least for this semester coming up,

another chance for parents to have a way to directly get in touch with their kid during the school day if they knew their kid could check it directly at lunch. Not trying to advocate for anything, but I I do I do feel like we've time is short on this and um anyway we can get the best information to make the best decision to have there be a little runway for commun great communication with families especially in that short window after Thanksgiving and before the winter break. So >> and Dr. Jan, did you want to >> Yeah, I just wanted to make sure I'm just I did misunderstand your question. Um, chairstead on like I thought you were asking me like what the list was in the definitions. And so with regard to the statute, what our thinking was in drafting that is again to prevent hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of encounters with school staff based on just if you're like, "Oh, is that a

" And so those were the conversations around it. So the short answer to your question is if the board wants to change the definition and kind of were to reduce that I think it would cause a lot more confusion and the principles were supportive of trying to include them as well as our EC department to expand those definitions beyond just gaming devices etc. So that's I just want to clarify that. Um so about the language access piece.

I was um so was Carter offered a an idea to have um what is her last name? Um yeah to um reach out to families. Is that something that would be um well one is there let me ask is there board interest or consensus around some reachout like that? >> I'd like to know what the what the

specific ask is what the question would be because we have to implement the policy. It's not what do you think about the policy? What do you think about limiting cell phones? The question needs to be um more direct.

How will this impact your family? Or how can we make sure um what tools need to be in place in order for this policy to work for your family? It needs to be very clear and specific about what we're asking. >> So, I think the question that was asked, I had to find it again.

um for the um the um thought exchange uh process was what else should Durham public schools keep in mind when developing a cell phone policy that reflects both the needs of students and the expectations of families and educators while supporting teaching, learning and student well-being? I think that's a great question. Um and so um and again we got awesome feedback and you know we

have like a third of our families we we only got a few responses in Spanish. That indicates to me that a lot of our um a lot of our parents um who are um Spanish speaking or speak other you language other than English did not respond. And so I I agree time is of the essence. Um, and that's why I think we're this idea of um sort of gathering feedback in a um quick way would be would be useful, but I I I do feel like we're we're missing like a huge chunk of our families if we don't get a little bit more um more input um from them.

So >> going to ask Miss Cooper to assist us. >> Thank you, Miss Cooper. >> Absolutely. The thought exchange was provided in Spanish. So that dual language option was available. So the question that we would pose again to those families has already been provided in that manner.

I guess what I'm asking is there a way to do another step of outreach? And I appreciate that it was offered in Spanish and um I know that It's not a criticism of effort, but um yeah, is there a way to do that extra step at this point or what are your thoughts? >> I would say that there are opportunities for us to further engage all of our families around this process if that's what's necessary and needed. Um we would have to go back and talk about what other strategies we could deploy.

Again, this was shared very broadly in all of our communication channels to our families. So, um, I would need to go back and speak with our team regarding any additional avenues that could be taken to garner additional feedback that has not already been received. >> Others thoughts on this? Thank you. Um, Miss Harold Goff. >> Um,

I think that what I'm the way that I interpreted what was just said is that we don't yet have the systems that are built for that level of engagement. But that's something that as a district we I believe we should work towards. um to the broad level engagement is really really good. But we still have we still have work to do to um be able to take our level of community engagement into that kind of niche where we're reaching those audience those our you know our more marginalized populations in pockets where we historically are not getting that feedback.

um that's going to take some real work. I I would love for us to be moving in that direction to where we can see these are traditionally the places that are not being reached. What are we doing to build the systems so that when we see that's happening, we

can then go back and try different strategies and different techniques for bringing them into this communication. So, >> thank you Ma. I I wonder um this look whatever we agreed to to start implementing in January is not like the be all end all never to be modified again. Chapel Hill Carbur's already modified their policy.

Granted they have one earlier but they already modified their policy once. I'm wondering if this is an opportunity for us to think creatively about getting feedback after implementation to see how it's affecting people. um because they might even be able to respond better at that point once they see like it'll be more tangible. I think despite the fact that the thought exchange went out in Spanish, we also made sure to put the the actual um state legislation with that so people could see what it was, but I don't know that I didn't translate that.

I don't know if that was in Spanish. Like, so there might have been barriers. You're right. That like we just don't know how to or we're not

built to navigate right now there. But once people start seeing the impact on their own students and their families, they will be able to tell us and we need to think about ways to get that feedback from them in the spring, I think. So, I don't know if you would be open to that or if others are interested in that kind of thing. >> Yes, I feel open to that.

And um now my my comments have lasted way longer than I intended them to, so I can set this down, but um I would love for us to think about that. And um so um if I will then just share my brief comments about middle school which is that um after hearing some of the feedback from from principles and um and discussing uh last week I did land at um favoring a bell-to-bell uh restriction on devices. Um and my thoughts are that it helps middle school students develop a practice of academic focus. um good habits around device use, create more safe academic cultures. They already have so much being thrown at them in

middle school that is new both academically and socially. And um and also hearing the the research um that Miss Cardottton did about um different area schools and middle schools in particular um and how they treat cell phones. I'm aware that we lose students at middle school who then come back to DPS for high school. So, that's something to consider as well.

Um, so that's where I land on middle school. But I'm I'm done. Does anybody else have anything else to say, Miss Byer? I was just going to make a motion if we're done with it.

But I also was going to ask you all for clarity because I think there's two places it could go here where all seven of us talk about it on the 20th or policy committee, which is when. And so I yeah, which is so many meetings, so many times. And I was going to ask you all for some consensus or thoughts on where it should best.

>> Miss Cardan, >> just to share with the board um thank you inspire for bringing us back to that. Um what we had discussed as um policy committee was getting some feedback tonight and um then working on it again in policy committee which is going to meet again on Monday um and then revising the policy and then bringing it back to the board on the 20th and we could modify that but that was the what we had discussed. So would love to hear from other board members about if you have a different preference for how we move forward or >> if everybody is or whoever is okay with that could you give a thumbs up? Okay.

All right. We have consensus there. So the policy committee will take it up on Monday and then we will bring it back on November 20th. >> So I guess my discussion would be that the other information that we asked staff to go get won't be ready by then. So, we're going to have be working without much feedback from middle

schools. And I hope that since it's such an important policy, if if folks can join that conversation on Monday, that'd be great to get as many of us there as possible. Um, picky one. Um, I mean, I'm I wouldn't expect you all to have feedback from every middle school by Monday as what?

No. Yeah. just want to but I do think >> that's not that's not possible to have that on Monday. >> I think that'll be helpful on the 20th.

Um anyway, I would move that we approve the draft of 4318 on first read and move it to the policy committee on Monday for further discussion. Second. >> It's been moved by Miss Byer, seconded by Joy Harrell Goff. Is there any other discussion?

All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> All right, it passes unanimously. Thank you.

And now we will move on to academic services starting with low performing school improvement plans for the um year uh 2526. Good evening. Good evening, Dr. Lewis and board and those of us joining us online.

Tonight, I bring before you our school improvement plans for low performing schools for the 2526 school year. Next slide, please. As part of our presentation, I will review the legal requirements, overview framework for continuous improvement, outline the school and central services collaborative supports, and continued opportunities for written feedback. Next slide, please. Our strategic plan is our

guide for our continuous improvement here in Durham public schools and ensures we are in alignment with the process the district for district and school accreditation. Schools are required to ensure goal alignment with their first three priorities and through the use of a comprehensive needs assessment build their plan for their school's needs. This may include goals aligned to additional priorities. Next slide, please.

While the continuous improvement process is steered by district and school leadership, the official documented plans are guided by state legislation. School improvement plans are to improve student performance and to follow the guidelines on this slide. It's also important to acknowledge that while the state assigns a low performing label based on narrow measures, those designations do not tell the full story of our schools. Behind every data point are educators, students, and family deeply engaged in hard work of growth across our district. Schools with designate this designation continue to show meaningful progress, strengthening instruction, improving culture, and

expanding what's possible for every child. These schools remind us that the label does not define the work the daily commitment to the students does. Next slide please. This year we are proud to share that seven schools have successfully exited low performing status of a reflection of the unwavering commitment of our students, educators and school leaders.

Each of these schools demonstrate that when we align support data and belief in student potential growth follows. Their progress represents not just improvement in performance measures metrics but a renewal of confidence, culture, and community pride. Next slide, please. Part of our continuous improvement cycle holds space for reflection. This evening, we would like to reflect and highlight one of our state designated lowerforming schools that has committed to a strong continuous improvement process and has seen consistent incremental positive student achievement growth. So though the state has chosen this designation, Bethesda is classified

as emerging under our our growthbased tiering system. An emerging school is one that shows early signs of improvement but needs additional clarity, coherence, and capacity building to accelerate its growth. Unfortunately, Mr. Wyoff had an emergency and is not able to be with us tonight.

I would still like to share some of the great work underway at Bethesda to make these outcomes possible. Through consistent progress monitoring and tailored support, Bethesda has seen a steady rise in the number of students mastering grade level standards across content areas. The Bethesda's team's focus on explicit teaching, collaborative PLC's, and the use of data to guide instruction has created a culture of continuous growth. Under the leadership of Principal Wyoff, Bethesda has strengthened school climate, reducing the number of major office referrals in comparison to this time last year to nearly half. A robust plan to improve attendance and reaching a 95%

positive teacher working conditions response to Bez Bethesda being a good place to work and learn. Bethesda's pro progress reflects the power of staying the course. steady intentional improvement that's translating to meaningful outcomes for our students. Next slide, please.

Since 2011, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction has used NC Star, a web-based platform powered by Industar to guide school improvement processes. NC Star serves as the state's framework for continuous improvement and aligns closely to our district strategic plan, supporting schools in both documentation and implementation of their school improvement plans. Next slide, please. Continuous improvement is both a science and a mindset rooted in research of Anthony Brick and colleagues at the Cardi Foundation for the advancement of teaching. Imple improvement science reminds us that lasting change happens when we learn from practice, study

variation, and build systems to get better over time. In Durham, we've adopted the same disciplined approach. Our continuous improvement cycles include six key components. Analyze data, identify gaps, reflect and collaborate, create action steps, implement, and then monitor and adjust.

It is not a linear checklist. It is an ongoing cycle of learning and refinement. Each phase builds on the last, allowing our schools to test ideas, study results, and scale what works. Because of this process, our school improvement plans are a living document.

Constantly evolving as teams review new data, reflect on outcomes, and adjust their actions. This ensures improvement isn't a one-time plan on paper, but an active process that drives real progress. Next slide, please. Some of the things we've done this year to ensure that we're supporting schools is ensuring that we've unified our

frameworks. We've aligned our four major models. Cognia, who we use for accreditation, MTSS, Industar, and the district strategic plan into one coherent system that promotes alignment, reduces duplication, and ensures every school improvement work directly advances district priorities. A shift from compliance move from compliance driven mild model to one that's grounded in coaching, collaboration, and differentiated support. We'll talk more about that on the next slide with our tiered supports strategic structures established district-wide oh go back one slide established districtwide routines at anchor improvement work instructional leadership teams structured PLC's monitoring calendars and data protocols to ensure coherence accountability and consistency 360 data for impact using four lens models student learning outcomes demographics school environment and implementation

fidelity to drive dataformed instructions and responsive monitoring through quarterly impact meeting district support plans and wraparound support sessions as needed. We continuously monitor, celebrate success and respond proactively to needs, ensuring every school receives the right support at the right time. Next slide, please. As the board has seen before, our DPS tiering system takes a gross focus strength-based approach to understanding school performance.

It provides a clear picture of where each school is in their improvement journey. Not just a label, but a guide for support by examining the domains, culture, leadership, engagement, and growth. We're able to identify what schools need most to continue moving forward. The taring process helps us align our resources and professional learning so that support is responsive not generic.

Let's ensure every school receives what it needs. Monitoring. Our approach to monitoring and support is built on proactive

support and supportive accountability. Focuses on what makes what schools are doing and how they know it's making an impact. Every school documents their process in NC Star and it's reviewed by our team. Written feedback and follow-up sessions ensure the school stays focused on both implementations and outcome.

This year, we've introduced impact meetings that occur quarterly for our foundational schools and with additional sessions scheduled when data suggests emerging concerns. All schools also engage in the midyear checkpoint that reflect and adjust in real time. These meetings are centered around key questions. What are we doing?

Is it working? How do we know? and what will we do next? The process allows us to intervene early before challenges become barriers by deploying coaching resources or a district support plan as needed. It also allows us to lift up best practices that are driving success in our schools and the district to identify and address systematic issues that require broader

solutions. Next slide, please. This timeline on this slide ensures schools are able to follow the continuous improvement cycle, receive support and implementation, and stay in compliance with state mandates and guidelines. Next slide, please.

All plans are available for public viewing. Families will receive information with an overview of school improvement planning, how to access the school's plan, and a link to provide written feedback. That feedback link will remain open to ensure families may have received the information and provide feedback. All feedback is shared with school principles and relevant feedback is then shared with school improvement teams for consideration.

Next slide, please. Thank you for your time. Again, this is for information. After time after that, you will have time to review. Our community will also have time to provide feedback and we will bring this back to you for approval. I open the floor for

any questions. >> Thank you, Miss Stevens. Colleagues, Miss Heragoff, no questions. Um just just a comment and and thank you so much.

I just wanted to lift up how in this presentation you you remind us that, you know, our low performing schools as, you know, labeled by our state mandates is not the true narrative of what's going on in our buildings. Too often, um, that title in and of itself assigns this narrative about our our students, our scholars, and our building professionals. Um, I would like to flip that and to remind people that sometimes when when you see a school that's been labeled low performing, those are the places where you're going to see some of the most incredible work. You're going to see some of the strongest kids um working through some of the greatest

challenges. And so those are the places that um we are also very very proud of. So all of those schools, I just wanted to lift up that, you know, we need to really just always keep that narrative in mind. And so I'm speaking to a lot of people because we all, you know, sometimes we hear the wrong things about that label low performing.

So thank you so much for lifting that out in this presentation. Absolutely. Other comments, questions, >> Miss Byer? >> No, I really appreciate that, Miss Herald.

And I appreciate that. Um we celebrate the um schools, seven of them that have shaken off this stigma that was put on by the state and did that without resources that can you know extra resources from the state which actually should have been put into the budget to support these schools. I look forward to a day in North Carolina where we actually put our money and resources into students that need them the most.

Um, and I just wanted to also lift up when you go to the site that all schools and their school improvement plans are on this website, not just low performing schools. So, any parent can >> find the um I've been looking at the tool over here. >> Absolutely. >> Anyone can go into Indie Star and look at their um school improvement plan with the passwords that are there and give us feedback before the 20th and I think we welcome that feedback and that input.

and it lists actually who within the school is on the school improvement team and there's usually parent reps, teachers and educators from everywhere. >> All of our schools have a parent rep. >> So, um, thank you for your leadership on this and thank you for for bringing this here for our public to have this with transparency. >> Great.

I ask one question. Thank you very much. Um, always love to hear about the continuous improvement process. Um, how can families access these in Spanish?

>> Yes. So, um, I will double check to make sure it's been moved to our new website. Our MRC is prepared that any family that contacts our MRC is able to go through their school improvement plan with them. The website doesn't offer an easy way to translate that in real time, but they are prepared and are um, trained on going through the system and helping families navigate that in their native language.

Thank you so much. I think um it it it raises the issue of what needs to change on the state level as well as far as language access. Thank you. All right.

Seeing no more questions, we will move on. Thank you so much. All right. Next, we have enrollment and program alignment update and in Dr. Pitman.

Good evening. Tonight we are pleased to come before the board to provide an update on our enrollment and our program alignment work that's been underway. Um, next slide please. So, in response to some requests from the board, this update tonight will include our in our current enrollment and we're going to be sharing that in the context of looking at last our end ofear enrollment projections as well as our current enrollment and some next steps as we continue working with enrollment data.

The second part of our presentation will be an update on the alignment of our exceptional children's programs and specifically our exceptional children's prek with our EC separate special programs. And then we'll have some time for discussion. As we begin, I would like to first introduce the members of the team who are with us this evening, some of whom you will hear from directly, but from our operational services team. Devin Mitchell, our

director of school planning. Vitali Ratsky, school planner, who will be presenting the enrollment update. Christian Brookshshire, school planner, who will present the EC specialized programs alignment update. And then additional members who are here with us this evening, Melody Marshall, our director of student assignment.

Karen Thompson, our director of early education, April Cheek, our director of EC preK. And at this time, I'd like to invite Mr. Vitali Ratsky to the podium. Next slide, please.

Good evening. Next slide, please. So, in this, sorry, I don't I can't see the screen. Um, but in this enrollment update, we're going to do four things.

So, first is to provide a preliminary enrollment update. Second is to compare the current year enrollment to two important benchmarks. So first last year's enrollment and

second the internal enrollment forecasts uh for 2526. Um third we're going to review a few contextual data points relating to this year's enrollment but with important caveats that we do not have official month 2 membership last day enrollment numbers yet and we also don't have a full explanation for these enrollment trends. So we just have some um some data that we can share but we don't have a full explanation. So we will and I will explain how we're going to get to that explanation.

Um and finally we're going to propose a more consistent timeline for reporting of uh enrollment data so that when we come to you we can have more information. Um so next slide please. So in this table you can see the enrollment of uh enrollment by grade um and comparing this year's enrollment 2526 against the previous year 2425 enrollment. So in column one you have the plan capacity by grade in the

district. Column two is the um is last year's enrollment membership last day month two. Uh column three is the utilization for last year which is just the enrollment divided by the plan capacity. Column four is the 2526 enrollment which is this year's enrollment with an important caveat that this is not membership last day month two.

This is just um unofficial kind of what was in the student information system on day 20. So it's not even official day 20 enrollment. It's unofficial enrollment numbers. Um and column five is the difference between this year and last year.

Um so comparing eighth grade this year against eighth grade last year, seventh grade this year against seventh grade last year. And and column six is the utilization for this year. Um so you can see that you know overall there are you know enrollment decreases pretty much across the board. Um and the total

uh number of students with these preliminary numbers and these numbers will change as we get official numbers um about a thousand students um down from last year. Um, you know, to summarize some of the findings from this table, um, the kindergarten enrollment, uh, decrease of 151 compared to last year, you know, may partially be explained by a dip in in the births of Durham County um, five years prior. And we'll have another slide on that before um, in a couple slides. Um, the other elementary grades are a little bit less clear at this time.

Um and then you know the big change in ninth grade. It's just very difficult to forecast ninth grade because there's a lot of things going on in ninth grade including um you know a lot of student retentions and so we don't know if this change is driven by a change in the number of retentions or the change in number of students or you know partially some of both. Um so you know we're like I said we're still working through some of a lot of this data and it's just coming in. Um next

slide please. Um so in this slide I just want to give a broad overview of how enrollment forecasting works. Um the graph shows DPS enrollment over the last about 15 years and you can see the red line indicates the COVID COVID year. Um and you can see that we had a pretty um straight trend since COVID.

Um and and in the big space on the right of the graph indicates like you know what's going to happen next and like well nobody knows what's going to happen in the future. And so the best we can do is to um provide a you know an enrollment estimate a forecast based on um understanding the context at the district level at the state level um and just using past enrollment trends as best as we can. Um and as you can see the past enrollment trends over the last five years have been pretty pretty straight. So, you know, when we did the forecast for this year, um the forecast

was pretty um constant enrollment. Um and so, you know, so the the the st the accuracy of enrollment forecast depends on, you know, basically the past trends continuing into the future. And so when there's a very sharp change, it's very hard for us to forecast that accurately. Um and um and then just a brief overview of enrollment data that we use to make these forecasts.

Um there's not like one enrollment number that's like everyone agrees on this is the enrollment number that should be used. Um there's four different numbers that the state produces or that we the districts produce and provide to the state. Um enrollment, average daily attendance, average daily um membership and membership last day. Um and then those numbers are collected for every month of the school year, right? So month one through nine and a final version. So for enrollment forecast, historically we

have used membership last day of month two. And so we try to compare apples to apples and compare those same data points each year. um with the understanding that membership last day of month two doesn't come out until the end of October and we usually don't get that data for a week or so afterwards. Um so that hasn't happened yet.

Um and so there like I keep saying there could be some changes with the numbers but um I think the basic story will be similar. Um next slide please. So this slide just illustrates how we've done with enrollment forecasting at the district level over the last couple years. Um you know the last well the column one is the actual um enrollment membership last day month two and then column two is the final forecast that we we used and columns three and four are the difference between between the forecast and the enrollment.

Um so as you can see over the last three years we've done a very good job with enrollment at the district level and so obviously forecasting each individual school or you know within that is more difficult but at the district level um we've benefited from very like constant enrollment trends. Um but this year as you can see um and uh you know there there there's a sharp change in in the enrollment and and and um and basically we had projected basically constant enrollment. So whatever we are off from last year is the same that is basically the same thing that we're off from the forecast as well. Um so next slide please.

So, so, um, now we're going to go, so those are the enrollment numbers compared to last year and compared to the forecast. And now we're going to go into a few just contextual slides to just give you an idea of some of the data that we're looking at. Um, but this data does not tell the full story and it's not going

to answer all your questions about um, enrollment change. But the first slide here is about um, resident live birth. So this is the number of students number of children born uh to Durham County residents each year. So as we can see where the vertical red line is there was a slight decrease in births um kind of the year of COVID though I don't know that it had anything to do with COVID.

Um and so you know those children now five years later are coming into kindergarten. So I mean it's not a big decrease. It's you know about a hundred students. So, you know, this probably does not ex explain all every, you know, all of the decrease in in kindergarten enrollment, but you know, it could be part of the story.

Um, yeah. So, next slide, please. So, another contextual factor is the enrollment by month. So, this just shows the the membership last day enrollment

at at each month during the last three years. And what I take away from this graph is there's a kind of wave like um uh pattern to enrollment throughout the school year. Enrollment tends to increase in the first two months of the year which is why we use month two and not month one when we do enrollment forecasts and then it decreases a little bit throughout the year and maybe increases a little bit in month nine. Um you know keep please keep in mind that the y ais here is quite uh zoomed in.

So like all of these changes are not very big changes at all um throughout the year but you know there is some change throughout the year. Um and it does look like in 23 24 there was less of a kind of enrollment decline in the second half of the year compared to other years. Um, and that might have something to do with enrollment increases last year, but you know, it's very, um, you know, hard to

take away um, definite lessons from this, but this is just data that, you know, we're looking at and looking for patterns and trends. Next slide, please. Um so this slide provides the um another contextual factor is the NC opportunity scholarship as I'm sure everybody knows about. So I just took data from this website in terms of the number of students in Durham County who ha who were um received an opportunity scholarship.

As we can see, it has gone up each year and it has gone up 360 students from from the previous year. Um, but it went, you know, and that might explain part of the enrollment change, but you know, it went up a thousand or 800 um, sorry, a thousand students, um, you know, in 2425 and we had enrollment growth that year. So, you know, it's it's this is definitely something that we're going to keep watching. Um but again this is just

contextual factors that we are keeping our eyes on. Um um next slide please. And then the fi final piece of u contextual factors is the charter school enrollment trends. And this just shows very simple enrollment trends over the last you know 15 years or so.

But it doesn't include this year. So we don't have this year's data um fully analyzed yet. Um and and yeah, and just charter schools are charter enrollment is something that we keep an eye on and um we can do more to see how to factor that into our forecast in the future. But um definitely something we're keeping an eye on.

Um next slide. So with those contextual factors out of the way um I'll talk about next steps. Um ultimately understanding their enrollment change is very important for for the accuracy of future forecasts and

also for district planning. And you know we do plan to do further analysis that includes enrollment by grade, race, ethnicity and region to get a better sense of like what groups of students are um driving enrollment change. You know comparing us against peer districts. you know, are is is this change happening at other districts across the state or is, you know, is it worse in DPS or is it better in DPS compared to other districts?

Um, and examining, you know, more carefully examining opt out to private charter homeschool. Um, and then in terms of the timeline for this analysis, you know, as I mentioned, enrollment data is not fully available before November, December, and it it takes time to analyze and and look at all these trends. Um and B usually our our typical process for enrollment forecasting which includes the analysis of past year's data and then turning that into forecast for the future is from November to March

each year. So you know we propose that um we come back in March or in March we have um by March we will have a better sense of an analysis of this year's enrollment and then forecasts into the for the next school years in long range forecasts as well. Um and then for June using that information um we want to um take that information into student assignment into a student assignment planning process which we can kick off in June and it can be a process that we do annually and and see how any changes to enrollment and enrollment forecasts um you know could possibly affect student assignment decisions in the future. Next slide please. So along those lines, um the the plan um

for continuous student assignment planning is is first to um continue our collaboration with the DPS Foundation and and Duke University through the Spencer grant to analyze growing together. Um we started a a long range planning working group. um that will meet and and and um manage the long range forecasting and the annual forecasting process and and suggest student assignment um changes. Um and then and these changes are covered under policy 4150 which um or suggest that we review student assignment every year and provide a um update you know every five years at least. I think that is it for me.

Thank you. Next slide. All right. So, um while this topic is not directly related to enrollment, it's another topic for which the board had requested an update on.

Um, and I will add that enrollment is one of many factors that DPS considers when looking at um, placement and new classrooms for um, EC specialized programs. So, next slide, please. One of the main goals of Growing Together was a student assignment plan that affords an equitable geographic distribution of suitable classrooms for the district's EC specialized programs and affords space to meet Durham County's goal to expand prek access. So to achieve this goal, staff from the exceptional children services department, early education and school planning meet regularly to facilitate aligned EC continuums, the highle identification of spaces for future prek and improved regional access for EC focus areas. Next slide.

This slide offers a highle overview of the process. So initially each elementary school is reviewed for the number of um full-size classrooms, the existing academic programs at those schools and the um EC focus areas available within the same region. So recommended placements for every elementary school could be fulfilled through relocations um or through opening new classes. And in a few instances, the focus area that was at a school uh for an EC prek class was changed to align with the EC K5 classes that were already at that school. So elementary EC continuums are either two or three classes depending on the size of the school. So some school for some schools for K5 might have two where there's a K2 and a 35 and some schools have a K1 2 3 and four five in addition to at least one EC preK class and then the timeline for relocations and new classes uh is is always subject

to budget staffing and facility constraints and mainly that would be like an upgrade to a classroom to make it suitable for an EC or preK program. Next slide, please. So, this slide illustrates an example from the east region of how alignment and expansion efforts reduce transitions for students going forward. So, Oak Grove Elementary is the example.

Um, they previously had a prek AAU class for students with autism and related disabilities, a preKDN class for students with developmental needs, and at the time they had the K5 COE program as well. So, a pre-K student in an AU class who needed to stay in the AU program for kindergarten would have had to um they would have likely stayed within the region, but they would have moved to Merrickmore or Spring Valley to continue on for kindergarten. So, today with some of the program moves that we've um that DPS has made that preKU would likely start at Merrick Moore or

Spring Valley. And so, in addition, you'll see the the new classes in bold on the slide. So that Merrick Moore now has a prek class and then it's also noteworthy that um Spring Valley expanded its continuum during this time frame adding the four five class as well. And then for the the prekdn example, uh that student would have if they needed to continue on to DN for kindergarten, they would have been assigned out of the region and likely had to go to Hull or Lions Farm to for their the rest of their elementary education.

And today that prekdn student could start at Oakrove and stay at Oakrove now that there is an expanding K5 continuum at Oakrove. Next slide please. So as of the this school year, the alignment work is complete, meaning that there are no more mismatches between one type of EC preK program and the K5 EC program at a school. So since the 2324 school year, there have been 10

classroom moves for alignment and seven new classes for expanded regional access. For the next school year, there are three more new EC classes pending to either expand or complete continuums at schools. And beyond the next school year, there are nine schools that could receive additional programs, and that's contingent upon demand for those seats. Um, continuous monitoring of enrollment at those schools and capital improvement plans.

So, we will look forward to keeping the board updated on our continued progress and we're available to answer questions now. >> Thank you, Miss Brookshshire, Mr. Radsky, colleagues. there. Anybody shar >> um thank you all for the presentation.

It's really helpful to get some of those numbers and see where we are. Um I'm excited about this alignment for some of our um exceptional children programs. I talked to families who said I had to go here and then I had to go here then I had to go here where I had other students in other places, right? And so how are we making sure that is as easy as possible?

So I really appreciate that. Um the enrollment data is sobering I think for us and I think as a board member I'm thinking what do we need to do to make sure families know that we're the best option um for their family. And so I know there's more um information to come around predictions and and kind of deeper analysis on that because I did have that question. I was like in a previous presentation we talked about enrollment increasing.

How does this number maybe change that? But I'm also interested in um maybe like programmatically or marketing. I don't know if this communications programs like how are we thinking about making sure that we are positioning ourselves um as the best option. Are there lessons

learned from the numbers regarding the programming pieces that we might need to be considering implementing um on so how how can the numbers help us tell the story around the kind of academic pieces as well. But thank you all. >> Yeah. >> Shall we plug the showcase of schools on November the 22nd?

come and learn about all the wonderful things happening across every school in Durham public schools. Thank you, >> Miss Byer. >> So, can I be explicit more explicit that this is um I look forward to you all having the month two data and I hope that there is some uptick as we've reached out and found children. I'm concerned that um immigrant families may be um impacting our data in in explicit

ways as the national climate has changed. I also want to call out explicitly to our families as you saw in the data released that your best choice is Durham public schools when more choice is not always better and you can be doing harm by enrolling your child in a Durham charter school. I look forward to the day when charter schools actually have accountability and um we put a cap back on them in North Carolina. But this um ex exponential growth in charter schools across the state has actually done harm to students and families. Charter schools typically are more racially isolated and um they do not actually um provide in the best ways for the needs of exceptional children and transportation and and meals and interpretation services. Um research is solid on that nationally, but especially with our lacks oversight in North

Carolina. I also want to call out explicitly to our families that are in private schools and taking public taxpayer money for your child's private education. Stop. You don't have to do that.

And it's explicitly when put to voters, state after state after state, people vote down vouchers. They don't want taxpayer money going to typically religious schools. And that is what the majority of these schools are in North Carolina. Over twothirds of them are religious.

People can choose whatever they need to choose for their children, but taxpayers don't need to fund it. Um, and so in Durham, let's be different. I had a friend that said, if we if we believe in all things beautiful and equitable and fair and the diversity of our beloved community, let's be in school together. So, I look forward to ways that um we can continue to to uplift those

shared values together um for our children and model that. Um yeah, I I didn't come up with any questions, but um I hope that this data starts to pick up. I hope we learn stuff from the national grant that we uh won with um the Sanford School at Duke. And I hope that um families will consider that individual choices impact the collective good um and that together we can do differently in Durham.

Um so I appreciate all this work and and look forward to highlighting all the great things in Durham public schools. Thank you'all. Miss Cardan, um, I am eager to learn more and eager to hear more about the questions y'all are

going to be asking and who you're going to be talking to and um because the fact is people are families are choosing to leave because they perceive that another school is better for their family and that's their choice, right? that they can make. But they're not only leaving, they're staying. So they're leaving to go stay in a charter or to move from one charter to the next or to a private school and then they're not coming back to Durham public schools.

Some of them come back, but not all of them. We saw that what happens throughout the school year. So I think I want to learn what's making them leave and then what's making them stay so that we can then work to do better to be the school district that serves the needs of all the students so that they want to be here and they want to stay here in Durham public schools not just because it's the morally right thing to do but it because it's what's best for their children and the children of our community both of those things. So I guess I'm my question is can you share a little bit more with us about your plans to like a little bit deeper

into your plans to explore this and when we will get an update on what you've learned and with what frequency we might be getting those updates >> to explore the question >> specifically about the Spencer grant and that evaluation of the growing together project or what >> um right that and any other work that your departments are doing to look at the why behind the data. Does that make sense? >> I'm not sure. >> We had some conversations when we were um looking at this presentation in in cabinet.

Um you know, we do exit surveys for our staff. Um are there opportunities for us to do exit surveys or u for our families that that leave us as it relates to the w but here's the thing. Typically um our our families um they are committed to their school, right? And so as we think about what our schools can do to ensure that if there's an upset parent or or sometimes it's just word of mouth from other parents that are enrolling that have that have

their current child enrolled in a charter school that are you know having these conversations with our parents um about you know this this myth that charter schools equals better. Well, I mean, we know just based on our data that um if I could steal Mari, what's Mari's last name? U Povich Mari to talk. So, uh that is a lie.

Um our schools, 89 88% of our schools uh met or exceeded growth, while 71% of charter schools met or exceeded growth. And it was five charter schools that had negative growth index. And so for for this um misconception to be out in the community that charter schools equal better is just certainly not um not the case. So yeah, we can absolutely dive a little deeper as it relates to and maybe question and begin to interrogate when parents decide to go to the school to disenroll um you know have some a way to really catch some data as relates to why they're deciding to to pull their their

children. But here's the other thing. We also know that of the 115 um eleas across the state of North Carolina, 112 lost enrollment. And so it's it's it's a state and na dare I say national on the council of great city schools conference and on the call today large conversations about districts consolidating their buildings due to um low enrollment.

And it goes back to this attack on public education and what I want our families and communities to know that charter schools are not private schools. they are public schools as as well, but when they send their kids to the charters, they that money follows them and then when they decide to get upset with the charter school and come back, the money doesn't come back with them. And so I know there's a long um answer to your question, but yes, we can look at ways as to as it relates to collecting more data from our from our families. M >> well just a as a followup what you reminded me of is the as was noted before the importance of the

communication strategies we're using and the marketing that we're using right and I think we've been digging in like we've been doing some of that but I think we have to continue to get more innovative as these attacks on public education are happening how are we communicating [clears throat] what you know what happens in charter schools that maybe doesn't happen in our school or what the value is that we have that is not in others because we can I think we've been making good strides there, but we have to keep doing better as we're facing more and more of the push back and the attacks. So, and I've been sharing those graphics, those slides that our office of public affairs have created around our most recent data with our chamber partners, with our higher ed partners. Uh we also have begun a series called Higher Ground. Uh Sheen, do you mind sharing a little bit about Higher Ground where we're telling our own stories about our individual schools as well on social media? >> Absolutely. So from our recent um data release, we are taking a deep dive into the work that those schools are doing um through that um series called Higher

Ground. It has debuted on social media and those stories are on our website and we've received positive feedback not only from the school communities but also from others who are really ecstatic about the work that is happening in our schools. So we're going to continue that series in the next few weeks. In addition, I do want to speak to some of the um more direct marketing strategies that we are working on and deploying in our office.

One of the things that we've started this year is direct email campaigns to um students who are transitioning from fifth fifth grade to sixth grade and also 8th grade to 9th grade. Do being very explicit about their options, telling them about opportunities, encouraging them to um explore their school options and also talking about the programs that are available to them in Durham public schools. All of that starts and that's already started actually and will lead up to the showcase of schools and beyond through the lottery process to make sure our families are well informed. So, it's also not only recruiting our students but retaining the ones that we have and that work is already underway.

>> I think I'm really excited to hear about that marketing work. I think the other things I want us to wrestle with is like I'm looking at how many elementary school students and I'm wondering how many didn't have afterchool programming and so the families were like I need to go where my afterchool programming is available or how transportation or challenges with that also have impacted these numbers. So, I think there's some marketing and strategy that we need to do, but there also is some um things that as a district we need to make sure we have the full options for families as well. Um because we know that's been a challenge for the last couple of years and and people are making decisions and you know, charter school growths aside, families make decisions what they believe is in the best interest of their kid and in their family.

And so, I I personally try not to villainize too much because people are making decisions when they think is best. and sometimes we aren't the best options because of things that we haven't improved on. And so how do we make sure we also do that improvement as well um for families? So

um thank you so much. Uh I also look forward to more analysis and I appreciate everything you've provided here. So thank you. Thank you Dr.

Pman and you Thank you. All right, we pretty much stuck to our 30 minutes. That's great. And now we are going to our C which is Chromebook repair service contract.

>> Sorry I didn't bring any presentation here. Um but with questions. >> Thank you. There's no presentation.

>> No. >> All right. We just have questions. All right.

We will start with vice chair writers. >> Um I appreciate you being here since I pulled this from the agenda. I think my colle Thank my colleagues for indulging

me. I think my first question would be the preced indicate uh which attorney reviewed this. Can you share any information about the attorney that reviewed the contract? The contract that we use um is the standard DPS um services contract which has already been reviewed by uh Wendell Tabb.

Uh it's a standard contract that we do use uh which has been reviewed way before. So it wasn't a new drafted contract if I may add. >> Okay. >> It's one that has been um advised I think by financial by the finance department for us to use.

So yeah. >> Okay. Um, and then I emailed a question about uh the value in the contract not matching the value in the precy. Um, has that has that been updated?

>> Yes, like I indicated that was a clerical error. U the price on the contract should match what's on the prices. on the prices we had 675,000 that should be the price um on the contract and I indicated that um if

approved uh the contract that will be brought forward for the board chair to sign will have the correct amount on it I don't think it was updated in the documents that you have um but yes >> the one that's in board docs doesn't match >> that's the one that has the clerical error yes >> is there anything else that's changing in the different in the contract that you're going to bring like is I'mstead expected to read all 90 pages of this contract to make sure that it hasn't changed. Can we bring back the corrected one? >> Can bring back the corrected one. Yes.

So, we'll get that tonight. And so, do we want to um hold off on on approving it then? And so, we'll we can take a vote when it's

available. >> So, yeah, I have another question and I think this is for Mr. Teter around I'm sorry. um around the open PO, how what impact does an open PO that switches fiscal year have on our budget cycle?

Because this is this contract is going to run from November of 25 to November 26. So, it's switching fiscal years. Can you how will we get a clean audit if we still have a open PO? >> I think logistically for that purchase order, he has um it it looks like it will be split funded in nature, right?

So he's using uh a portion of state technology funds for this as well as the local resources collected from the technology fees. Um so they will need to spend down the state portion first uh and make sure those are exhausted uh during this year. Um, and then when we um when we roll that purchase order into the next fiscal year, we'll only be able

to roll that local part that's from the school technology fees and it'll roll for the balance of that PO coming from the local technology fees that have been collected. But then any invoices received or services rendered in 24 or in 2526, right, we'll have to make sure that those are paid uh against this year's funds. And then um whatever we roll into next year on that PO will have to be only for anything that we do from July to November. So we'll just have to work with technology to manage that carefully.

>> Okay. The other question that I asked about was reporting to the board because this is significantly higher than we uh generally do over a long period of time. Um, and the answer was yes, it will be reported to the board, but there was no uh demonstration of what that timeline would look like or um

when the board should expect to have updates. Part of me wonders if we should be considering a six-month contract that goes to the end of the fiscal year and then opening a new contract. Uh >> um we have >> for the coming year, >> right? I just want to clarify on the data.

That data is available every month. We can provide that data if needed. Every three months depending on what the board prefers. Uh we can always report back on what how many repairs we've encountered, what we've spent on those repairs.

That's data that's available. >> Thank you. That's all I got for now. Um I have a somewhat related question and it is about like the well it's about how much we should be approving now. Um given the fact that we are this falls within the larger long-term plan for devices in the district and it was committed to us that we would have a long-term plan by early spring before

March if possible. So, I'm wondering, it feels weird to approve something that's going to extend beyond that when we're going to be getting more information then on whether we will continue to need this or whether how this will fit into the bigger plan. So, I guess I'm wondering, can we just approve something that lasts until we get the plan or lasts until February and then in February we rethink this and we might need to modify it based on what we hear and we decide together is our long-term strategy because I it feels very much like we're still tackling things peacemeal when it comes to Chromebooks. Um, and I want to as a board and as a district be thinking about it starting with the big plan and then how do we work with the repairs and with the new devices.

So curious to know how that would affect your ability to do your work and to make sure that all kids have their Chromebooks. >> It wouldn't really affect um the main reason why we brought this contract before you is damages and repairs are happening every day. uh every day kids are damaging

devices and we do send out those devices out. Um we could do that and every month we're spending 30,000 which you would never want of because it doesn't come to the board. Okay, we could, hey, devices get broken, we send them out, they fix them, they come on back, we pay that 30,000, we pay that 40,000, we pay that 50,000. Um, at the end of the data accumulates, it comes to 500,000, 600,000.

Uh, I'm pretty sure when the audits come in, you'll see that we spent 600,000 on repairs. We never got to know this. So, this was more of bring to you saying we have what's happening here. We have 20,000 Chromebooks out of warranty.

They're breaking every day. We are sending them out every day and we're spending money every day. So on one hand we could keep spending a thousand every day or we could be straight up with you um accountability responsibility and say hey we are planning on from the trends that we're looking at we're likely to spend 500,000 and we just wanted to come let you know that way you approve this spending ahead of time. Um but your point it would it wouldn't affect um the

operations that we're running. We're just trying to be transparent to say from what we're seeing we're spending 30,000 every month. It's going to add up. Um, but it wouldn't affect our operations because like I indicated when students break devices right now, they open a help desk ticket, we send it to the vendor, they fix it, they bring it back because we've already seen the prices and for us not to interrupt operations.

Uh, we can't just sit back and say sit it back. That would be a kid without a device. Um, we have some spares that we have going on around, but again, that would be kicking the can down the road. So, um to answer your question, I don't think it would affect that much um cuz it would either fall within um price ranges that can still be paid and gone ahead, but we just didn't want that bill to accumulate.

At the end of the day, you wonder why how we came to spend 500,000 in repairs. So, this was more of this is what's planning to happen and this is what want to bring to you. So, I don't know if that answers the question, but >> um I think so. Thank you. Uh, but I have a couple couple of follow-up questions.

So, it wouldn't delay your ability to repair devices if you do it that way and it wouldn't cost us more. It's just that that those those expenses would be kind of under the radar of the board because we wouldn't need to be approving them. So, do we prefer to just approve a larger sum now giving you this permission within with a with a with a wall or a limit or would we prefer you to just do as needed? I'd be curious to hear what my colleagues have to say about that and then also about the idea of approving something um until we get this bigger onetoone device plan and then kind of rethinking our solution for repairs and what we're willing to approve for um repairs at that point. And just add on in the plan that we plan to bring we show that comparison of hey we are spending 800,000 on repairs over here but if we go for a refresh we'll be performing this much. So I just want to let you know that that will be that comparison will be highlighted in the

plan. >> Just want to add to to that and just be clear there is no configuration that we can present that will not require us to repair Chromebooks. Um, students use Chromebooks every day. Um, there will be calls for us to repair them, whether we continue with a full-on one:1 um, configuration, whether we shift to a day user configuration, uh, K5, 68 or K12, we will always have to repair, um, Chromebooks. And so, I just want to be clear. Uh our hope is that you know and and I think what the data has told us so far is that um the more students use uh devices in a day user mode um the the fewer repairs we have to find because they transport them uh you know between home and school

less. And you know there seems to be a pretty close tie between you know the number of repairs and losses that we have um you know to that to that configuration. Um but but just to be clear there's no configuration that we can create that is not that is going to is going to alleviate the need for us to repair Chromebooks. >> Miss Miss Cardott and then Cherstead.

Um, thank you. And it sounds like there are some changes that were that are being considered that might reduce the the repairs, reduce the cost of repairs, right? We've talked about that and you just named some of them, right? The day user model. And I think we've talked also about ways that we could continue to um support our staff and our students in taking care of their devices so that we reduce repairs. I'm not saying that we're we we're not going to always be

paying for repairs. Of course, we are. That would be a unicorn world where we didn't have to repair devices. But I'm saying that we have to consider that and the cost of devices more holistically when we're thinking about how to move forward in this climate of fiscal um uncertainty with limited resources.

How much are we spending on the repairs? How much on the devices? Who's getting what? And when.

That should all be a package that the board has an opportunity to look at together and receive recommendations from those in the district with expertise and who are who are thinking forward to the future. >> Yeah. I but I I think the way we approach that is is frankly with this kind of structure where we provide a a a prey and a proposal with a a number as a maximum that we're going to spend. Right? And to be clear, you know, our our focus is going to be and and will continue to be on making that num reducing that number as much as possible

and taking every step we can we can to do that. And as we identify, you know, savings in terms of that process, you know, I think that the number is $675,000. you know, if it becomes clear that that we don't and we again, it is our hope that we won't need that that amount of money, you know, those funds can, you know, go back into the coffers as we think about, you know, other pieces of our instructional um our technology um configuration. Um so, but I, you know, your point is well taken. Um but I again I just want to clarify um you know we have the set of Chromebooks that we have a large majority of them are outside of um warranty. Um they are aging devices and so um we certainly going and and I understand that you share that we're certainly going to need to repair them um consistently.

Mr. I was just going to say that um I um my understanding is that the funding that's using that we're using you know that number was set based on what we've historically been spending already and that our Chromebooks we do have to maintain them and so I'm in favor of approving um that number with the cap on it understanding that hopefully they won't reach that number that but they'll have it available rather than it coming back because it's not um knowing the number of Chromebooks we have. It's not to me um the number is not any different than what it has been historically for what we need to do to maintain what we currently have. So I really um appreciate the systems that they're building um as we're thinking about whether you know what's going to be one to one and so forth and so on. But um having that number up front for me feels more realistic knowing that there's a

cap on it and then they're coming back if they if they have to go beyond if they see that it's we're about to go beyond this then it will be coming back to the board for us to revisit. Um, but I don't think it's unrealistic that we would be that this would be needed. And even if we do have a, you know, this amazing funding and we're able to do this this massive um technology refresh, we're still going to have to figure out ways to build and sustain um all of our systems, our, you know, for technology, for maintenance, all of these things have to be part of our the way that we structure our our um budgeting. So, I see this as a step towards that.

I I appreciate having the number up front. Um, my one question is, do we anticipate savings by engaging in the contract this way versus how we're using it now? >> So, um, and I'll get Mr. Majama to come

back. A couple of things I wanted to uplift and remind the board of of your already gracious approval. So, with our new 2000 devices, we have an a lot of of Chromebook cases which mitigate against one of our highest um frequency um repairs, which is uh repairing the screen. Um and so me and Mr.

Maji have talked about and strategized on how we get more cases in the hands of 612, which is where we have our high level of damages and loss mitigations. Um so, we're going to see a cost savings just in that. The other thing is that those 2,00 devices are also under warranty. So if anything happens to those devices um then we do not pay for those um those are under warranty under the Lenovo contract.

Right now we have almost 70% of the devices that are over six years old and they are under no warranty. And so that's why we're incurring and crewing all these costs. And so a part of that one to one plan is for us to make a decision as a district to say what do we envision ourselves to be as

the premier school district is it maintaining one to one which means that we would phase out these older devices which actually cost more as we repair them frequently. Um so if you think about a device that's six years old going through a child's hands it may depending on the student have 10 repairs which may even exceed the cost of the original investment in the device. So, we at that point in the row where we have to think about just logistically and philosophically in terms of education, who we aspire to be as a district. Um, in terms of the contract, it locks us into that rate.

Um, and so bringing things at a six months, what we commit to in the first six months may not be that rate that they give us in the next six months. , that's the rate in which we're locked in for all our repairs for the year. Um and so I think that the the number that we gave you is the number based on the the last most recent four months as well as looking uh longitudinally at our data over the last year. Last year as

you know we had lots of loss, lots of damages and we've put structures in place in terms of our onetoone um inventory systems um managing our assets in a way that is systematic across all schools. So there's several I don't want to bel labor um at uh 821 um but we have have several mitigating strategies that we want to come back to the board and show you those cost savings. However, we want to be upfront because previously what happens is we've been making those repairs monthly. They were never at a standard to come to the board. And so it it we're trying to do due diligence and it's and then it also feels like that due diligence is is is not um exactly what the board wants. So we are happy to come back but we want to put ourselves in a space where we can really know exactly what we have plan that out map that out and make sure that we have something that we can sustain for this year as we go into whatever that new one to one vision looks like and bring back the board that data um that can help us make good decisions and choices.

>> U Miss Car was going to say thank you. The way that you explain that is really helpful and it makes me feel more comfortable with this and to better understand the um the locking in of the rate and we are not beholden and it looks like we will need to spend that money eventually. We're not going to be wasting money or putting money down that's not going to be used for repairs and we are going to be having you as as you've noted already looking at this um more comprehensive plan that includes the repairs. So, thank you.

Millicent Rogers. >> Yes. Um, thank you. And, um, the clarity helps us feel more settled.

So, just because we ask questions doesn't mean that we don't want you to do the due diligence, that we don't want you to bring the best. >> Um, there just were some clarifying questions that would help put us at ease about approving this contract. >> It's a lot of money. We appreciate you

being here to answer those questions. Yes, it is a lot of money. >> It is. >> Yes.

So, just remind me one more time that we do anticipate savings with this. >> We do. We anticipate savings savings from number one, we have a a small uh subset of our devices that are actually covered under warranty and prior to this, we were repairing all of our devices because they are over six years old. The second one is mitigating strategies in terms of having more Chromebook cases on devices.

>> Right. Sorry, I'm stop you miss but just thinking about numbers as far as how much we would have spent on sending things out last year versus the number of $675,000 for this year. That's lower than probably what we may have spent last year. I I hear you like we have 2,000 new devices.

So, those are ones that might not get sent, but like as far as like just number-wise, is that is this number lower or or equal to what we spent on repairs last year? >> It is an approximation of what we spent last year. And we anticipate having

less, but we want to ask you for what we what we have already had in repairs longitudinally, knowing that we have some of these mitigating strategies. We don't anticipate exceeding this. We anticipate it being lower. >> Understood.

Okay. um being lower, but it could be still close to what we had last year because the real long-term strategy around making repairs cheaper is having new devices. >> Correct. As well as some other in-house things.

Yeah, >> the cases. Thank you so much. Right. I do not carry my phone without a case because I know I will drop it.

And I just think that is us doing our due diligence around making sure we'll take care of our devices. >> Exactly. So, um anyway, I'm sorry. Thank you, Miss Byer.

So, I think I appreciate the the transparency and bringing this actually as a big contract to make clear to the public that this is what we're investing in these devices. And I also take responsibility that we let these devices get too old. Um because we talk about the life expectancy of a Chromebook.

It's three or four years. We've got these COVID era ones that we bought with federal COVID money and we didn't not not you. We didn't plan for them well enough as we went forward with oneto one. And so are you taking some of them out of circulation when they are not worth repairing?

Can you talk about that so that our public knows that we're not just throwing good money after bad devices. >> That's correct. And I think Miss Sidbury did allude to that. There are some Chromebooks I mean we've already shown examples of what the damages are.

Um, some Chromebooks the cost to repair is more than the value of the Chromebook itself. Uh, so that's what we've been having. We've told the vendors that if the Chromebook is more than $200 to repair, put it aside. Okay.

So, yes. So, Chromebooks where the invoices are $250 and you're like, a new Chromebook is $300. We're not we're not doing that. So, yes, we really try to look at what the cost is and if it does make sense, we do. Um, we put the cap at $200 saying if the repairs are more than that, put

it aside. We'll use it for spare. Yes. And that would include damage screen damaged everything.

But yes, we do. We do. >> I appreciate that. And I appreciate that being part of the rubric that you bring forward in the spring because we've got to get where if it's 150, we're not putting 150 into a $300 device.

Like there is a there is a depreciation on that is very quick on a Chromebook and the technology is still advancing pretty quickly. So, um, thank you all. We are we ready for a motion or no? >> I think we need the new >> You're going to upload the >> We need to upload the revised contract. So, board members, are you all okay with us moving this to the I don't know where that process is and being uploaded, but let's move this to um so let's so let's move it to 5B or yeah down here under board of education

for chairstead if I may can I um update the board and public on one more thing I just wanted to sing the praises of the information techn technology team um because they have new um members of the team now that are actually training in house on some of those small more menial um repairs that we sent out for like keyboard keys and um they say all types of words I don't understand the motherboard and the headboard and shipboard um but I will just say that a part of that mitigating strategy is that now we do have um different personnel in information technology that can are now training each other on how to do some of those repairs in house as well as u Mr. Mjumi has an excellent um entrep um um internship with students who are also being trained on making those repairs. So we are doing some that team is doing some great work. >> Awesome.

Thank you. I was going to say I hope we have some students in um doing some of those repairs and things too. Great skills for them to learn. Um so we'll move if we if the board is okay if we move that to 5B and then um that

would be just approval of the contract and no additional discussion. um so that staff hopefully can go home and don't have to wait for that to come. Is that sound okay? All right.

Do we need to do a new motion to approve a new agenda for moving an item? I move that we take that we move um whatever this item is the Chromebook contract >> the Chromebook repair service contract to be the new item 5B >> second >> been moved by Miss Ber seconded by Miss Golf is there any other discussion all those in favor say I >> any oppose it passes 60 this uh Chavez had to step out and she will be returning shortly. So the next item on our agenda we are going to

the development of the legislative steering committee. Pass that over to vice chair Rogers. >> Hi everybody. Thanks colleagues for um allowing this opportunity on the agenda.

Um I wanted to have a conversation as a board about whether or not we wanted to host a board of education legislative steering committee. And so in previous years, members of the board would put together our legislative agenda um for a presentation with the local delegation. I wanted to see about uh our desire to get more community input, take some of that um off of the board so that we are both uh being attentive to what's happening um in the North Carolina legislature and having our constituents be involved in that

process as well. So, we're we're paying attention to what's happening and thanking them for the good that's happening. uh talking amongst ourselves about all the proposals that are going through or not going through the appropriations committee, the education committee, etc. Uh and use community input to guide our legislative priorities.

I also think it could help us in navigating the way we interact with the state schoolboard association uh with peer districts uh and their boards as well as the big 12 districts. Um so the next slide so my proposal is that we develop a 15 member or 16 member however many many member shall decide uh legislative steering committee that has a balanced diverse group of stakeholders who can represent various perspectives within the education ecosystem in order to uh shape effective legislative priorities. Um,

and so that means advocacy on all levels at the county commission, at the state level, and um, around what's needed for durm students. Next slide. Um, I put together a list of a proposal of uh, composition people we should do outreach to to see if they want to be a part of this work, a part of this process. they're consistently showing up and advocating for public schools um wanted to make sure that people knew that this is a voluntary thing um and not something that they are required to do, but we would like to have this sort of representation.

As I was thinking this through, you know, I've talked to some of y'all about this. I asked if anybody's interested in leading this, Miss Herald Goff is interested in co-leading with me. Um, and so I'd like us to continue to have conversations. I

do know that we received an email just ahead of this meeting uh to include uh the Durham Association of Exceptional Durham Advocates for Except didn't they change their name recently? Okay. Durm Advocates for Exceptional Children. I'm not opposed to it.

I also see space if we don't want to add another person another space that they could also apply through lots of other spaces in this place. Uh EC associated advocates can apply in lots of different of these positions, but I'm happy to add another space for them and that's entirely up to y'all. It's also possible that we may not get anybody interested in some of these designations to apply or show interest. Um, next slide please.

Um so the goal would be that this uh steering committee would at least twice with members of the durm delegation on legislative priorities and things that are happening. And so the hope was to develop a draft legislative priority list for submission to our body um in January, but it looks like we won't have our first meeting until January. Um, but we want to be geared up and ready for when the general assembly comes back for spring session. Um, and then our a we would have asks of steering committee members to share with the greater durm community how, when, and where to advocate for better policies that improve student outcomes for durm students.

we, you know, social media posts, letterw writing campaigns, whatever they decide amongst themsel, you know, is the right thing to do. You know, a way to share talking points. Um,

and then develop the legislative priorities for us to use as we go into conversations with the delegation, county commissioners, with other boards of education so that we're all advocating for public schools across the state. Um, next slide. My proposal for what is I guess essentially an application process is that the form would go live tonight should we approve this steering committee and be turned off on December 7th in order to get a solid list um to board members um for the agenda deadline that will be posted that Monday. And so that is a Sunday and then the board would pro approve the list because it is a committee of the board um at our December work session on the 10th and after that a doodle poll will be sent to all the members to schedule the first steering committee and then we

as a collective would identify the chair or co-chairs of the committee and then at that first meeting of the steering committee there will be a secretary elected is responsible for submitting the minutes to the board members that serve as the chair of the committee and then the board clerk and chair of the board of education. And we'll also get um a calendar approved of meetings so that um we can submit them to the board for approval and posting. And then the next slide talks about considerations um beginning with the NCSBA legislative agenda, NCA legislative agenda, PTA's legislative agenda, and then priorities based on member needs, what they're hearing in community, what they're attentive to, uh develop talking points on current legislation. I also would like this to be our committee as a board, right? I can't follow every

single policy or statute that's being uh developed for the general assembly and there are special interests from everywhere and so I hope that people will give their input and say hey the legislative committee needs to pay attention to this bill a heads up an alert or something will help so it's all of ours together um and then we can do the work of advocacy That's my last slide. I would I would like I think to answer questions. Joy, if you have anything you want to say. No, I'm just excited to be working collectively like this on putting together a legislative agenda that we can then share with community to advocate. I think that's strong um a strong direction in some community engagement work that um I'm very excited about. So that's why I said

I would be interested in working to help with this. Miss fire. >> So, I I appreciate you all um dreaming up this proposal that'll get us a more robust community engagement around um just legislative priorities and and working together as a community. I do like the idea of explicitly including someone from the Durham Advocates for Exceptional Children.

I think that um is a group that I could see needing explicit representation. And I wondered on your feedback form, I'm so glad you drafted it. Is there anything for someone to write beyond why? Is there a why? Is there collecting some narrative in case we get multiple people applying so that y'all can distinguish who's chosen? If you have more people applying in each category or just a paragraph or something, I just I didn't

click all the way through because I didn't want to apply. on your Google form, but I thought that might be helpful if we get multiples in different categories so that we can make appointments. >> Say why >> to write a brief paragraph about why you'd like to >> an open ending. >> Yes.

A uh less than however many words, 200 words, I don't know, you know, something like that. I thought that might be helpful. Any other feedback questions? I'll go to Miss Harog and Miss Miss Cart and then Joy Harrell Goff.

>> Um, thanks so much for bringing this to us. This is really exciting. I think this, um, has the potential to be really, really good for our district. Um, I just had a few questions that came up for me as I was reviewing [clears throat] the presentation and listening. Um, one was around the composition list. I agree that I would like for somebody from Durham Advocates for Exceptional Children to be included,

but it also makes me well I'm wondering like how is that list created and is there anybody else that might be missing that like I'm not thinking of right now or that we we haven't thought of and one that comes to mind is like a representative our immigrant population is really large here in Durham in Durham public schools and um policies that are coming down from the state and federal level are really relevant for that community we I don't know what that would look like to add them or if Sbrando Raises through um the Durham Public Schools Foundation might be an appropriate Yeah. Now I'm just brainstorming but maybe could you share a little bit about like what you were thinking of with this list and whether how we could think together about whether we've been we've included all that should be included. Um the list is based on what other districts have done. So I looked at um Guilford's legislative priorities

um some other priority uh legislative committees in the state and also included with council great city schools. Um it is not all-incclusive. Um, I'm also happy to put a other box on here and people can use their open-ended question to share uh where their affiliation is different. Uh, I do think that um anybody in all of these any in any box that we could check could be a high school parent, a middle school parent, teacher representative.

they could be a part of any community. And so I wouldn't like say it has to be this person, that person. So I'm open to doing an other box and people can say that they want to be included. Then we as a board in December will have to wrestle with how we um

reduce the number of people that are at the table for that conversation. >> Thank you. I think um relatedly I was wondering to build on what Miss Byer was asking around like asking for a little bit more information about why folks want to be involved is how will members be selected like if we have like five six high school parents for example that want to be part of this will there be a rubric or like what's the criteria what will that look like >> whatever the board wants and decides on on December 10th so I haven't put together a rubric or set any criteria. Um it's similar very similar to how we did the ad hoc committee on meet and confer how we did uh the list of people who applied to interview our superintendent candidates. Um and so we could just we would choose we could

also make it random, right? If we have five people that show up, we could do a will of names that show up is a DPSF representative. We could do a will of names for DPSF representative. Spin the wheel and the person selected is selected.

But I do I am looking at adding an open-ended question about what would you bring to the table? And I'm open to adding an other section uh to the form, but I don't it's not I'm not interested in eliminating anybody's voice or ability to serve. >> Yeah. As a follow-up question, um Miss Carter, are you thinking that somebody might not fall in any of these other categories that would want to represent? Like I'm thinking that we might have someone who's a parent or all any of these categories that also has a strong interest around um policies that impact immigrant

families or are you thinking that we need a separate category? Does that make sense? >> Well, yeah. I think in the same way that we wanted we're interested in representation from Durham Advocates for Exceptional Children.

I think I'm interested in lifting up the voices of those that like um may be most marginalized or may be most impacted by some of the policies right now. And so yes, anybody who's a high school parent or middle school parent could apply, but if we don't and I guess the board could then decide, well, we it's a priority for us, you know, whatever rubric we create to identify those that like whose voices we need to lift. So that could be one other way to do that. But no, I don't think they'd fall outside of those categories.

I was just like thinking and wanting to brainstorm together about who are we um who else should we intentionally include because we really want their voice in this group. Um that's helpful. I was just cur I was just I don't love the other category but um thinking about I mean I would love to make sure that there are representation

for our black families who often are marginalized in so many policies. I don't know how explicit we can get around our LGBTQIA families as well. I think the open-ended question might be helpful to allow for folks to expand on their interests that they're bringing to the table. Um, Miss Chavez. >> Oh, I'm gonna It's okay. Deser go >> I was thinking about that composition part also prior to and um since we're talking about it u I was thinking we could present it as more of a suggest a suggested list how many people do we want on the committee we don't want more than 15 you know just limit the number and then have a suggested you know we we're looking for representation that look you know you know and then let people identify themselves when they submit their interest so give some solid examples of of people, organizations, things that represent all of the things that we want to uplift and then just

leave it open for people to selfidentify in their opening, you know, in their question of how they, you know, so I am, you know, how would you identify what what, you know, what I don't know how you say it. What community are you representing that you want to bring to the table? and they could, you know, have the examples that you listed or, you know, in other, you know, in other things include an as an example as opposed to we're looking for just this, this, this, and this, and this. And then just cap it and see what comes in.

Um, saying we're looking, you know, to fill the these are some priority things that we're looking to fill. Here are some examples of people who could apply. You know, where do you fall and why are you interested? Miss Carter, I have more questions. Um we um we developed we okay we have a policy that's 2230 the board committee's policy

and then we developed a new policy to create a policy committee that outlines like all these details of like who's part of it how are decisions made how do those so is what are your as you're thinking about this like do we need a policy for this do we need to expand 2230 or like create because I know this board may be interested in like other committees in the future. Um, or is this something that feels very different? Like what what are you thinking about that and how is it in what ways is and why the way that I was thinking about this is a try before you buy kind of thing, right? So, let's see if it works out.

Let's uh figure out how uh people interact with each other. uh how the advocacy is streamlined naturally and try to create if necessary create policy around it. But for now would be just a steering committee. That would be like an ad hoc

um because they're not making any decisions about anything. they're just making recommendations um and see what happens because ideally if it functions and it functions well then we'll be able to have help as a community in monitoring how the general assembly is pushing the envelope for public schools and how well they're doing right and how it's impacting our students, but we will be better positioned to really put a policy in place that encompasses how this takes effect and is ready to go before the general assembly goes to fall session. Um, that makes sense. Um, and again, I love this idea. I'm excited about it. Um, the last thing I'll say is, um, as we've talked about before, when we're thinking about like who should be

thinking about legislative priorities, I would love for this group to eventually be talking to other districts and other boards at other districts because there's strength in numbers. So, as we're looking at advocacy at the state level, if we can band together with our um, folks from around the state, that would be amazing, especially if there's those that already have committees like this that you've been looking at. Okay. I'm not seeing another.

Okay. Miss Byer, can I make a motion that we approve a ad hoc legislative steering committee? The creation of a you know as described in the slides and the discussion here. >> Second.

Okay, it's been moved by Miss Byer, seconded by Joy Harrell Goff. Other is there other discussion? I have some questions, so I'll call on

myself. Um, [cough and clears throat] so and I was listening um in the back there, but pardon me if I missed anything. So, where we have the um let's see the list of uh um meetings made twice with members of the Durham delegation. Uh I just wanted to know when or like per per year or what what was the time bound piece of that also develop um when we talk about developing the priority list I would suggest we move that to December so that we can have it ready for January. In the past,

we've had our legislative breakfast um like the first week like January around January 5th. I think >> it was in March. >> The first couple years I believe that I was on the board. It was in January.

>> So, we're not planning to meet until January because we can't approve until the work session in December. So, the steering committee wouldn't be able to meet or have any basis until January because we don't want to meet during the holiday season or winter break. Um, remind me your first question. >> I knew I should have stopped doing that.

>> Yeah. Um, yeah. Anyway, meet um twice uh you said meet at least twice with members of the German delegation. Would that be per year or per something else?

>> This is as we try this before we buy it. We are not committing to an additional year. So at least twice between now and June 30th. Um and it doesn't mean all the delegates

will be there at the same time. It just means some members of the delegation some subset of the delegation. >> And has there been have you talked with members of the Durham delegation about meeting twice between now and June? >> Of course I have.

I've talked to Senator Titlick and Representative Hawkins um about this process. >> Um so I also had a question about the basis of selection. I like the idea of adding you know a question for people to share a little bit more about themselves. I support adding um DACK but I do think there are other categories of organizations.

I'm fine with the other category. Um, >> okay. So, my proposal around the other category is uh community member please describe to allow people to please describe themselves and how they >> are connected with DPS. That's all

because I don't like other because I don't like to be otherred and I don't want other people to be otherred and >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I think that's good because it allows for people from various organizations to apply and share why they, you know, um why it would be useful. Uh let's see.

And then will we'll select people by a vote. Okay. >> At the work session on December 10th. >> Okay.

And I was this added it can people can we make it so that people can check multiple categories and we can see what various boxes people fall into. >> We can. >> Okay. And then I think my last thing would be if we try this out then I think it's something that could be directed to the policy committee. >> Miss Byer looks looks confused. I'm

looking puzzled as to why an ad hoc needs to go to the policy committee to develop a well let me connect the dots there to develop a policy um that would outline it and make it more permanent and like we have with um mean confer like we have with the policy committee. It seems like policy is a good place to um to kind of formalize the policy that we would like and it would give it more uh structure so as we learn what works. >> Yep, that's helpful. One of the uh recommendations that I made to the policy committee was to uh tweak the policy stand uh policy committee policy, not the policy committee, the commit board committee's policy. And so it could be that the board would set this up as a standing committee if it works and then whomever is leading it kind of

put the teeth in it. It doesn't have to be done the exact same way every time. But I don't know. I don't know if if the way we function works then you might want to do that.

And so I would think when you get to that policy you would be like oh let's think about this. >> Great. All right. Um, chairstead >> do like the idea of revisiting the board committee's policy versus specific policies for everything, but that's different.

I did want to ask this would this um legislative committee does that change our board meeting with the durm delegation? Like would we also meet still with the durm delegation? This would be an addition to, >> right? So the hope is that they develop a recommendation for us to bring to uh diversify some of our priorities. Um so we would h still have that meeting

and um our legislative priorities would be based on what they submit. But we don't have to accept them. We can modify them. we can take what we want and leave what we don't and all the things but just so we don't have to necessarily as three individual or committee of the board try to do that work at that point >> is there other discussion miss >> um another question that came up for me is um and maybe this doesn't have to be decided right now but I think it was in the slides which is what made me think of it but I think it said that the board will identify the chair and co-chairs.

Is there a reason that the committee wouldn't vote to decide who their chair who their chair and um chair, vice chair, co-chairs would be with like representation from a board member if that's the interest? Or maybe you could share some of your thinking around that. Um I'm never going to make a presentation to this board again. I don't like I'm not going to ask y'all

any questions anymore. [laughter] Um, >> so >> it it's so interesting. >> Uh, I was talking to Miss It really is >> I was talking I I was talking to Joy Harrell Goff about this. And so, uh, a couple of the things that are important to me as we move this work forward is that we are not putting a strain on administration to do this work, but also that the agendas are set and able to be communicated both to administration for public consumption and to the steering committee. Um, and so I asked her if we could meet every two weeks so that we're making sure that we are um for at least one hour to to make sure that we're set up and know the location of where the meetings would be held,

what the agenda will be, that it's reported publicly, that the secretary has been responsible for submitting those minutes, and that it falls to board members to keep this going. And so um until we have good footing about how this steering committee would function, I would be inclined to keep it closer and then be able to coach community members into what the expectations are in terms of public communication around the work of the committee. That's the only reason I'm open to adjustment. I Yeah, I think that makes sense. Does that then does it make more sense to just have the board members be the chair and co-chairs? Like if that's what you're thinking rather than say the board

selects just throwing it out there. Yeah. What I mean Yeah. whatever the board wants.

We can decide that now or we can decide December 10th. I didn't want us to have the pressure of having to decide now. That sounds good. And then I'm I'm just thinking it through.

And then um also we had discussed and we've been grappling with this in the policy committee but like how to keep the whole board apprised and the community apprised and like find a landing place on the website where people can go to get all the information about like what you've been working on and um so I look forward to continuing to talk about that and figure out ways to be transparent as we try to move work along. >> All right, any other discussion? All right. All those in favor say I.

I. I. >> I.

>> It passes unanimously. And now we will go to our um item that we moved here is the Chromebook repair service contract. The updated contract has been uploaded to board docs. So I will [clears throat] entertain a motion.

I move approval of the Chromebook repair service contract. Second. >> It's been moved and seconded um by Miss Herog and Miss Byer. Is there any other discussion?

All those in favor, please say I. >> Oh, is there a discussion? There >> discussion. Oh, sorry.

Okay. Vice Chair Rogers. >> Oh,

this is different. It's seven pages and not 92. The new contract. It looks to me like they did not attach the exhibit.

A contract was kind of in reverse on the in the way that it came to you earlier. The exhibit was first and then the contract was at the end. Looks like they just now attached the contract part and not the actual exhibit part. >> The RFP, >> but the RFP is listed as the exhibit.

questions or discussion. So, so the exhibits are referenced in 25. It says attached A is scope of services. Is that I mean they're not attached in this uploaded version, but

I'm not next page five. Mr. Mullen This is what they did. >> Yes.

>> Yeah. So, the exhibits are still >> Oh, wait a minute. Maybe they did. >> So, on the earlier version, the contract started on page 86.

And so, in the new version, they're just giving us those pages. >> Yes. But since the discrepancy was in the monetary amount, we wanted to make sure that that aspect was corrected and aligned to both um the um prices as well as the contract. So it still remains all those other pages would still be exactly as the same.

We just wanted to make sure the dollar amount because that was in question. >> So um it seems then Go ahead. Go ahead. So, so what I thought they had done is not quite what they appear to have done. So the the first time the beginning part

was really the exhibit, it was the attachment, right? So the the first time the exhibit A appeared before you got to the contract. So they had what was exhibit A was first and then you got to the page that you just referenced and that's where the contract was. really should have been flipped around, but but by deleting that from the original five five now it's the the exhibit doesn't appear in either location.

So you are correct that the the attachment which is really the scope of the work does not now it doesn't appear from what I can tell either in 5B um it does not appear in the in the new 5B. So then can we have that uploaded? I we need that uploaded as well. Okay.

So okay. Um and it seems like that can be done but we can still approve the contract contract but Okay. Thank you.

Thank you, Miss Smith. Okay. Uh chairstead. >> Yeah, it's in there now, but it still has the incorrect contract.

So we can get it without the contract piece in there. Does that make sense? like the Miss Smith just uploaded what we had in there previously. So, she just needs a new version that does not have that contract part in there so that it's still in the record.

>> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> So, just for clarity, I think it's the RFP is what we're calling exhibit A, right? And so, we do need the RFP because that was originally shared with the board.

And so is what the board is asking for is an RFP provided to Miss Smith, just the RFP, exhibit A, and then the corrected clean contract as a separate attachment, and then we can you're clear to sign it, the chair. Is that correct? All right. Okay. Thank you. So in this case um can we go ahead and approve the contract without the exhibit without the exhibit A uploaded or do we

need to wait for that? >> I think you can approve the contract now because it has the right dollar amount in it and now only what's missing is the exhibit and and the exhibit can be corrected within board docs. >> Okay. >> Or assembly whichever this is.

Okay. Further discussion, Miss Byer. >> No, I just would even make the motion super clear that the contract is with CDW Government LLC in the amount of $675,000. Is that right?

Not to exceed 600. Was that just >> correct? >> Since we're being extra clear. >> Thank you.

Okay. It's been again seconded by Miss Byer and sorry um moved by Miss Byer and seconded by Miss Herald Gooff. it. Okay. So, um it has been moved by Miss Harold Gooff, seconded by Miss Byer with clarity there about the um

uh the who the contract is with and the dollar amount. Other discussion? Okay. All in favor, please say I.

>> I. >> I. It passes unanimously. Thank you.

And now the last thing here is for information only and that's our field trips. We have an update. Chair Mstead. >> Yes.

Thank you board. Well, there is one additional field trip that got left off the precies. So I want to read it into the record and then we can update it later if that's okay with you all. Durham Schools of the Arts orchestra class will be going to Winston Salem, North Carolina November 7th through 9th, 2025.

Be three students with one chaperon attending North Carolina Honors Chorus Orchestra. So they'll be able to play in a collegic and professional repertoire. >> I apologize that was not communicated to

me. So I'm glad that was there. >> All right. The last field trip was is onesies.

>> Oh, perfect. Okay. >> Okay. >> Okay.

Thank you, Miss Smith. So, we have um a the correct document there with field trips. And now I'll entertain a motion. Oh, follow-up items.

Summary of followup items by looking at Dr. King. All right. So for um the policy committee update for information only, there were no follow-up items for policy 4318 uh student use of cell phones. Uh the

items were clarify the opposing statement. Should smart watches are not allowed prohibited be in the policy. Smart watches are listed as allowable in paragraph in the paragraph prior. Second one was smart glasses add clarification about the exceptions to the rule with stipulations for appropriate use misuse even when IEP plan 504 accommodation translation etc.

allows it. Um, number three, middle school. Can we poll middle school principles as to how their schools are already managing the cell phone usage to ensure the policy approval is aligned with current practice and what would they prefer and what they would prefer for November 20 board of education member uh meeting. Um, add page numbers. Um, could there be a form created to self-report if a child has smart glasses,

a smart glass prescription if he also needs cell phone turned on to health links if medical guidance recommends use uh for instance for um blood pressure, heart rate, exercise steps, etc. require cell phones be on silent to be able to track medical features but silent cell phone mod notifications. Uh concern was shared about if some students are allowed to use IEP smart glasses will this violate privacy issues. Uh that answer came that there are IEPs that uh indicate communication and assistive technology devices.

Um and there was a question if instructional support tools are part of the cell phone could this be allowed? Uh then um will there be a district level implementation guidance and resources provided to schools to implement for all schools? Uh include North Carolina legislation citation in the policy. How is language justice impacted uh for connecting with the

school child the school child during the day if cell phones are not accessible during the day coupled with the need to increase access to language services? Uh JCA, can we seek input from parents about language um access who speak a language other than English um and or ask principles about the impact on their communication with families? Uh how does translation services work for families if they need translation service from the MRC? um perhaps seek input after the policy is implemented in the spring relative to language justice.

Uh smart glasses request policy committee to explore further further especially if linked to IEP504 prescription glasses. Um in terms of low performing school improvement plans, there was a question about how plans can be accessed in Spanish. Uh enrollment

updates. Um, what should we do to make sure DPS is the best option programmatically andor from a marketing perspective? And does after school program availability impact uh the enrollment numbers? That is all we have.

>> Um, thank you for those comprehensive um followup about the cell phone policy. Two questions about that. one, would you mind sending that list to me? Um, I have my notes, too, but I want to be able to compare them to make sure I've captured everything for our discussion on Monday.

And can you and so that means that the policy committee will be taking that into consideration, but some of those, but not all, are for administration to be looking into. So, you'll you all will be identifying what those are and those will be on your to-do list, right? Not mine. Okay. >> Correct. >> Thank you.

All right. So now I'll entertain a motion. Go ahead. >> Move that we go into close session for the reasons stated on the agenda.

>> Second. Okay. I move to go into close session for the reasons stated on the agenda by Miss Byer. Seconded by Joy Harrell Goff.

Any other discussion? All in favor please say I. >> I. that um it passes unanimously and we are in close session. As a reminder, we will not return um online. [laughter]