Good evening everybody. The Durham Public Schools Board of Education work session is now in session. At this time, we wish to extend a warm welcome to everyone who's joining us this evening. The purpose of this meeting is to inform our parents, our staff, and our constituents about the work aligned with our mission to embrace, educate, and empower every student to innovate, serve, and lead.
The interpreters for tonight are Consuel Nordan and Karen Rees. Thank you for taking the time to join us. We also have this evening with us. Excuse me.
Um we also have a um representative from the superintendent student advisory council um Matias Matthew. We're very excited to have you here this evening, Matias. U Matias is from Northern High School. He's in 11th grade. And I have here a list of accomplishments. This is pretty exciting.
Projected validictorian of class of 2027, two-term president of the class of 2027 at Northern High School, student leader for the sustainable schools coalition, 2023 2024 Aaron Young Scholar and president and founder of the Northern High School Debate Club. That sounds amazing. We look forward to having you here on the board someday. Would you like to say a few words?
Uh, I just want to say it's Matias Matthew. Um, I'm really honored to be here. Um, and I'm really excited to be able to work with you all today. Thank you.
Thank you so much, Matias. And also want to acknowledge that um, Dr. Lewis, uh, Vice Chair uh, Rogers and Miss Chavez are all joining us virtually this evening. Okay,
there is that. Um the uh next item on our agenda is a moment of silence. Um I'd like to acknowledge the uh tragic loss of an important community member this week, Mr. Doran Langley.
He was a fierce advocate for um young men of color and uh will be missed greatly. He was known for bringing the National Mentoring Month uh resolutions to us. Um and I'd just like to take a few minutes to remember him and to also consider the ways that we might honor his legacy through the work that we do um each day. Thank you. The next item on our agenda is agenda review and approval.
>> Miss Cardottton, I would like to consider moving the two resolutions, the Durham Advocates for Exceptional Children Disability Awareness Month Proclamation and the Durham Public Schools Proclamation National Bullying Prevention Month. up above um item three administration just after the consent agenda. >> I second that motion. >> Okay.
It's been moved by Miss Beyer and seconded by Chair Umstead to move the two proclamations um to immediately follow the consent items and proceed item 3A or um three administration. Is there any discussion? Okay, hearing none. Um, we will do a roll call vote.
Let's see. Um, Vice Chair Rogers, >> this is Millisent Rogers. And I vote I
>> I think that um, Miss Chavez is joining us in a little in a little bit. Um, so she's not online yet. So, we'll follow with Mr. Tab.
I >> I >> I I >> I >> and I vote I. Um so the revised agenda passes unanimously. The next item on the agenda is the board of education meeting minutes from September 11th, 2025. >> I move approval of the minutes from September 11th, 2025.
>> Second. Been moved by Miss Harold Goff and seconded by Miss Beyer. Is there any discussion? Seeing none, um we'll do another roll call vote.
Um uh Miss Rogers. >> This is Milisit Rogers. I'll vote I >> I >> I >> I >> I >> I. And um the meeting minutes from
September 11th, 2025 pass unanimously. The next item on the agenda agenda is general public comment. >> So I'll begin with a quick review of the rules. Um 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 um in 3 minutes. When the yellow light comes on, you have one minute left to start winding up your remarks. And when the red light comes on, it will beep, which indicates that your time is up.
Complaints about named staff, students, or parents should not be voiced in open session. However, we are very interested in hearing your concerns with regard to public education, safety of students, or 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. Our first speaker tonight will be Shannon Thornberg.
Good evening. Um, thank you for letting me uh speak tonight. My name is Shannon Thornberg and I'm the secretary of the Charles E. Jordan High School PTSA and a proud parent to two students who will graduate in 2026.
I'm here today to ask for your help with a growing safety and traffic problem at Jordan High School during drop off and dismissal times. Jordan is the largest comprehensive high school in Durham and our student population keeps growing. The school sits on Garrett Road which is a busy narrow road connecting several major routes. Unfortunately, there's no traffic control at the main student entrance, the same interest used by car riders and student drivers.
Each morning, vehicles trying to turn left in or out of campus create backups and unsafe conditions. Students end up late to class, tempers rise, and traffic spills onto surrounding neighborhoods. In the afternoon, the problem gets even worse because dismissal now overlaps with the beginning of rush hour. To
avoid the congestion, many families drop off or pick up students off campus, in nearby parking lots, or even along the road, which creates more frustration for nearby businesses and safety risks for students. A few years ago, an offduty officer helped direct traffic at Jordan and it made a huge difference. But that support ended during due to staffing shortages. Since then, the problem has only gotten worse.
We've already had minor accidents and at least one student hit while crossing Garrett Road. We've been lucky so far, but it's only a matter of time before something more serious happens. On behalf of the Jordan PTSA, I'm asking that the board consider funding a private security guard or traffic officer to assist with traffic control at the student entrance in the nearby crosswalk during arrival and dismissal periods. This would be a simple but effective step to temporarily improve safety and reduce stress for our students, staff, and families. Thank you so much for your time, your attention, and continued support of our city's youth. Thank you.
Thank you so much. Um the next speaker this evening is Christy Clem. >> Hello. Good evening.
Christy Clim, physical therapist. Um thanks for letting me be here again tonight. Um I am a member of DAE. I'm here representing my OTPT colleagues along with all the other classified employees that I talk to on a regular basis.
Thank you for having um some new salary schedules to look at and consider. I appreciate the time and effort that's been put into that. Looking at them, it looks like um the concerns that OT and PT have been expressing for several years now about compression and being competitive with surrounding districts and some of our biggest competitors, the hospitals in the area. It looks like that's addressed. So, thank you for listening to it and we are hopeful that it can continue to to come to to be. Um, couple of questions from the PowerPoint that was presented for classified in
general. Um, there was some information about the current payroll models versus a corrected payroll model with the weeks being paid for and it's um, so the one being used right now doesn't account for as many weeks as it should. I'm curious if that current schedules reflects only the eerie schedules and new hires that have come on since then or if that what I read as an incorrect model was has what's been used historically and all classified have been paid on a fewer weeks per year than we really should have for a longer period of time. Um, another one is um looking at the minimum hourly rate for the county and the city and the MIT calculator, but curious what those numbers look like compared to the higher end for those that are the most experienced. So, um, I know it's the 19, the 21, the 25 number for beginning rates, but someone with 30 years of experience, how do our proposed models compare to what somebody with that same level of experience would get in those
other settings? So curious about that. And then that goes into the percent raise between steps for the different positions. How does what's being proposed in the three models tonight compare to the percent raises between steps that would be in the city, the county, or looking at some other information.
So greatly appreciate the information that's there. Appreciate the transparency of the the payroll model of oops, this isn't right. Um, I feel like that is a step. I think in the past it would have been don't tell, maybe nobody will find out and we'll try to keep it quiet. So, um, employees I've talked to just the past couple of days are acknowledging that that's not information we want to see, that this isn't quite what it should be, but we do acknowledge that it seems to be that we're getting more of that information, which we do greatly appreciate. And it's going to be that over a period of time which helps continue to build trust to get employees to stay and to be committed and to get to keep the experienced people that are here and
that care about DPS. But thank you. >> Thank you so much. Our next speaker is Katie McDonald.
>> Hi uh Katie McDonald. Uh I happy to report that after another round of steroids and a full uh round of antibiotics, I am finally uh myself again. Uh you know, my mom raised me that if I didn't have anything nice to say, I shouldn't say anything at all. I'm going to seed my time to Patricia.
The next speaker on our list is Patricia Russ. >> Hi, I'm Patricia Russ. I am a Little River teacher. I'm a parent of a Little River student and I am the daughter of a Little River
instructional assistant. Documented mold growth parents began to call. Yet here we are. Little change at all.
By August end, the tests came back. Spore counts not on track. " A second test claimed improved. Yet the highest spore count rooms were removed.
How can one say the threat is less when different rooms composed the second test? Data bent truths concealed omissions revealed. Sore throats, coughing, rashes continue to spread. Staff with headaches.
Are we being misled? fragile health demands. Our
school facilities are maintained by competent hands. DPS bears responsibility clear to keep our schools safe each year. Students, staff, community too depends on leaders to see this through. Your duty of care is not a choice.
Do you hear my voice? The community depends on you. Do not shy away when urgent actions are needed today. So hear this call.
No delay. DPS leadership and DPS board. I ask act with courage. Call in health services.
Call safer schools DPI. confirm this is being done to safeguard every daughter and every son. DPS's failure to resolve the ongoing
mold issue violates the duty of care and safe environmental standards. I formally request intervention and oversight from North Carolina DPI Center of Safer Schools and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to ensure public health standards are met. Confirmation of this action is expected. Thank you.
>> Thank you so much. The next speaker is Nikki Nicole Miles. Good evening. I am Nikki Nicole Miles, a parent of two students at Rogers Middle School.
I currently serve as the chair of Durham Advocates for Exceptional Children. We extend greetings and appreciation to Superintendent Dr. Lewis, Chair and Vice Chair, Betina Umstead, Millisent Rogers, Board of Education members, and the EC
department for the acknowledgement and reading of the proclamation from the Durham Advocates for Exceptional Children in recognition of disability history and awareness month this October 2025. In our district, disability history awareness month raises awareness of the contributions of people with disabilities and the academic and non-academic related issues they face. It also helps to break down misconceptions and stereotypes about people with disabilities which can lead to more positive attitudes and impactful behaviors. People with disabilities deserve to live full self-determined lives just like everyone else.
Yet discrimination, a lack of resources and knowledge persist. We encourage our district to spotlight inspiring stories in October and beyond that show what's possible with inclusion. We charge DPS to learn about the disability experience. Dig deeper and deeper to
create a better understanding. Provide instruction on disability history and awareness in our schools. uphold the principles of inclusion, fairness, and justice. Provide inclusive environments that encourage creative problem solving, accessible infrastructure, and technology in all of our schools.
What benefits individuals with disabilities often benefits everyone. And lastly, I ask you to take action. continue to fight for funding the retention of staff and shifting antiquated policies that limit the potential of our children. Thank you.
I concede my time to Eliza. >> Thank you so much. The next speaker is Eliza Strickland. My name is Eliza Strickland and I am a DPS parent and a member of the Durham Advocates for Exceptional Children.
I want to thank the board and Dr. Lewis and Dr. Bell for the disability
awareness month proclamation on tonight's agenda. I also want to encourage DPS administrators, teachers, and parents to support disability awareness in your schools and to observe disability awareness month. I know from personal experience how impactful a disability awareness week can be. Thanks to two moms at Forest View who started one nine years ago with the PTA.
It's called Together We Soar Week for the Forest View Falcons and it was my daughter's favorite week of the year. It started small with a poster contest and it grew over the years to include speakers in many activities. But it doesn't have to be big. It doesn't even have to be in October. The important part, I think, is to educate the school community and to celebrate students and all people with disabilities. I also want to highlight the fact that public schools like DPS are the only schools that students with disabilities know that they won't be turned away from
for having too many needs. And I want to also acknowledge the reality that educating all students requires resources and that those resources are under attack. Some of them are being diverted to private schools that don't open their doors to everyone like public schools do. Sometimes that is called school choice, but in reality it's those schools that are choosing their students.
But DPS opens its doors to all. So, thank you for welcoming all students and thank you tonight for recognizing and celebrating students with disabilities. I see the remainder of my time to Rebecca Ferguson. Thank you.
And our final speaker this evening is Rebecca Ferguson. >> Hi, uh Rebecca Ferguson. I'm also a member of DAEC and a parent of a child with multiple disabilities. So, as my um colleagues have said, you know, later this meeting, you all will read and reaffirm a proclamation that makes October disability history and awareness
month. Um, as a parent of a disabled child, I'm so glad to see our leaders affirming these truths and values um and supporting the teaching of them to our non-disabled peers. Um, this is a time to celebrate what DPS is doing well. Like they've also said, you know, in the short time that my first grader has been a part of this school system.
We've built life-changing relationships with teachers, administrators, therapists, and other support staff. And I do want to lift up um EC teacher Crystal Davis, PCA Jordan Jones, Principal Steady, and the staff at Morehead Monastery who work hard every day to build a more inclusive school. And I know that there are many stories like that across the district. Um as you reaffirm these values and beliefs, please use your role and visibility to make sure all schools know about this.
Share resources. come and visit our classrooms, talk to our teachers, our IAS, our PCAs, our gened teachers who are including disabled students in their classes now. Um, hear from them what they need. Share their stories across DPS social channels. But
most importantly tonight, as you affirm these values and beliefs about which we all feel so strongly, you must also face the ways we are not supporting our disabled students, that we're not providing them with the basic infrastructure to reach the goals stated in this proclamation, without which all of these words begin to ring hollow. Um, these days, this school year, I spend my time trying to find out if my son is having his scheduled therapy sessions that are set in his IEP because your departments are drowning in resignations. I'm I was hopeful to hear that maybe there are things and changes a foot to change that to help us retain our qualified staff. Um this fall my son has had I believe two of his eight OT sessions.
In the last year we've seen four therapists that we know personally that have worked with them have left DPS and gone to neighboring districts. Um not citing more pay as a reason. I also spend my time driving my son to and from field trips because the wrong bus shows up or a bus driver shows up and they don't know how to operate the wheelchair lift. So, we want to do more
than advocate for the minimum. As parents, volunteers, and advocates, there are so many things that we want to coordinate with the district on. We have creative ideas, ways to build a more inclusive district, but it's impossible to have these conversations at a systemwide level right now. We're just not there yet.
So, as you reaffirm the values and beliefs, we ask, what is DPS leadership doing to address these issues? Doing right by our disabled students is not just saying we believe in something, but doing the hard day-to-day difficult work of implementing it. Thank you. >> Thank you so much.
The next item on our agenda is the consent items. move approval of the consent agenda items A through L. >> Second.
>> Okay. Thank you. Uh it's been moved by Miss Beyer and seconded by Mr. Tab to approve consent agenda items A through L.
Uh do we have any discussion? Okay. Seeing then we'll do a uh >> offer some discussion. >> Yes.
>> Of the modification of the NCSBA delegates so that uh Miss Beyer is the delegate in Mstead. >> Yes. Thank you so much. She's listed as the alternate already.
Um so I think that we can easily make that modification as long as she's amendable to it without having to pull the item is what we were thinking. Is that okay with everybody? >> Works for me. >> Okay.
>> Thanks, Tommy. >> Thank you. Any other discussion? Okay.
Well, then we'll proceed with the roll call vote. Um, Vice Chair Rogers. >> Oh, Millisent Rogers. And I vote I >> I >> I >> I
>> I. >> And I vote I. Uh, the consent agenda passes unanimously. Okay.
Uh the next item on our modified agenda is the um DURM Advocates for Exceptional Children Disability Awareness Month Proclamation. And with that, I'd like to walk welcome Dr. Bell to the podium. >> Oh, good evening everyone.
>> Good evening. >> Um thank you for your time and attention for the folks who just got up and spoke. I know that it takes a lot for these parents to coordinate child care to come here and speak and be vulnerable and share and advocate. So, thank you guys for being here and for your support.
I also just want to take a quick second to thank I got two of my team members who came tonight to be here and I thought that was a challenge for them too. Wendy Vusk who's here. She's our EC elementary director working with all 32 of our elementary schools. And Christa Saunders here.
She's our spe um EC director for special programs. Yeah, specialized programs. Christa and
behavior support. She brought her son Kai and uh two of our directors that could not be here tonight. Um April Cheek, formerly April Washington, who's our EC prek director, and our our new EC secondary director, Ken Hill. Um I know I show up every day because of these folks.
Um we share a common commitment and passion for the work. Um you will not find our lapels adorned with spark pins. You will not find fancy titles following our names, but we show up every day and we do the hard work. And I'm thankful that all of you guys can be here.
Christy Clem, shout out, showing up all the time to advocate for our OT's and PTS. I appreciate that. Um, and all the work that our folks do every single day. I I'll name a few and I don't want to leave anyone out, but we've got such a large department of people that are doing this work for students.
Um, I think it's one of the largest departments. We've got our leadership team. We've got all of our leads at Bacon Street supporting occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech language therapy. We've got an amazing assistive technology team, aologists. We've got two amazing aiologists. I know
nurse Blackman and nurse best support our nursing needs. Um our deaf heart of hearing leads, visual impairments, our school psychology team, and Wendy to leave anyone out. Um all the people at the schools, I mean, amazing teachers, instructional assistants, the nurses, uh the job coaches, our facilitators. Um we've just got an incredible team of folks that show up every day to do this really important work.
Um so thank you board for your support and administration for the work that we do. Um I know that tonight you're here to reread the proclamation um believe it was originally rolled out is 2019 and started was it 2019? Um by initiated by DAEC um the Durham Advocates for Exceptional Children um and they've been the ones that have led this work in moving it forward. Um, it started as a partnership with a lot of different organizations, but they they keep showing up and they keep advocating and they've been amazing partners to work with. I'm so blessed that in Durham that it's it's really a collaboration and a partnership. Um, it's a very symbiotic relationship and it doesn't always need
to be that way because there's a lot of challenges we face. So, I love that we can partner together um and have things like this public comment in this space in 2025 that it's still something that's valued and available for us so that we can hear each other and we can learn from each other. So, thank you. Tonight, I'm going to um I know you're going to take an opportunity to read the procula proclamation um and um put it out there again into the universe.
So, I will defer to the board. >> Thank you, Dr. Bell. Um so, I'll read the proclamation.
I think we can start um with uh Vice Chair Rogers and then move through the line as we've been doing the voting. The Durm Advocates for Exceptional Children Disability History and Awareness Month. Whereas the General Assembly of North Carolina ratified Senate Bill 753 designated the month of October as disability history and awareness month and requiring local boards of education to provide instruction on disability history and
awareness. And >> whereas Durham public schools and our community partners believe in the importance of highlighting the achievements and contributions of individuals with disabilities and acknowledge that unjust societal barriers and attitudes keep some individual from realizing their full potential at school, work, home, and or in their communities. And >> whereas over 15% of Durham public school students in preschool through high school are identified as having a disability as defined by the individuals with disabilities education act. And whereas antiquated attitudes and beliefs of disability as a weakness or as a categorization that systemically defines and confines a person as less capable, less deserving or simply less than must be eliminated. And >> whereas progress has been made over the decades to advance disability rights,
there's a recognized shift to also embrace disability justice, which provides a framework that articulates an expectation of difference in disability, identity, and culture, embracing the impact of intersectionality and the collective need for interdependence. And >> whereas disability history education must include the events and stories of injustice, segregation, and oppression, as well as the advancements made over time. And disability awareness must also include acceptance and authentic inclusion, not mere tolerance. And >> whereas prioritizing an open inclusive district and school environment is critical to adopting and implementing equitable best practices to acknowledge and support the strengths and talents of students with disabilities as well as to meet their educational needs. And >> whereas inclusive classroom settings,
equitable access to resources, and the recruitment and retention of high quality staff benefit all students with disabilities. And >> whereas instructing all students in disability history and awareness promotes an inclusive and welcoming school community and can improve the lives of all students by deconstructing barriers created and sustained by abbleism, discrimination, and ignorance while building connection, communication, and collaboration between students regardless or perhaps because of their differences. And >> whereas Durham Public Schools recognizes and celebrates the value and talents that people with disabilities add to our workplace and communities. Now, therefore, it be resolved that the Durham Public Schools Board of Education does hereby proclaim October 2025 Disability History and Awareness Month
for Durham Public Schools and recommends that all schools implement programs and special activities to instruct all students on disability history and awareness. And be it further resolved that the board of education encourages administrators to support educators across grade levels and content areas to acknowledge disability awareness month and use resources that are inclusive of all our diverse learners. And >> be it further resolved that the board of education calls on all students, educators, and community members to observe disability history and awareness month and advance efforts to support and advocate for individuals with disabilities. Special acknowledgement is extended to emerge pediatrics therapy exceptional children assistance center ECAC autism society of north of North Carolina Durham County Library and Durham County Cooperative Extension for
serving as initial co-cre co-creators of this proclamation in October 2021 this seventh day of October 2025 Five. >> Thank you so much, board. Um, and before we vote on this, um, our student representative this evening, Matias, has, um, a question, I hear. We'd love to hear your thoughts or your questions.
>> Um, I would just like to first ask, is this a new like recogn recognition of um, disability um, awareness month or is this something that's been basically being reaffirmed from previous years? It's a reaffirmation. I think 2021 when you read it out loud was the first year. So, every year we update and revise it with new information and ask the board to reread and reaffirm. >> Okay. Um, I I I would just like to say just as a a student in Durham public schools, um um specifically Northern
High School, we have a lot of um celebrations of um other months uh like Black History Month, Women's History Month, um Hispanic Heritage Month, um and we also have a lot of students with um disabilities um and except exceptional students. Um but I just in my experience uh there hasn't been a lot of emphasis of disability um the recognition of disability month and how we can like the social movements of uh disability rights and disability justice and how what systemic barriers people with disabilities face. Um, and I think that's something that um I I don't know if that fits within this resolution, but I I personally just want to see more um practical more practical things being implemented at the school level to like so the kids
who have disabilities can see themselves um within their schools. Thank thank you Matias. Um and that um I think that if you don't mind Dr. Bell would that might be a perfect time for you to share some of the um resources that are being provided to schools to support them in celebration of this month.
>> Thank you. You almost made me cry there. to hear that from a student is so there could be nothing more profound because you're in the schools and you experience it. So, thank you for that.
Um that probably made my year to hear you reflect like that. Um the things that we're trying to do from our department is we provided a list of ideas for schools um to get them kind of started. The hope would be that they would gather teams of people that would really want to take this on and be interested and be passionate about it. Um some things and we mentioned earlier like schools like Forest View and Morehead. Um, I know there have been others that have just
been doing this for years, but we want this to be a systemic thing, right? That it's and not even necessarily this October thing that it's part of our culture. Like that's the dream someday. But we've um given schools ideas that um they can have panels, invite in community members who may have disabilities, um even do something with students at the high school level if there's a willingness to participate and disclose.
um films, showcase showcase films with about disabilities or that even include authentic disabled actors. Um books, there's so many books by disabled authors. Um we've provided them from the the early learning years all the way up through high school that would be appropriate. Um all kinds of activities.
So we we hope that they will access that and create some activities within their school communities that have meaning and be able to take it on every year and be able to grow it. um and and hopefully at some point like not have to be reminded to do something like that. It just becomes part of the fabric of who we are. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Dr. Bell. And thank you, Matias, again for that reminder that while so much good work is being done in
our schools um around this. I think there's a lot more that we can be doing amidst lots of competing priorities. This is this should be a priority for all of our schools as well. So, thank you.
>> Like this is about awareness, right? I was just one final thing I'll say is it's it's got to be beyond awareness, right? It's got to be beyond acceptance is really is when you read that proclamation about elevating the lives and voices of people with disabilities um and really doing that in authentic way and really valuing the contributions that they have and raising up their humanity. So, um it's a start.
Always more work to be done. Thank you. >> Thank you. And with that board, um we can uh take a vote unless there's any other discussion.
Okay. Um, so we'll take a vote on the disability awareness month proclamation beginning with uh, Vice Chair Rogers. >> Move approval. >> Have a motion. >> Can I move approval of the Durham Advocates for Exceptional Children Disability History and Awareness Month Proclamation? >> Been moved by Miss Beyer and seconded by
Miss Harold Goff to approve the disability awareness month proclamation. Is there any other discussion? This is a very small thing, but can we get the accent on Chavez in this resolution? >> All right.
Request to add an accent in board member Chavez's name. Any other discussion? Okay. All right.
Wonderful. Um, so we'll take a vote. Um, starting with Vice Chair Rogers. >> Millisent Rogers.
I vote I >> I >> I I >> I >> and I vote I. Um the uh board unanimously approves this proclamation. Thank you. Um the next item on our agenda is the Durham Public Schools proclamation um for National Bullying Prevention Month.
And with that we have Dr. Maddox Perry. Good evening Dr. King, Dr.
Giovani, Chair Umstead, board members, and the Durham public schools broader community. I humbly stand to present the proclamation for bullying prevention month. This proclamation is from the work of predominantly two departments within student support services. Student Alternatives and Supports led by Dr.
Melissa Watson and Student Wellness and Advocacy led by Tama Ward Satfield. Due to scheduling conflicts, those directors are unable to be here tonight. However, I proudly yield to Dr. Shereice Austin, excuse me, Shereice Artist to provide the context and represent student support services this evening with the proclamation reading. Good evening. Durham Public Schools is committed to creating safe and inclusive
learning environments where every student feels valued and supported. This proclamation is an extension of that commitment and the work our educators have undertaken to achieve a bully-free culture. At the district level annually, all DPS staff who work directly with students complete asynchronous bullying prevention training entitled bullying recognition and response through the safe schools platform. In addition to that broad swarf training this August, DPS school counselors and school social workers had the opportunity to participate in respect and action culturally responsive bullying prevention as part of our student support services back to school kickoff.
At the school level each year, school counselors lead setting the tone bullying awareness and prevention professional development for staff. deliver classroom guidance lessons for students and share bullying prevention information with families to create a unified approach to prevention and response. Schools also have access to
the DPS bullying prevention toolkit to support ongoing efforts. To further exemplify this proclamation, we are excited that throughout the month of October, schools will participate in weekly activities for National Bullying Prevention Month that will be supported by tier 1 prevention efforts that continue all year long. Tonight, we invite the school board to read the bullying prevention month proclamation as we stand together to promote kindness, respectfulness, and inclusion across Durham public schools. Thank you so much for this important work, Dr.
Artistis. With that, um, we can read our next proclamation. Um, starting with, uh, Vice Chair Rogers. Thank you. Durham Public Schools proclamation, National Bullying Month prevention, National Bullying Prevention Month. Whereas, as stated by Superintendent Lewis in his recent message to Durham Public Schools broader
community, Durham Public Schools is and will remain a community where everyone is welcome, where everyone belongs. Whereas Durham Public Schools is committed to ensuring that every student in our schools, regardless of their background, receives a quality education in a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment. Whereas we believe this is the right of every Durham public school scholar and we will uphold that promise every day. Therefore, this pro proclamation serves as a testament to that commitment to safe, inclusive, non-discriminatory schooling for every child.
Whereas bullying is the aggressive use of power targeting another person or group of people with repeated unwanted words or actions causing emotional or physical harm. And whereas bullying occurs in neighborhoods, playgrounds, schools, and online through technology. And whereas researchers have concluded
that bullying is the most common form of violence affecting millions of American children and adolescence. annually. >> Whereas students who are targets of bullying are at increased risk for depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, lower academic achievement, and dropping out of school, and often fear such activities as riding the bus, going to school, interacting online, and attending community activities. And >> whereas children who engage in bullying behaviors are at greater risk of engaging in more serious violent behaviors. And >> whereas children who witness bullying often feel less safe, helpless to stop it, and intimidated. And whereas Durham public schools is committed to providing safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environments for all students.
That now therefore it be now therefore be it resolved that the Durham Public Schools Board of Education proclaims October as National Bullying Prevention Month in Durham public schools. am be it further resolved that schools, students, parents, families, community organizations, and local partners are encouraged to participate in awareness and prevention activities throughout October to ensure that every child and adolescent in Durham feels safe, valued, and supported. Adopted this day of the 7th of October, 2025, Durham Public Schools Board of Education. >> Thank you.
Thank you so much again. >> Miss Carter Aden, I'd like to offer a motion to approve the Durham public schools uh proclamation national bullying prevention month. >> Second. >> It's been moved by Vice Chair Rogers and seconded by Miss Harold Goff to approve the Durham Public Schools proclamation
for National Bullying Prevention Month. Um is there any discussion? Matias, did you have any questions or comments? Um, I would just like to say that um, bullying is something important that we need to address as a community.
Um, this is something I have seen tangible action um, within my my school. Um, um, uh, but there's always more work to be done. Um, and yeah, no one should ever feel unsafe within their own school. Absolutely.
Thank you. Um, Chair Umstead, >> it feels fitting that this resolution as well as our other resolution are here today. I'm wondering if any um resources have also been provided to schools around I know there was you all spoke about the training that happened at the beginning of the year around this month and then as well as will our public affairs also be highlighting um both of
these months as well? >> Yes. Um so public affairs is actually rolling out some information. We did um we did a re so we have a toolkit that is available to schools all year long that has activities um um pacers the national bullying prevention um um association.
They have activities for every month of the year. So that's provided to schools so that we want them to do tier one interventions all year long. But for the month of um October, we have weekly activities that have been shared with um principles as well as school counselors and other staff at school so they can do things on a weekly basis. Good evening.
Yes. Um we have been working very collaboratively with student support services and also our EC department regarding um communication and messaging that can go out to our families and our schools. You'll see some of that roll out in the next week or so. Um, it's been really wonderful to learn more about what is happening at
our schools and how we can support our families and students with their understanding of the importance of these observances. >> Thank you, Miss Cooper, and thank you again, Dr. Artist. Um, is there any other discussion?
Yes, Miss Beyer. >> So, I so appreciate uh the previous proclamation and this one as well. I do hear Matias's call that we need to do more in every school and that we can never do enough. It's like training and retraining. I'm also hopeful that specifically on in this area of bullying prevention that as national political discourse has become so fraught that we are especially focusing on um immigrant students and the ways that they are being targeted um unjustly at the federal level and the fears that they might have um as well as uh LGBTQIA students um students of all races and ethnicities backgrounds and
things that that are um that are celebrated in Durham um where um at the federal level things have gone so wrong. Um so I don't know what I'm asking but I think um it's a it's a special importance to to us and this board for there to be more done every day than than because of the the landscape that has changed around us. Um, >> absolutely. As Matias said, um, our work isn't done until no student feels bullied at all.
Um, so we do every month, um, for I can speak for the school counselors, we do touch on different topics, um, to address to make sure that counselors fully understand that this should be a tier one intervention so that we touch all of our students in our schools um, with the different topics. Um, as I mentioned at the beginning, there was a training about culturally being culturally responsive in our work as it relates to bullying prevention. And then, um, our toolkit for this year, it speaks
directly to addressing our LGBTQIA students because we know that they can be bullied at a higher rate than other students. >> Yes. I I I just had um another thought um while I was listening to everything. Um, one thing that uh pattern that I've noticed within my school that happens sometimes is um a student will be bullied um and they may not feel safe um reporting it or whatever and it eventually gets to the point where they um it becomes it escalates basically.
It can lead to like a fight or something like that. Um and then the student that was being bullied um can sometimes face the same or worse consequences um than the the student who initiated the conflict. Um,
I I just um would hope our our principles and um administrations take into account the context of um context when making decisions about suspensions, expulsions, um things like that. And um uh a zero tolerance policy for bullying is actually enforced and students can feel safe and comfortable um reporting when they're being harassed. >> Um okay. So I um I agree with that.
So that's really why it's so important that all DPF staff who have direct contact with students receive that training because it's important for us to be able to recognize it, right? We want to make sure that we do catch it before it escalates to that point where the student feels that they have to retaliate back. Um because we also know that sometimes students hesitate to report because they feel like no one's going to do anything about it. So again,
that makes it all the more important that all of us, all DPS staff are aware and able to recognize and help to build that um bullying prevention culture culture. >> The only thing I would add was um you're absolutely right. Um we have worked with I failed to mention before office of equity affairs was very pivotal in determining that we would utilize this proclamation as well. Dr.
that's led by Dr. um Wenosa Idaho and she could not be with us tonight but between Dr. um Venosa Idaho her department as well as division of student support services. We also have a full range of a bullying campaign um anti-bullying campaign I should say and bullying prevention campaign from this month forward for the remainder of the year. So we are trying to be very active with that and for your thought around administration and providing consequences. We um assist our
principles not only in training to recognize bullying but also how you do proper investigation and how you dispense um consequences following that and share that with families. So we are aware of the need to increase some of that that that support around that. So thank you all for it. Thank you all for working so hard to make sure that all of our students feel safe and supported um when they come to our schools, especially amidst uh or in a climate where some especially our most marginalized might not.
Um and thank you Matias um again for helping us to remember the ways that we can continue to do better and some of the gaps we have or things that we might not always notice. That's why it's so important to have a student here at our meeting. So okay um any other discussion board members? Okay. Um with that then we will take a vote um on this proclamation. Uh Vice Chair Rogers
>> Milison Rogers and I vote I >> I >> I and I vote I. Uh the Durham public schools proclamation for National Bullying Prevention Month passes unanimously. Okay. The next item on our agenda is the um classified salary study.
With that, we welcome Mr. Teter to the podium. >> Good evening, Miss Carter Oden, board members, and Dr. Lewis virtually. Um we do have a presentation related to this among a number of other attachments. Um and so as we go into this conversation um just want to share you know I think my initial relationship um to the board's current uh salary schedules just started as an observer from afar who watched the headlines I think like everyone else as as as Durham worked through um a couple of iterations of
salary studies and um certainly came on board almost a year ago now um on staff uh and um just sort of saw firsthand all of the things that had to settle um on the other side of what was the resolution at the time and um have heard um with keen interest um the challenges from the perspective of the board, challenges from the perspective of staff and the community with the the current construct um of the classified salary schedules. And so, um, just kind of been waiting for this moment, um, to start this process. And, and I'll just really reiterate that we're at the start of the process. And, um, I felt it was important for everyone to, um, come along the journey um, start to finish rather than just a final product being presented to you. Here it is. Uh and so we just we wanted to really make sure everyone could see kind of how the sausage is made so to speak as we um
work through the process. So um a lot of this um information right is really very much a draft format to get feedback uh and make sure that we're moving in the right direction and that we continue to contemplate uh things that are important to everyone around this very sensitive and and important topic. Um and so just to reiterate um on the next slide um we sort of re we re revisit what those goals are right and so um board member Shavez through agenda review uh and through the public meetings has did a good job of of holding staff accountable to what are the goals that we're working through and I thank her for that and uh so one um it it was very clear from the board the consensus of the board uh at the last meeting um that constructing schedules that reflect a living wage um for someone who lives in Durham was was a priority. Uh and so we will walk you through a couple of examples of how we examine that um in this process. Um and then two um eliminating the need for
hold harmless or legacy differentials uh in our in our pay construct. And so I know this one um this one I've gotten some questions kind of directly from other classified employees about what does that mean? Um, and really at the um at the end of the day, what we're trying to do is propel the salary schedules that we have to a point where we're no longer having to hold them harmless to an old schedule. Uh, and and that they're just properly placed um on on a new schedule and that it's appropriate um in equal to or greater than what they were earning before.
um and we just don't have all those extra layers um to their paycheck when when they look at their paycheck every month or or every couple of weeks. Um and so then finally just correcting any kind of misalignments that we might see pertinent to the market um and and other other employers um that we examine. Um so in the next section where we sort of talk about establishing a living wage um
there's I think you advance a couple of slides and we'll get to a chart uh where we look at um several sort of pertinent metrics in that arena. Um so obviously the federal minimum wage has not changed in quite some time and is not particularly relevant to this conversation but just important to note um that that's been the same my whole working career. Uh and so um but it 725 um is is the federal minimum wage. Um and several years ago the state of North Carolina um not for the state as a whole u but for employees of the state um implemented a $15 per hour minimum wage that they phased in.
They started with 13 and then they bumped it up to 15 in the following year. Um, and it was um, it it felt like a lot at the time and a lot of districts um, had to unpack how to implement that. Um, and it created a lot of compression in school systems
across the state of North Carolina because most of them could simply afford to raise that minimum wage and comply with the new state requirement and they could not afford to move the other employees that were already at that level in tandem with that. Right. And so that it it create it was well intended what the state of North Carolina did, but it created a lot of challenges for school systems in North Carolina. Some of them went about it um in a very careful way um and and they did unfortunately create compression and and a lot of them are still trying to figure out how to get out of that um because it does require a lot of local investment to do that.
Um and some districts found a way to just get it done. Um and and um and some of them maybe prematurely and it cost them some financial issues. Um but some other sort of pertinent um entities that we looked at right is Guilford County Schools sort of bottom floor is 1596 uh Wake County U 1775
uh our current uh bottom floor that um we have is 1751 and that's in the space of our uh safety assistants that are on the school buses. um Chapel Hill Carbborough 1784, Duke University 18, uh Durham County government is at 1922 per hour and this is a byproduct um of a study that they did in 2023 and this has not been adjusted since that time. Uh and that's a number that they've been operating with. Um Charlotte Mech uh recently implemented a $20 hour uh threshold in their district.
they've um they're fresh on the heels of a review uh much like we're doing. Um and they implemented this over a couple of years. Uh and so the the school year that we're in now was sort of the beginning of their phase two uh to implement new salary schedules uh in Charlotte Meckllinburgg. Uh the city of Durham uh proper has sort of a different approach uh from the county and there is an an annual update um that they advertise on their website in terms of a living wage
for the community. And so they are for this current fiscal year at 2190. Um for the purposes of this exercise because we could see this was one model where we could see sort of a very clear history and we could establish some sort of trend um over the last three years that has averaged a 5% increase um in terms of how they have computed that for the city of Durham. And so we do have a model that we explored that looked at that 2190 and and predicted, you know, okay, another 5% increase in the next fiscal year, which is really what we're grappling with here is what do we do potentially next fiscal year. So um we'll touch on that again in a moment. Um, and I very much appreciate again um the work that Miss Chavez u has done and she's contributed through u the agenda review process uh lifting up the MIT uh calculator and uh that was I personally enjoyed playing with that tool uh and and it really does look at every
municipality or every major metro area, every county in the nation and um I uh for Durham County that was at 2555 um for a living wage. Um and an interesting sort of caveat to that is right this metric on their part assumes that it's a single adult household, no children, right? It's just one adult uh in and those numbers obviously grow uh as you factor in uh children uh being in the household. So, um, while we went through that, um, I applied this to several counties in North Carolina to try to stress test that and see, um, how does that $15 an hour minimum wage for state employees now stack up across the state compared to the MIT calculator. And so, we looked at I looked at a number of counties um that that I sort of consider to be economically depressed uh, in in in different parts of the state. And I could not I could not find a county where that MIT metric was anywhere near
15. I think the lowest I could find was closer to $19 an hour. Um even in some of our more struggling communities in North Carolina. So that was fascinating exercise and I appreciate the recommended rabbit hole that that took me down.
Um and so um on the next slide um we just lift up um sort of the current um construct that's in place um through the state of North Carolina um through the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Right. So they a couple of years ago developed sort of this model uh where the department of public instruction would emulate um what the state office of human resources um put in place for state employees across various agencies. Um, and so I think that as we went through the agenda review process, this was lifted up as something important to note um, for these ranges just to kind of get a sense of what is Durham doing in comparison to um, what are what are sort of the North
Carolina recommended numbers. Um and so these um as you can see right that it addresses that $15 an hour uh minimum wage and um it's really well you know it's below what we're doing and and uh certainly below what we've seen through three different pathways as as a as a living wage um for the community here in Durham. Um on the next uh slide, right, is just lifting up those those three scenarios that uh we contemplated, right? So one is that 1922 metric for Durham County.
The next is applying a 5% increase to the current city model because we anticipate that they'll revisit their number next year uh as they historically have done. And then again that MIT model. So lifting that up. Um so from least expensive to to most expensive and and probably ranked in probability of of implementation or likelihood of implementation um due due to cost uh and other in other variables
that we'll talk about later. Um the next slide um under the next couple of slides right sort of understandably so um have generated sort of the most questions recently as people have evaluated the materials um that we made available. Uh and so as we as we go through the process of of constructing salary schedules, we think about different um measurements of of rate of pay, right? We think about an hourly rate, a monthly rate, uh and then we think about an annualized number or an annual salary uh when we go through that.
And so the uh the calendar is not perfect, right? And so not no single month has the same number of weeks uh and and all of that comes together uh to create a 52- week calendar year. Uh and so um on the next slide I think it just kind of gives a better um sort of easier to interpret sort of breakdown of what was implemented. Um and in in the most
recent iteration of things and and on the right hand column I joked with Dr. Lewis's Jeremy math. Um, and so we um sort of look at when I kind of dug into the um into the guts of of the current uh Google Sheets that are online, it it it went through a model of applying the hourly rate to a 40-hour work week. Great.
Um, and then it really sort of operates with the assumption of four weeks in every month and then multiplies by 12, right? And so when you work that out, right, it it's 48 weeks and and we know that when we're annualizing something, we need to account for 52 weeks. So the math really kind of takes a different maneuver um when when we work these things out um sort of the normal way. And so um starts out the same, right, of the hourly rate times the 40 hours times the 52 weeks to come up with an annual number. Um, and then from there we kind of take a step backwards and divide that out by the
appropriate number of months to achieve a monthly salary. And so you can kind of see that you can see the distinction in the example that I use that it has a $4,000 implication on an annual basis. Um, and then on a on a monthly basis it's 333 and some change per month, right? When you when you look at that that way.
Um so just sort of addressing um some questions that I have gotten um and just sort of folks trying to understand what does that mean and what and and uh how do we kind of work forward um w with this information. Um, so one, um, historically the Durham salary schedules have advertised a monthly rate, right? And so we we look we see a monthly salary schedule that's out there. Um and the ones that we have now um when you when you look across the various grades um NC1 has the hourly rate column displayed and
then it's subsequently followed by the monthly in in uh columns that's not on every slide right in in those salary schedules and in most of them that hourly column is hidden because Durham has traditionally communicated that monthly rate um and and that is generally what our HR department quotes is that monthly rate of pay um to our employees. Um so as we work through that and we um think about our employees who have been with us through this journey of classified pay over the past few years, what does that look like? Uh and so um specifically um over the the just those those very few months that were right before my arrival uh there was an exercise that Durham Public Schools went through of comparing our classified employees to different scenarios to make sure that they got the best case situation. Um looking at um looking at what they were to receive with the comprollers model um for lack of a
better name. uh and looking at the the new schedules that were comprised and the 3% state raise that occurred at that time and trying to land um at the best spot possible. And so we came into a situation where um almost all of our classified employees when they look at their paycheck, they have a base amount that is married to the system of schedules that are online now. And then they have a second line item that's labeled a legacy differential that fills in that gap um between where they fall on the current construct um that was approved and what they could have been getting with with previous situations, right? And so um one thing that we're working to understand and to ascertain right is um the previous models right if if computed correctly the the differential piece could push and pull depending upon what we do um or
how we apply the current model right so uh and I'll say that a better way um so let's say um if this if this schedule had being calculated using the math in that right hand column, we would have situations where the legacy differentials were smaller, right? Because that that need to hold harmless to the old schedules would have been less. But um I've still got some important work to do um in my shop to press into those old schedules to make sure we're confident in the arithmetic that was behind the construction of those. Um and and that sort of what I'm articulating at this point um is is an accurate scenario and and what I hope is the scenario, right?
Is that we may just have a situation where um the legacy differentials are higher than they had to be for our existing employees who have been through this. And so it's just a matter it's a butterfly effect of sorts. Um so more to come on that. Uh
and so I'm uh working to kind of push through that. So, but certainly understand the questions that have come up um from our staff as we work through that. Um as I work through this, right, I have other questions, right, just about um other implications that we have to take into account for payroll compliance. Uh and so one making sure we don't have a situation where we are below a minimum for the state of North Carolina.
That does not appear to be an issue for us. Um and then to um any of our employees who have received overtime pay for some reason, I need to press into those situations to make sure that those were computed in the correct way. Uh and so those are a couple of projects that have come upon my plate for me to press into as I continue to work through um exploring Durham's journey and working on Durham's path forward. Uh so just want to assure the board and everyone that's watching this um that we're working on the possible
implications of this and uh and we'll we'll be communicating that clearly. Um on the next um couple then we can move one more. Uh we sort of start to talk about some uh we can go back one please. uh we talk about sort of the u alignment uh and so our bus monitors or safety assistants is a space um that we looked at um sort of carefully and and what I found uh is that the the salary grade that's in place for them is sort of married to some old naming conventions that predate the current NC structure that you see on our website. Um and so that is a scale that starts at 1751. Um and so rolling forward whatever model we adopt um looking to migrate them away from being on a standalone schedule that's unique to them and making sure that they're in at least in line with the first grade that's on our sort of
conventional schedule. So just want to lift up that um lift up that scenario. Um so that one's uh particularly important for us. Um on the next slide, um we really sort of walked into an issue of a naming convention um for positions in the district.
And so we've had conversations with the operations team about these specific positions and and how do we address that? Uh and so there are um through the review two employees in the district that have a title of assistant custodial supervisor. That's not really a thing um according to our operations staff. And so, um, these folks, um, are, uh, in in sort of very unique positions in the district and carry some other responsibilities that are above and beyond the normal work of a typical custodian in Durham public schools. And so, um, this one gave me pause because I wanted to make sure that we weren't in a situation
where we had seemingly an assistant custodial supervisor on a higher pay grade than just an outright supervisor. And so, we're working with the operations team to come up with a more appropriate name for those assistant custodial supervisors that reflect uh the work that they're actually doing. So, just wanted to lift up that issue um that we're working through. Um the next slide um we sort of and we're trying to tackle these in alphabetical order here.
Um the next slide that we look at is specific to our data managers and and this is a group we've certainly heard a lot about uh with the infinite uh campus roll out. Um and there are a couple of different approaches um that can be taken with this group, right? And so there's a conventional uh method of elementary, middle to high in terms of the respective school levels and looking at the complexities um that that go behind uh inputting master schedules at a high school compared to what goes into the construction at an
elementary school. Um and then there's also um an opportunity to look at this from the perspective of the size of the school instead and recognizing that we may have some large elementary schools or some large middle schools um and and trying to balance that out somehow. So um on the next um on the next slide, right, we in this draft, we just look at the model of differentiating by elementary, middle, high, and even those specialty schools. Um and so in the current construct uh elementary and middle school data managers are on the same grade uh and they also are on the same grade as our receptionists um that are at the school that that don't have sort of that extra complexity that comes with administering the student information system in the district. Uh and so then looking further to differentiate um those rights. So looking at an elementary at a seven to differentiate that uh from a receptionist middle on eight,
comprehensive high school on nine. Uh and then for our specialty um looking to a lot of districts sometimes kind of fall into the trap of treating them the same as a large comprehensive high school but knowing that they are significantly smaller. Um looking at sort of treating those more like a middle school for these purposes. um but also um not wanting to go to the extreme of treating them like an elementary because we acknowledge in those specialty school spaces uh they they may be tasked with doing more than just data management work.
They might be tasked with front uh front desk coverage. Um and in some cases um they are a treasurer and a data manager and so they've got a little extra wrinkle um that balances out that size. Okay, on the next slide, uh we sort of look under the exceptional children umbrella uh as a group. Uh and so just sort of looking, we do have a braille technician in the district. Uh and so this is first district I've worked in
that there was one go Durham. Uh and so looking at uh bringing that more in line uh with the with how those uh positions are compensated in other districts um such as Wake and Charlotte uh as examples, right? and trying to move that up a couple of grades to reflect what's going on there. Um we'll see this kind of theme emerge throughout.
Um so throughout the district there are uh particularly uh departments that administer large grants. Um there there are oftentimes embedded finance or budget managers that report to the directors of those program um those programs and they provide support uh to their supervisors in in managing those very large budgets that a lot of times um have uh complicated rules that and so we'll see kind of this common theme of trying to progress those folks from the current level of 11 to 14. And you'll you'll see this repeat in the finance department proper as well as the federal programs department when we get there. um occupational and physical therapists.
Um when we examined that uh spent some time uh prior to the agenda review process um we examined what was occurring in Wake Charlotte and the UNC health system um as um model employers and um generally we saw um those sort of moving more in the direction of them being in line with the certified related service professionals, right? And so more in line with what speech therapists are earning for example. And so that is a more generous scale. There's a lot of history in North Carolina with the OT and PT schedules.
Um throughout the years that group at times has been treated as certified and classified and it has alternated back and forth over time. Uh and they have been parked in the classified category by the state for quite some time now. But lots of lots of interesting history that goes back to the mid90s um with those employees. But um we are sort of recommending um a
schedule that that brings them more in line with what you would typically see for a speech therapist as an example. Um okay, the next slide is just the federal programs department and I alluded to this earlier, right? there's an embedded um budget manager in that department and so looking to bring that in line uh from an 11 to a 14 um on the schedule. Um so the finance department um so went into this sort of um and I did have one comment I forgot to make about OT's and PTS um that I wanted to share.
Um after we went through the agenda review process with the board, we were challenged to look at some additional employers to see if we saw the same thing um that we saw with Wake and Charlotte. And I want to share that we saw uh similar uh similar scales in place for Guilford and Chapel Hill Car. So that um we we really saw that repeat in some other areas. So I didn't want to
miss that point um before I got too far. um on the finance section uh which is on the next slide. Um so um obviously I went about this one carefully um being mindful that the finance officer is the one that led this work and and so some folks um would um be concerned about some bias uh towards the finance department. Uh and so we um so did go about this objectively and so the looking looking at other districts like um like Charlotte and Wake uh as examples, the accounting technicians roles uh migrating from a nine to an 11 uh on the schedule. Um the budget uh type position that we've alluded to in other departments seeing a similar shift there um from a 10 to a 14 like we saw in EC and federal programs. Um, we do have a um a construction analyst um that's embedded in the finance department that is dedicated uh to keeping track of all of our construction
uh budgeting and expenditures and and all of the bonds um and among other things. And so looking to bring that from a 12 to a 15 to be consistent with what we see um in other districts. um the payroll model um looking to reward efficiency uh and and um sort of really looking at sort of a longer term game here of of trying to get us to a point where we have uh a smaller and more efficient payroll department in the future. And so recognizing that um I we have in particular um three payroll technicians out of out of the larger group in Durham that are some of the more impressive uh that I've seen in other places. I've um we've got three that are pushing close to a thousand employees uh in their case loads. um one that's a little bit over and I've not seen that volume before um on and so the highest I had really seen before was
closer to the 750 800 mark um and these and these three in particular handle it very well um whereas we have some other right we have others that that can't handle that volume um and and so sort of have sort of a more reasonable range um but really want to kind of recognize that differentiation um and uh it would be great in the future to move to having just a a fewer number of techs and having them more geared towards that higher level uh that can handle the larger um uh let's see and then and then sort of working down from that just a slight adjustment for the supervisor role in that department to be in line with what we saw um in the comparison districts uh and then the purchasing specialists looking for that to be uh migrating from a 9 to a 12 uh to mirror what we saw in those other districts. um human resources is the next section. Um and so there were two positions in particular um that stood out and so one
is the lensure specialist um that I don't think our teachers certainly interact with uh this team quite a bit and it's one that maybe does not get a lot of attention uh because folks maybe don't realize how much they have to know in order to do that job. There is a lot that goes into that and our comparison districts uh push them more towards a 14 and they've been landing at the nine um in in the current uh construct in Durham. Uh and I think we have um this is a space where we have seen an effort in Durham to sort of apply the band-aids that we see come about to spot fix these things. Right?
we we see sort of the the advent of of lead stipens and training stipens and and other things that come about to try to get folks more money in these sorts of roles. Uh and so this is certainly an example of that. And so um the right thing to do sort of through a study is to just get it where it belongs to begin with on the base pay instead of trying to spot fix. Um and then our staffing technicians um is a space um
where we would u propose bringing them in in line and make them comparable to uh their colleagues in payroll uh and bringing them up uh to that uh from an eight to a nine. Um and I know this was a space um before um just a few weeks ago I had conversation with Miss Hager and this was an area that she had a lot of concern um for her team. Um the next one is sort of a singleton position in the district. Um so as a McKenna Bento case manager U but recommending a slight shift there from a a a grade eight to a grade nine uh based on the comparison districts.
Um the next slide really is just an effort uh for us to contemplate sort of putting some construct around the notion of office support in the district. Um and so we're um this sort of echoes back u to a structure that was once in place with the state schedule that I thought worked particularly well. Um and we talk about this a little bit more on the next
slide. But um looking at having that level of 1 to five and that ranges anywhere from a six to a 10 as far as the grades are concerned um for us to organize uh various office support roles in the district. Uh and so on that se on that continued slide there, we sort of list out some examples of of parameters that might help folks know where they would land in that construct and to try to put some very clear um banks around that uh so that we know what we're working with. Um uh on the next slide we talk about sort of some clerical roles in the operations department.
So, one uh looking at the facilities rental technician shifting that from an eight to a nine based on what we saw in comparison districts. Uh and then there's an operations manager position um that we would actually shift from a 15 to a 14. So, this is the only one like that. Um but certainly the um existing employee would be held harmless
to that sort of change. Uh and then uh when that's replaced in the future, it would be advertised um at the at the more appropriate grade. Um, school treasurers are uh the next one and um I'll just share looked at them in the exact same way that we looked at data managers uh looking to have differentiation between them and a school receptionist. Um, we recently had uh in the district a receptionist who migrated to the school treasurer role at her same school u and was disappointed that it was no difference in pay uh knowing that she had a lot more responsibilities coming her way.
And so that's something that's particularly pressing for us and and I commend her for still taking on the challenge um of jumping into the school treasurer role even though that was not more money for her. Um, I know the other, uh, challenge that we run into is, um, we we do have we do experience turnover in the school treasurer space. Uh, and we had, um,
just this summer a very strong elementary bookkeeper that was interested in a high school vacancy, uh, and ultimately made the choice to not pursue it. Um, because she did not feel like the differentiation would have been great enough. uh knowing what she would be walking into at a large comprehensive high school compared to what she was doing at a at a smaller elementary school. But man, she would have been great.
Um and so we sort of talk about that on the next slide. Um with the construct um so again looking to differentiate between those levels a little bit better. Um and it's pretty common. Um, and I'm surprised this didn't happen in some of the earlier studies because I know the people who did them, uh, and I've worked with them before. Uh, but right, you can see that for those the high school level data managers and the high school treasurers, they're sort of in line at what we recommend for an NHR tech and a payroll tech in the district. um because of the the complexity uh and the demands that
are on a high school treasurer and the um and in some cases some of them are cashless but in some cases uh right they're handling more cash than anybody in the district and there's the most opportunity for issues um in the district where cash is concerned um with a high school treasurer. So, um, you know, I've had people over the years, uh, who have worked for me in central offices who have questioned my philosophy on the high school treasurer or a high school data manager role and I've challenged them to go give it a try. Uh, because it's it's much harder work that goes on at the school level and much um much greater demands on their time in my opinion. And so, um, I'm always will always be an advocate for those folks.
Um on the next slide uh this is sort of the broader category writing is really looking at the space of skilled trades as a collective. We have a number uh a number of positions that are outlined. Um, and so as a rule of thumb, looking to bring these more in line with competing with the private
sector, uh, knowing that these positions are highly transferable to a number of places, other school systems, other governmental entities, um, and and just a variety of businesses that are out there. And I I have found over my career that the the younger um, skilled tradesmen that are coming up are much more enticed by the cash that can be offered uh, in the private sector than the benefits. um that we offer in government. So there's been sort of a uh the benefits used to be enticing enough to pull them in um to school system and and government work and that's really not the case anymore.
Um and and two working through this uh looking to make sure that there was greater differentiation between someone who was a lead in that skilled trade compared to someone who was not in the lead role. Um and um and in some cases, right, you can see with the the plumbers um so we have we have three whole plumbers on on the payroll um for Durham public schools. And so really looking to differentiate
uh between plumber one and plumber two that were on the same. So it just really didn't make sense for us um as we unpacked that. Um the next section um is sort of our our transportation folks, right? And so really looking at the bus garage component to this.
Uh so uh in in addition to other school systems, um the department of transportation is another major competitor for this. And I have I've lost count in my career how many mechanics and technicians um my employers have lost to to DOT. Uh and so we're uh this is a space where we needed to recommend kind of some strong adjustments there for us to be competitive and and um I think we've seen through the news what a strong what a strong role our mechanics play uh in in Durham public schools and so want to be mindful uh of that population. Um another u sort of the final category um that I'll talk about on the next slide is the the warehouse supervisor role. Uh
and so recommending um this one I felt was of all the ones that I looked at was sort of the most off the mark. Uh and so really looking to advance that from a five to a 10 on the schedule to create appropriate differentiation between the supervisor and the warehouse technicians and couriers um that fall under that umbrella um and bring this more in line with what we see um and um in in sort of some competing districts. Um, another space uh on the next slide that we talk about is not necessarily pertinent to pay um but really sort of worth a review. Um, and so we we may we may review this and we may change nothing.
Um, but anytime we implement uh pay changes, it's a good time to revisit our application of who is exempt or considered not exempt from fair labors fair labor standard act for purposes of earning comp time or overtime in the district. It's probably not something that's really pleasant to change independent of a salary study. Um, but
it's more palatable to see these kinds of changes when folks also know they may be making more money. So, um, just worth looking at. Uh, there's been lots of movement in the courts with this. Uh, so they previously, um, uh, had recommended, um, a higher um, a higher salary for that threshold and then it was struck back down to the 2019 levels uh, through the courts.
And so um this is just a space where I say we we spend some time to look at that and can really address that uh at another time. And if we can advance uh one more there we go. Um just kind of highlevel just sort of thoughts as we worked through these exercises. Um just looking at the three models.
Uh, right. So, obviously the the Durham County model was the lowest uh minimum wage or livable wage of the three that we looked at. Um, it's still a very solid increase uh to the minimum wage uh for our employees in Durham, in
particular, those safety assistants. Um, we have some more work to do with the modeling on that as we push through this to see uh if we could eliminate the need for legacy differentials, but um we may not be able to. But certainly still working on those draft models. Um presumably would be the least expensive approach.
Right. So, as we implement any of these models, uh, we change that bottom floor and then we let and we we've built the schedules for those increases to ripple up in the appropriate intervals with the not only with the steps but as we progress uh across the the various grades uh in the schedule so that we properly so we so we really don't add to the compression issue. Um and then uh I think a a positive to that is um that model aligns with our funding agency. So we know um that whatever we do u through this process, we're it will be folded into
Dr. Lewis's recommended budget uh as as a budgetary item uh and maybe more palatable if we're at least trying to align uh with what our funders are doing themselves. uh city of Durham, same same thought, still a good increase. Um may not still get rid of those legacy differentials.
Uh on the whole, um it's still, you know, it's not the most expensive. Um we would be asking, you know, the county to help us pay for something that's a higher minimum wage than their own. Uh the MIT model, obviously, that's the dream model. Uh and and certainly that is a significant increase to the minimum wage.
um would be fantastic, right? If that's something where, you know, as as a collective in Durham County, we're all working towards that um as as a unit um between the district and the city and the county perhaps of of recognizing that this is somewhere we're trying to move together. Um legacy differentials would definitely
uh go away in that model. Um it would eradicate the need for those um in just sort of in these current draft models that we've prepared. um it could be too much at one time. Um just in terms of the magnitude of the shift, the magnitude of the cost. Um and again, this would be a model where we're asking the county to provide funding that's greater than um what they're currently doing uh for their own employees. Um I think is important to note uh on the next slide we talk about other things that we consider uh as we go through this process that we have to balance out with the superintendent's recommended budget um teacher pay uh and so some of these models um so just the MIT model for example when we flesh that out in the appropriate way um due to the lack of North Carolina's progress in teacher pay we would see potentially a scenario where you may have an entry-level instructional assistant that makes $5,000 less than an entry- level
teacher, right? And so those are some things that we have to contemplate if we're addressing potentially a classified problem, but we don't want to create this compression with our certified folks in in in the process. So, something to to keep in mind um and continue to advocate for appropriate teacher pay from the state of North Carolina. Uh we know that um there may be a 2026 bond referendum on the horizon.
Uh and so being in mind of the implications u financially of that um rising benefit costs um both to us and to our employees, right? And so we know um our employees are um feeling some stress with the the rising health insurance rates um that are going to go into place and then we know on the horizon we may have the technology refresh um throughout. Right. There's lots that we've got to consider and and that we'll um need to work to build a pragmatic approach to this in tandem with other things that are important to Durham. Um and so it's we always as I
have done salary studies over the years have always um and I think uh Miss Beyer alluded to this in some other meetings, right? we we may have a tool that we're working with to help us prioritize how we phase these things in and and to really work through what is the the greatest priority um for the board and for our community. Um on the next slide, we just sort of touch on sort of the impending next steps. And so we um know it was communicated at the last uh board work session um that we have this sort of run through the meet and confer process for feedback and and then at the board meeting immediately after that share what feedback we receive. um outline any other progress that staff has made as we continue to build out this project. Um and with that um the next slide, we just call for questions.
>> Thank you so much, Mr. Teter. >> Um board, we have a question um from Matias. Yes.
Um so I had a small question about um with the classification with uh um yeah with data managers and school treasurers um we have a few schools like the school for creative studies Durham School of the Arts um and Ignite online academy that have like multiple grade um not just grade levels but like elementary, middle, high school or just middle and high school. I'm just curious how that's classified. >> Man, that's a great question. I uh so the um sort of the first I think the first um the first school that I believe you kind of shared in that list right creative studies and for for intents and purposes we really sort of treat them like a middle school in the finance department and so that's the space um
that we would sort of manage them in in that process. Uh, Ignite um is another great example and we would lump them in the specialty category uh and so they would have uh similar compensation to middle school. Um and I think you mentioned one more example. Can you remind me what your other example was?
>> Uh DSA Durham School of the Arts. >> Durham School of the Arts is enormous. uh and right and so we would um sort of contemplate them um like we would a comprehensive high school uh just due to their size and right the number the number of students that are there uh and um there they have sort of the a lot of those sort of extra wrinkles that we see um with our other uh comprehensive high schools for reasons that they're collecting money. Um, and then one other thing, uh, this may be just like my little understanding of the system, but, um, I know that, um, like education like beyond high school, um, whether you have like a bachelor's, masters, that sort of
situation. Um, that I don't think that was mentioned. I'm just curious like um number one if like two people for the same position have different levels of education if that's a factor and then like the amount of education for a specific position that's required whether that's also considered. >> Great question. Yeah, you're um I might be working for you up here one day. And so the um so I think the um you know so certainly right anytime that we advertise a position in a school system right we identify sort of that minimum level of education that we're looking for in some cases right where we are we are looking just for that high school diploma or equivalent and in some cases right I've got um just using my department as an example right I have some roles where we're looking for a bachelor's and preferably a master's and and I think we do see that sort of manifest uh in where those positions land on on what grade they're
classified as. Uh and so um but kind of circling kind of more directly to your question um at this point in time we really don't differentiate. Right. So if we had um a high school treasurer that had a bachelor's degree in accounting and was aspiring to do more compared to one that maybe has an associates degree in accounting.
there's currently not um a differentiation there in their pay. Uh but certainly we would uh we would expect right that treasurer that's got that bachelor's degree in accounting to probably have a much better swing at at um working their way up to opportunities um in the district. Um, uh, thank you for that. And also, um, I'm just really glad that the meet and confer is also included, um, so that like the people who are actually working for the district have a say in, um, how much they're paid.
But thank you. >> Yes, sir. Thank you. >> Thanks so much. Um, all right. other board members.
Well, I don't all speak at once. >> All right, Mr. Tap, >> thank you. Um, thanks for for this.
I know it was a exhausting slot. Um, just wanted to uplift here again the teacher pay. Uh, I know that's that uh the state has a lot to do with that, of course. Um, however, if if we're looking at classified, then I know you kind of touched on it a little bit, but how are we balancing classified with certified?
>> Um, fantastic question. And and so I know the the budget cycle we just completed uh right we we uh made a $500 increase to the teacher supplement in Durham. And I think uh I would not be surprised to see the teacher supplement issue lift up yet again in this in this upcoming uh budget cycle as a as a
priority um that that will have to kind of fit into all this. Yeah, >> that's all I have for right now. Thank >> we go down the line or >> All right, Miss Beyer. So, I just want to continue to ex extend gratitude to you, Mr.
Teter, for your leadership on this. This is comprehensive and this is um exactly what what our classified folks need as um we are working to correct the harm of the past. Um and I would love to be able to be at that MIT rate. I know all of us would love that. Um, but I don't think you're at the point where you've modeled any bottom lines of how many hundred million dollars that would take in local money or something to get there. Um, but I do love that you've set it up in
an aspirational way. I know that we have been trying for many, many, many years to make sure that our city and county counterparts understand that as large employers, we are actually larger than them. and the way that we start our living wages matter and the way that we take care of folks all along the compression and address that matters because people need room to grow. So, I love that you've built these scales for us and are going to continue to have those conversations um in a in a really direct way if and if folks want to see these scales, they are in the documents that are in board docs. Um, and they're beautiful and I look forward to the general assembly getting back to work and doing a budget so we can increase classified pay this year. Um, the the question that stands out to me though is as you've listed many job categories, several were not included and so if you could speak directly at folks that are looking at these and
perhaps their job classification, job description was not listed, what's your thinking on how we would proceed with those? Right. Uh so there are two I think it's important to lift up that there are two pieces to this um work. So one right we we saw sort of preeminently displayed the ones that are misaligned um compared to other districts that we need to lift up.
But then also um we've approached these schedules in a way that lifting up the bottom floor or or that minimum wage um would then trigger movement, right, for everything that's sort of subsequent, right? And that's really the right way to do it um to to avoid the compression. And so this um so if someone's in a in a in a position that is maybe properly aligned in terms of its grade, they will still see some benefit because of the the ripple effect of us lifting up that bottom floor. Right. So there's every position is
touched in some way um through the process. >> I appreciate it. And I've already heard talk from friends in the county um leadership that they plan to advocate to raise their minimum. Again, I I know think that we should continue to be in conversation >> with with them and with the county manager.
Um so that as we align, we align together. Um so like the the 1922 at the county might already be too low um as we move forward. But thank you so much for modeling this and taking it um to get feedback from staff next. Thank you.
>> Right, Mr. Hoff. >> Um I won't say too much. Um so much has been said.
I just want to again express my gratitude. I can follow what it is that you're explaining which is for me is a huge thing because I you know before just all of this confusion. So, I
really appreciate the work that you're doing. I also appreciate how um you're really being intentional about uh stairstepping someone like me through it for understanding. So, um thank you so much for that. I also look forward to um it feels like that you really are trying to show us what it is that we desire so that we can really contemplate what it is we have to do to get there.
And um I know several of us in the community are seeking tools as we prepare to take this fight to the state legislature. So, it's it's it's um it's good to have the clarity of what it is we really truly need. And so, I really appreciate you um working to help us to see and to show us that as we figure out what we have to do in the moment and also what it is that we need to advocate for strongly with
clarity um at the state and federal level. That's all. Thank you so much. Um, thank you for this thorough review and and catching a lot of things.
Um, I think that's really helpful, helping provide clarity to folks that have been, I think, seeking that for a while. Um, on the question around the schedule computation error that y'all are reviewing, do you know which schedule that might be on? Is that all previous schedules or is it unclear? So in um definitively right so the the the ones that are advertised now right so when you go to our compensation page right that's we see that those the formulas permeate throughout u and then so what I've um what I'm working on now is untangling the old that predate those to
to be sure the same thing wasn't occurring and that'll help me have the appropriate apples to apples to see if we need to do anything uh differently. >> I appreciate you for lifting that up. Um and I I did notice that there aren't any Well, let me ask this question first. With the shifts in the PowerPoint from going to NC to something different or NCO, you know, that is based on these models that you've also included in the power point as well.
Is that correct? >> Right. So the three um so the three uh schedule models that are in in the materials all sort of reference those grade classifications and and so we kind of went to the extent of building out all of those but then also detailing at the bottom like the the the applicable positions and uh and so you'll see that if you if you lay those three out kind
of side by side, you'll see the variation in in the the generosity of those ranges. is depending upon uh where the bottom floor started um for the the minimum wage. Yeah. >> So maybe unclear of um what the actual salary might be at this moment because we don't know what schedules we're working on, what budget we're working with, right?
>> But those folks will be moving up in some type of reclassification, >> right? We we hope, right? So we'll we'll have um so what I would envision right is there will be a number of there will be a number of issues that we bring before the board as you prioritize kind of how you roll forward with with 2627 right so we may you know we'll have uh we'd like to really kind of quantify quantify for you okay here is just the misalignment issues in a bucket and that's the dollar value with that um here is the the dollar value that comes with changing that computation of the monthly and annual uh as well as you
know here is the uh dollar value that comes with executing the entire uh model right or changing that bottom floor right so we want to kind of give you those pieces separately so that you can kind of visualize how that might look >> um when might we get some numbers on how all these things look >> so I think for me Um my my goal would be what so one we know getting some some feedback about our direction >> over the next couple of meetings uh and then um and then I would love to have numbers um you know at some point in one of the November meetings would like to get numbers in front of you um because then we'll be sort of on the cusp of developing Dr. Lewis's recommended budget. So, we're going to need those uh at that point. And uh we've got to do some really slick stuff with Excel to aggregate our current folks, right, that have multiple pay lines and bump that up against the these three different models
and and sort of work that out in a way that um makes sense because we'd um you know, we'd like to have we'd like to have a model in place where you can follow, you know, position number 10,00 you know, for lack of a better example, this is where it is Now this is where it is on model one, two and three and so that it can be clearly followed in a transparent way. Yeah. >> Um looking forward to those numbers. Maybe a little nervous also about what those numbers look like. Um and thinking about is this a you know over a couple years piece of chunk of pie that we also think about doing recognizing that ideally we want to do it all now. And I just want to also lift up I feel like as we were listening to your presentation I was hearing some of the concerns that have come to us over the last few years around um our roles are different how treasurer roles are different data roles are different OTP like we've heard a lot of these concerns so this really feels like it captured a lot of what we've been hearing and
honors where people are so want to appreciate that as well and addressing the compression throughout. So, I think there's still probably some work we can do here, but thank you. >> All right. Um, thank you, Mr.
Teter, for all of your work on this. I'm excited to see the next steps. I just have one um question and it might be too early for this, but I I really appreciate the focus on um lifting the base and making sure that all of our employees are paid a living wage starting with the bottom um bottom tier of uh payment. Um, and I know that it it feels a little bit like we're trying to do the impossible, which is like do that while avoiding compression or correcting compression in an environment where we have limited and fewer and fewer resources each year. So, I guess all of that to say that um what are you considering for the percent increase between
each of the steps or like what do you see as reasonable? What do can you remind us of what like other districts do or what the city or county might do for that um as we're as you're cons as you're thinking about how to avoid the compression problem? >> Yeah, there's um there are a lot of different ways that folks tackle that. um on the sort of the least beneficial end of the spectrum um you know the districts have developed schedules and um and in some years a lot of cases they don't award a step increase.
they they they move the person to reflect, hey, we recognize you've been with us 26 years now versus 25. All you're getting is what the state raise was, right? And no, right? So, we see a lot of engineering of salary schedules to make that happen. Um some uh some districts um will see uh sort of establish um half a percent to a percent um quite commonly in between
steps. um and that gets paired in tandem with a state increase um in in the best fiscal years possible. Um it's been some time now um since I've seen it happen. Um and then um we also see um sort of the separate issue of okay you've got the increases between steps but what's the appropriate increase right to differentiate between grade one and grade two and going across that x- axis so to speak.
Uh and so um that that's another area that really kind of called for attention. And so we've um for the purposes um of developing these schedules um tried to kind of we looked at two things with Durham. Uh so one modeling that existing step structure that's there in in the current uh right which has been um more times than not like a half percent interval there. Um
but the board also has language in its um in its salary documents that say um that contingent upon funding the board can authorize whatever percentage of increase and and then we would engineer the schedules accordingly. Um and then the other and then the other issue right with the the progression across grades um there is not it's one through four um on the schedule where they start they've started historically at the same sort of minimum uh salary point and that it's not really anyone's fault um that that's the same way that the state of North Carolina constructed it. um just compression, financial challenges. And so um I think about our employees in Durham in particular.
So we have no one that's on that second grade, right? We it's just sort of there. Uh and but we do have employees that are on the third
column over, right? So on grade three, um that would benefit from the work that we're doing of trying to better differentiate between one, two, and three. And so we tried to make that look different in what we did. Um, so that's more than you asked, but kind of the same thing.
>> Okay. Thank you. All right. Cool.
Anybody else have other thoughts? I know that Vice Chair Roger shared with me that she did not have additional questions aside from the one she had sent. And I think that board member Chavez is joining but probably doesn't have questions even if she is on right now since she's just jumped on. So thank you so much.
>> Thank you. >> Me. Can I make some comments? >> Oh yes.
I suppose we could allow that. Dr. Lewis, >> thank you so much. Uh first of all, good evening everyone. Thank you so much Jeremy for your work um on this. you know, when you take into account the number of hours and there I heard there was sometimes some weekend hours that
was spent on uh putting this together, something like this probably would have cost the district close to $100,000. So, thank you for saving us um that money, but also speaks to the finance team that you have there that they were able to continue uh rolling while you were um intrudically involved in in this work. Also want to remind the board and the community that this work that was presented tonight is aligned to our policy 7600, which is the living wage policy. Uh that requires a superintendent to um propose or make any adjustments to um our salary schedules to ensure that our staff are at least paid the minimum living wage and per the policy we get that wage.
I think Jeremy mentioned that from um Durham County. We had a conversation with our county manager uh manager Hager about two weeks ago, Jeremy and I. Um, and so as as as we think about this salary study and where we've been and how sometimes salary study, you know, considering where we've been may be triggering it, it's really important for us to make sure that we get this right. And not just for compliance or just because it's the right thing to do, but because our
staff, our classified staff um are are the backbone of of our district, whether they're driving buses or u monitoring buses, you know, preparing meals or keeping our um schools and classrooms safe. Um every single classified staff matter. And I think it was mentioned tonight during public comment and um something we heard loud and clear about this notion of transparency. And I hope that you were able to see um a high level of transparency as it relates to just the the process uh but also the the the draft schedules that we brought uh tonight.
And and here's the thing, we we owe it to our our staff to be open and honest and and essentially clear about every step that we take. And so this this process is is is more than, you know, just about um pay scales. It's it's about ensuring that all of our classified staff um feel valued uh for their contributions and and you know I want I want this to be able to send a clear message that in Dorm public
schools um no matter what role on the classified schedule and I often tell people to take the just off uh when they're introducing themselves when they say I'm just a um food service worker. I'm just a classified I'm sorry just a bus driver. know you are an intricral part and we hope that this work is um on the path of ensuring that we are um honoring you for your the work that you do and making sure that you are uh paid correctly. So thank you all so much for your engagement in this work and also for those staff voices that were a part of the process on the front end.
Thank you. >> Thank you Dr. Lewis. Um Chair Umstead >> I want to lift up one more thing Mr.
Ter, this is a while ago before your time. There was questions around thinking about living wage and the benefits that we offer versus benefits that the county might offer. Um, and when you total that number up, like is the hourly still the same because of some of the benefits we offer or not offer. I don't need an answer to that question today, but maybe just something
as we're considering um the living wage, how do we calculate some of those benefits that are there that are offered that may not be offered on the other All right, thanks so much. Okay, the next item on our agenda. Let's see the technology update. >> Good evening.
Good evening, board chair, vice chair, board members, Dr. Lewis and cabinet members present. My name is Paul Mijumi, executive director of information technology and I'm here this evening to present a recommendation that enables us to return Durham public close to a fully onetoone uh student device ratio. Um at a future meeting, we will bring forward a comprehensive long-term plan um outlining how we'll sustain and strengthen our 1:1 program drawing from the lessons learned um and the data
we've gathered. But tonight our focus is pal on maintaining our onetoone device status for every other for every student. Next slide. At this time I'll turn it over to Miss Chanel Sidbury, assistant superintendent of for school support and continuous improvement to home IT reports directly.
>> Good evening board chair, board members and administration. Um I want to um start with a caveat. This presentation was submitted um on September the 19th and so I want to start with just letting you know how we have adjusted to the challenges noted here in this presentation and um so you will find that throughout this presentation we will have some revisions to that information and and bring clarity around that. So this slide really just highlights five key areas that are noted in terms of challenge challenges in terms of information techn information technology and our onetoone implementation. I want to spend time not reading this slide to you but talking about what actions have been in place
since September the 19th when these slides were developed and how we plan to move forward. So if you see number one it's talking about the widespread device um shortage and unreturned devices and loss. And so what I can speak to there is to talk about how our devices were allocated and also reconciled the previous years. So it was a process where schools reported their needs.
Um and so in that process, of course, we've strengthened that process this year going into this year by not just going on um individual recommendations from schools about what their device needs are, but having a standardized and universal system of allocating and asseting those resources and collecting that data in our system which is called onetoone. So previously schools did rec reconcile their devices but it was based on internal systems. Some schools had spreadsheets, some had uh paper pencil processes. So it was based on what was uh most um applicable to that school. And now we have moved forward with a
onetoone reporting system. If you kind of think about um how we do library books, everything is asseted and scanned. And that way we have a universal system across all schools where we can at any point in time pull that data up. And then uh number two is talking about frequent transferred and unreturned devices.
And so again that process is mitigated. We now have a universal um device allocation system where when school when students travel from school to school it is asseted it is noted and then we are able to track and monitor that. And again that process previously was kind of paper pencil um as well as internal processes at schools and now we have that universal um um strategy there. Um number three is talking about instructional time and state tested requirements. And so since this meeting, we've had um several conversations with our principles both face-toface and virtually um where we shared exemplars across schools um and evidence-based strategies such as class sets so that we ensure that there is no
instructional disruption and of course that there is no disruption in our state t testing requirements. And so we have gone through iterations of administering state tests. October is a heavy case and so we've been clear with schools about what that process looks like in the interim until we do go return to a one-to-one status. And then last but not least is uh number four talking about staffing levels.
Um we are are not here to ask for any additional staff but we just want to make sure that we lift up a very high praise to our technology champions which are um you know extra duty responsibilities. And so our tech champions have worked day literally day and night to make sure that we have a strong process of accountability. In addition to that, you will know that we have standard distribution device distribution plans that have been shared with principles. I think they are due um universally tomorrow. Um there are many schools have who have turned those in and we're making sure that we ask good questions like how is this being communicated to your families? How is
this being communicated to your staff? what will you do in this case and that case which are our overarching issues is making sure we have universal plans and that we can provide support and additional guidance to schools and then last but not least I just want to note that through all of these challenges we've improved our communication Mr. Mujumbi as well as the information technology team have come to two face-to-face principles meeting and address um principles about best practices given accolades for schools who have done this this work well and we do have many schools that are in the 90s percent 90 90 uh% reconcile rate and so this is while it seems that this is a pervasive issue you'll see in the coming slides that we do have some areas where we need to tighten up our support and accountability and in addition to those two face-to-face um principles meetings We also through the superintendent Dr. Lewis, his cabinet discussion with principles also uplifted this uh information to our schools providing very specialized lists such as every student who has multiple devices assigned to them and how to uh
strategies on how to reconcile that as well as the numbers that let them know how they're progressing in terms of their reconciled devices as well as device distribution. So again, in a three-w weekek time frame, a lot can change. And we hope to uh share with you not just a request, but how we are being both proactive and um how we are bridging and mending the processes previously did not serve us that got us kind of in this place that we are. Um and so I'm going to turn it back over to Mr.
Mjumby where he's going to dig into some of that data. Um and then we bring forth a recommendation. Thank you. Next slide.
Again, I think we've seen this slide before, but we just again wanted to highlight out that over the last two and a half school years, these are the numbers we've seen of missing devices. Our goal is to really bring down this number to one extent where we come up here and say this year we didn't lose any number. But just wanted to show over the last years when we started tracking and clearly identifying the missing
devices. These some of the data we have out there. >> Next slide. On this slide, you'll see an example of the written communication that we have sent out to principles and tech champions.
Uh we have other communication modalities that we use. These communications outline best practices um and provide guidance on how on maintaining accurate device assignments. In addition to this written communication, we have also provided updates and support through principal meetings, cabinet and principal joint meetings, tech champion meetings, and our daily teams communications where we actively work with the schools to resolve challenges as they arise. Next slide.
This slide shows our testing windows. The initial strategy was to align device collection and verification with these testing periods to ensure availability and readiness of devices for all students. Moving forward, we plan to add an additional verification window to coincide with the end of semester and winter testing. Another layer of accountability to ensure that every student has a working device when needed.
Right. In the summer of 2025, um DPS conducted a comprehensive scan of all on-site devices. Our IT technicians visited every school building and physically scanned devices that were collected. Um this process gave us our reconciled and unreconciled device counts um districtwide.
Next slide. Right. At the conclusion of that audit uh we had approximately uh 5,000 unreconciled Chromebooks. I think the number was the time come up was 4,885.
Um through targeted strategies and accountability measures we have successfully reduced that number to 1952 um unreconciled devices and we're still striving to push that number down further down. Um I would like to pause right here and extend my appreciation to our inventory manager Guinea um and our IT directors um who have who have been persistent in partnering with schools to close this gap um and continue to do so daily. So yeah um again I think I during our pre um our previous meetings I did
show the different uh spreadsheets whereby every day um GIA keeps on reconciling and reaching out to schools to make sure that we find each and every device that we've we have missing out there. Next slide. But as of September 19th um 2025, our remaining gap was 2050 Chromebooks. Uh it's important to note that this gap this gap number differs slightly from the unreconciled count uh because it include devices that were currently out for repair or in transit.
So the gap figure represents what's needed to make us whole. Um without waiting for those repairs to come back or other recovery efforts to conclude um that's why those two numbers um differ. Next slide. To mitigate losses and strengthen accountability, we're implementing several strategies uh transitioning to a day user model uh beginning with grades through eight next semester.
Um this shift was requested by several middle schools last school year. We just did happen to implement it before the start of the school. We're also considering this model for grades 9 through 12. Um
though we intend to proceed carefully given the unique complexities of the high school schedules and needs. Uh we plan on conducting by annual inventory reconciliations to maintain up-to-date records. Uh enforcing strong accountability through our onetoone plus inventory management tool. Uh providing each school with list of students who have multiple devices assignments to assist in recovery efforts.
Um as as Miss Chanel highlighted, we distributed standard template to schools guiding schools in how devices are distributed and how families are informed. um but also maintaining daily communication channels with tech champions to address emerging challenges in real time. Uh perhaps most importantly, we're identifying and celebrating schools that are leading by example in the collection, reconciliation, and distribution and using them as models of best practice for others. Um, we have seen outstanding performance from schools like Jordan, DSA, Lucas, Shepard, Mangum, Ignite, Southwest, Pearson Town, Lewood Middle, Lewood
Elementary, George Watts Club, Forest View, Creek Side. So, we really um and many others. These examples show the excellency is possible and we and we're committed to scaling the success districtwide because those schools do show us that yes the process that we have in place if followed um they do work indeed. Next slide.
So this evening I respectedly bring to the board a recommendation to purchase um for the purchase of 2050 Chromebooks from CDW through the North Carolina State 204A contract. Uh this purchase will allow us to maintain our onetoone status while we continue developing the comprehensive start plan uh that we'll bring back to you in the near future. Thank you and open it up for questions. >> Thank you so much Mr.
Majbe and um Miss Sbury. Really appreciate all of your work on this and taking the time to answer questions. Um with that um board members, do you have questions? And we
can start again with our student representative, um, Matias. >> Um, so I I spent a lot of time in my school's media center, so I I I see a lot of like people coming in um asking for Chromebooks, so I I do really appreciate this happening. Um, I I just had a few questions. Um, so do we have like a timeline for like when um every it's expected that everyone will be able to get their Chromebooks.
Um, just because a lot of teachers are kind of being put in a weird spot where like a bunch of their students don't have devices, so they're either having to use their phones or like just do assignments on paper. Um, >> yes, I can answer that. Um, yes. So, we're taking two measures.
One, we've been working with schools to have a distribution plan to use all the available resources that they do have on on campuses. So, that's one portion right there. Second question, yes, if we do move out of here with an approval, uh
we plan to expedite those devices and I think as we committed probably within a week or two, we should have devices out there on sites. Um we've created avenues where we can expeditiously work with our vendors to get most of these resources into the schools. Yes. >> Um and then just one thought, this is more generally outside the scope of like just this presentation.
um just from like I'm I'm not in elementary school obviously, but I have siblings who are in elementary school and recently just finished elementary school. Um I'm just cur curious about like how important it is to have um a onetoone model for elementary schools. Um, I just remember like when my siblings were issued Chromebooks, they like they would come home and play um Minecraft on them and that's all I ever saw them doing. Um, I I'm not saying that like um Chromebooks don't have a place in
elementary schools or anything. Um, but I do think having um the model of like having like a cart that or even like a computer lab where um students can get access to a computer when they need it for elementary schools um may also help um with managing gaps in um having enough Chromebooks um because I me personally I'm definitely not an expert in this but like I don't completely understand the necessity of a one-to-one model for students who barely use Chromebooks. >> Thank you, Matthysse. That that's a very good point.
Um yes, I totally agree with what you're saying. Um and I think that will be in the comprehensive uh report that we're presenting to the board. Um you know, showcasing some of those different one-to-one models. We've seen schools already that have cuts in classroom, shared cuts. Um but I think also from an instruction and I think I'll let me sit very talk through that again. It ties to how the instruction is
administered. You know, maybe they're providing assignments that need to be totally online. Maybe they're not. But yeah, those are some of the things that we um considering in the comprehensive plan to provide the different models.
Everybody doesn't have to be one to one. It could be shared cards. Do you want to add to that? >> All right.
Thank you. But yes, thanks for that um for that point. Yes. >> Thank you, Matias.
And um and it's it's my understanding that you all are assessing just that as part of in all of this work that you're doing, not only how to reconcile all of these Chromebooks, but also how the district if the district should move forward with the onetoone model and if so, how that will happen and that you'll be back to the board to tell us more about that in the coming months. Is that right? >> I think that's exactly right. In fact, we had a conversation today just with principles about uh beginning the process of setting up, you know, that process, sharing with them particularly at the elementary level. Well, frankly, following Matias's lead, um you know,
this question about what is the what is the correct number of Chromebooks that belong in an elementary classroom, right? Is it, you know, one for each child or is it a classroom set of 10? Um, and then asking them to help us think through the process of number one, how do we get to a classroom set of 10 from where we are now. and which is which is really going to be a question for Paul and his team and frankly will if that is the way we end up will help us with this issue from a more larger from a larger perspective but also what is the professional development that we will need to provide for for teachers in our classrooms if we make that shift um I think um I I certainly hope Mati Matias that um the Chromebook use in classrooms includes a great deal more um uh than than um than Minecraft. Uh but what I would share is that teachers today um at the elementary level um in
particularly in our district are accustomed to having access to technology um you know kind of on demand in terms of what they do with their students. And so we want to be really thoughtful about um how we make that shift and make sure that we allow them to help us think through that shift. Um and so at the middle school level kind of the same idea like what is the correct number and and and and and what is the work that we need to do to support you know that process and make sure that when we get to that place we've thought through how it's going to impact instruction. what it will mean for us in terms of for instance one thing that people you know might not think about is that when you when you're in a oneto one um kind of configuration you know a school district might purchase fewer physical materials right because students can access their resources uh through the technology um if we shift away from that we have to think then about how will we make sure students continue to have access to all
of the materials that you and I um Mr. to have access through textbooks. Um, but we aren't we we aren't accustomed to buying that volume of textbooks and that will particularly be an issue um at the secondary level. And so those are some of the considerations that we need to um to make as we think through going from number one if we want to go from a traditional onetoone model to a model that is one to a you know a more limited number.
Um, and so we want to make sure we certainly do that in a way that is thoughtful, but most importantly engage our teachers and our principles in that process. Uh, because we know they're going to be impacted by that work um, um, at the highest level, and we want to make sure they're involved in that process kind of from start to finish. Okay. >> All right.
Thank you, Dr. King. Um, other board members, uh, start go down the line. Sure, Mr. Tab.
Thank you very much. Um, just wanted to uplift again the timeline. Um, because I know teachers from what I'm hearing, you know, they're ready to do a lot of more with technology and if those students do not have those Chromebooks, they're having to do an alternative uh alternate type lesson. So uh when will we really really truly know of the exact timeline so that from academics that the teachers could really start planning for the at least soon.
So in my conversation with principles, the deadline is tomorrow in terms of distributing all available reconciled devices on site. And so as you can imagine, depending on the school, there is a considerable amount of manpower as well as intentionality that has to happen. And again, I just want to uplift the fact that the process now is is it's not like spades anymore and you just go,
you know, hand them out. We have to scan, asset, assign, etc. So it does take that time and so we had conversations last week. I think the conversation was last Tuesday and try to give principles at least a week runway to de to distribute those.
And so that number was I can't remember that number off the top of my head but it was uh close to um 1,500 I believe actual devices that were on site that had not been distributed to students. And so we want to make sure schools feel comfortable doing that. I think the complexity came from um some of the conversations around the new technology fee and and do I give devices to the people who pay fees versus not. And so our conversation is is that we want to make sure that students have access to the device in all classes so that we don't limit the teachers instructional capacity. However, we're not urging them to assign students devices so that they can go home just yet. We want to make sure that we fully are reconciled and that we have a clear process and procedure of all the the nuance things
that might come up in decision making wise on how we will handle um what happens with devices. So the short answer is anything that is available schools have been given the the the consideration to to make sure that everything is distributed by Wednesday this Wednesday. Um and then also um if the board approves this process again it is an expedited shipping with our vendor because of our ongoing um re you know um relationships as well as the state contract. So we should get those fairly quickly. the team is ready to asset those and so we anticipate a one to two week turnaround with priority in our secondary grades which do have those complexities of getting access to textbook as well as our students who are on campuses taking alternative um courses at other un um institutions and making sure they have access to their digital textbooks. So at maximum we would say one to two weeks um but knowing that students should be experiencing an increase in device
accessibility um by tomorrow. >> So I think Paul's vendor is watching this meeting tonight >> and uh as soon as you all take this vote uh Paul's going to call them and I think Paul last week he told us um we should be able to have new devices in hand in about three days. Um, and then we'll then we'll have to process them out. Um, and then there'll be the process of distributing.
>> Thank you very much, >> Miss Beyer. >> I'm ready to approve this purchase. I was ready to approve it a while ago. And it's this is not critique of you all, but it is reflection on us as leaders and as a district that we said we were going to be one to one.
we weren't ready. We're six or seven weeks into school and a lot of students don't have devices that they need. Um, and we have put our tech champions in
impossible places where we've blamed them for not being able to reconcile what systems we haven't set up for them. And they're the ones fielding these these urgent needs from teachers and students to have devices. And so anything we do tonight and be explicit about is going to be an improvement. Um so I'm happy to purchase more.
I think this board also has been asking for a while about especially the younger grades and Matias asked it better than we ever have. Right. I mean um yes co drove us to oneto one really fast but what is de developmentally appropriate for very young learners preschool students first second grades right and the sooner we figure that out and and our educators inform that the better but the part that gives me re hesitation in y'all's recommendations is to pull back today users for sixth
graders ers and through 12th graders and maybe my colleagues are comfortable with that. I'm not because that is we are teaching them digital digital literacy. They are going to more than handwriting and cursive need to be typing proficient and boom boom boom. We don't know what jobs are going to exist for these kids but if they are not digitally literate we've left them out of their future.
So I'm struggling with that recommendation and what we do with that. Um, and I just wanted to state that into this space. Happy to buy whatever we need. I think we also need to look at the smart boards and how much they're out of whack.
We saw the tech refresh in Mr. Teters even classified pay as a as a big significant budget that we're going to have to come up with locally because the state's not doing enough. Um, so Chargers like I want to speak all the things that we hear from the tech champions. They need to make sure that because chargers get lost and we're dealing with not a
business where we have adults using tech. We have children and young people learning to use tech and moving around a lot with a lot of mobility issues in the community. And it feels especially stressful to me that we implemented a technology fee at the same time that we haven't been able to deliver technology to students. It feels and I know you all know all these things.
I'm not telling you anything that you haven't been living and trying to correct, but I think the sooner that we can kind of accelerate some of our district vision on this um the better. But but I'm not really the biggest thing that's givingven me pause is this recommendation on the 612 students being day users um and how they will actually learn. Um >> I want want to be clear that is not the recommendation yet. that is recommendation that is under consideration and that is a process that we'll go through with our educators and with our um principles. I think you know we are very close um to going in that
direction with 68 and and that is because frankly you know that is something that our 68 principles have been advocating for for some time and if if if I can be honest I've been kind of the the barrier to that frankly. Um so just want to be clear that you know that is not you know an absolute um recommendation and we we certainly feel that concern. Um that is again why we want to have that conversation because I you know I agree with you. The question that I think we have to understand is you know how do we continue to prepare kids for their future if we aren't allowing them to take Chromebooks home you know every day particularly the the high school kids and and and and frankly I just want to be clear if we can't figure out how to do that in a way that makes sense I don't think it'll something that we'll ever do. So, um, but we do know this. We we know three years ago, um, the number of lost and damaged
Chromebooks was kind of the same across the three grade spans, right? We shifted today user use for elementary schools, right, some time ago. And what we know now is that that bar graph is looks very different, right? that the number for K5 students is quite low in terms of loss and damage while the number at 68 and 912 um remains pretty high.
So, you know, just just to be clear, I think what we have to confront is that, you know, and that's not to say we won't figure it out, is we we we just have not yet figured out um how how to to do that in a way that allows us to maintain and keep those those documents safe, those um devices safe. We certainly want to do that and we'll continue to move in that direction and continue to think through how we how we can best do that. >> Okay. Um, other questions or comments? Yes,
Matias. >> Um, I just want to add one other thing. Um, as Miss Beyer um brought up technology fee, um, newly being implemented this year, um, I just wanted to make sure you guys know about like the kind of impact that's having at our at at my school at least. Um, I know a lot of students who are trying to get around that fee.
Um, including myself. I have my own laptop that I got through the um, Young Scholar program. Um, so I I just use that. But I know students who are having to bring iPads, um, tablets, their own personal computers, um, that aren't really meant for like a school environment and not the best suited to do assignments on, but they're doing that because they have to. Um, and I I can't imagine if a family um trying to completely avoid the fee and
not having access to a device um how that could be affecting them. Um and then just one more thing I want to point out um also tied to Miss Beyer's point is um the importance of like not only digital literacy but equity around access to technology. um uh when you're in high school, like you're applying to college, um summer camps, all sorts of things, and like you cannot do it without a computer. Um like I I can't I can't imagine trying to fill out like the common application at like a public library or something.
Um so especially for high school students um ensuring that access to technology um is ex is available and accessible is really important. Um yeah thank you. >> Thank you Matias. Um,
and also, well, relatedly, I believe that it was clearly communicated by the board that the technology fee, while it was something that we approved, that it was never intended to be something that was going to be a barrier. And so that um those that could not pay were not to be denied devices. Whether or not that was clearly communicated to all schools is something else. And so I don't know if you guys wanted to say something about that because it sounds like the implementation of the decision made by the board might have looked different than the intent um that the board had initially.
So yes, I would say that's exactly the discrepancy that schools are experiencing. And in both in the cabinet meeting and face-to-face principles meeting, we clarified exactly what it looks like in practice to both uphold equity and access while still creating the safeguard of additional monies that are coming in that allows us to offset such needs as I need 250 charges, which I know were just shipped to Jordan not too long ago. Um, so I think that it's it's around the complexity of a new
implementation of any policy comes with a lot of discussion and oversight. Um, since we had such such a short runway from the approval process to actual implementation, some of those things were nuanced. And I also wanted to not take us back in time and say 811, but I wanted to make sure to that I address that the day user model is not something that would prohibit a student from having access to a device in the evening or at night to go home. What we want to do is create a safeguard so that we create this understanding that being one to one as well as device access is a community thing.
Both the parents and families have a responsibility, students have a responsibility and Durham public schools has a respons ability. Current one to one is I have a device, I take it home, I do with it as I please. And so if we were to move forward with a day model um expectation, it would look like I would have access to my device all day at school and if I needed to take it home, then I would check it out and parents would have an awareness that that device is coming home so that they
understand the expectation of safekeeping um respect for the device and honoring the equity by which this board and the administration would like to uphold. And so I just wanted to lift uh that up and provide that clarity. >> Thank you so much. That's super helpful to have that clarification around the day user model especially for those older students.
Um all right board members. What other um questions or comments do you have? Here um thank y'all for this presentation. I feel like many of my comments have already been covered.
Um Matias has covered some so beautifully. it feels like like you should just sit in this seat. Um but I I'll start with the day user model. I am also concerned about moving forward with that even with checking out devices. I don't think there should be another barrier or task or thing that students have to do to take a device home. Especially when we're talking about students who are we're encouraging
students for dual enrollment. We're encouraging students to apply for school. even the army or the military or careers requires a device and so many of our families have become accustomed to device being in their homes. I think what concerns me also is that we're talking about doing a universal reconciliation system now and we've had devices in our system for a couple years now.
And so I think I I will say I feel frustrated about kind of where we as a system are in managing devices. Um, and now students are like on the other end of that. And so I want us to be more thoughtful. I'm grateful for the progress that's been made in the last three weeks around reconciliation that's universal across the district.
I'm glad to see some covers in this purchase that we're doing. Um, but I'm still concerned that and I'm glad to know that we're doing this evaluation of onetoone, but I know we've asked about this for years and so it's frustrating to see that kind of we're in this place now. Glad we're making progress as well.
Did we also communicate to our educators that students might not have devices to go home this year at the beginning of this year? Was that communicated to anybody? >> So, so I want to be clear devices live in the schools. So we don't hold devices back at the warehouse such that we would have to communicate to the schools that they don't have enough devices.
Those devices actually live at those schools and and schools would have had the number of devices that they needed to distribute to students last year. Right? So the the issue is that devices don't come back to the school at the school site. if if that if that is clear. Um so frankly it would be the schools that have to tell us that they don't have enough devices because we don't we don't hold the devices on their behalf except
that except when we're purchasing them and then distributing them for use if if that makes sense. >> That that does I thought it was said earlier that there was some communication around allowing students to use a device at school but not taking them home. So that's that's around students who have multiple devices checked out to them or have uh damaged devices in a in a way that is uh malicious. So for instance, in the past, one of the things that Mr.
Majambi and I did work on some years ago was the there have been scenarios where a student had a device checked out to him that he he or she was not bringing back to school or bringing to school to work. Um and so the response was to give that child another device um without reconciling the original device. Um and you know child might you know lose a second device and that child would get another device. So that's what we were talking about when we said we've
provided folks updated list of students who have multiple devices um checked out to them. Um, so so that's what that conversation was about. And so how do we make sure that students because our purpose was to make sure that even those students who have made bad choices with devices um in the past still have access to technology. And so what that might mean is, you know, we make sure that they have a access to a device while they are at school, but until we're able to address the issue of those devices that are already missing, you know, we don't hand them another device to to kind of walk out of the school with, if that makes sense.
>> That makes sense. I don't I think I thought that something different was um maybe communicated. I don't either way. I know that there are kids that don't have devices now. Teachers are assigning homework assignments now and parents are feeling and students frustrated that they don't have devices. So, is there a way that we
should be communicating differently to educators around the start of the year or do we think that this will be improved next year around not I mean assignments that students are needing to be working on? I mean or if I'm >> so two things to answer your question. No. Um no.
And then also I want to make sure that you know from the conclusion I'm a fivemonth employee here by the way and Mr. Mummy has been in this position since January uh 2025. So we inherited this and trying to make sense of it. But from what I understand at the conclusion of the year schools were asked to reconcile and they were able to report a number of devices that was missing etc.
And that's the number that has been shared with the board. Um, and so during that process, if I had a summer class or I was doing credit recovery, some schools allowed students to take those home for the summer. So that's a batch of devices that are uncertain number. Also, we don't have standardized procedures in place in terms of what happens if a student loses a device or
it's unaccounted for at the end of the year because again, remember we did not have a universal asseting system. So we have a batch of students who may have taken a device or two home with them and we didn't have a universal monitoring system in order to know that. So when we started the school year, we started the school year based on self-reported numbers to us in terms of their needs. And as we started school was the only time where we can really understand what actually had returned from the summer and what was available for us to distribute.
And so I understand that the board is um frustrated with that that part as well as the communication which is why I uplifted from the beginning. We've been clear um the lack of a device to go home should not penalize a student. It should not lessen the quality of teaching and learning. It should not limit the access to technology.
And so it's very nuanced right now without having those devices. It is more complex for educators but it is possible. It's not ideal. Um but it is it is um possible. And so that's why
we've been making sure that we uplift best practices across schools because not all schools are experiencing uh these communication gaps or device gaps in terms of instructional capacity. So what you will find through our conversation today and our proactive measures is that we are putting safeguards in place. And so instead of saying yes um I am ex school and I need 250 devices we are now looking in your onetoone saying no it's 146 and then that the exceptional team of information technology are actually going there thieves in the night going to physically count and account for those to say okay it says 146 I have touched 146. So those uh safeguards are different.
And so we would have had proactive communication with our staff about what this might have looked like if we had quite honestly a universal asseting system that allowed us to have access to real numbers about what was available in schools. >> I'm glad we're here. Just frustrated took this long. And I understand that
y'all are new in these ro I understand y'all are new in these roads, but it's just it's like >> we're investing a good amount of money. we need to take care of our investment. Um we need to communicate that clearly with students and families so they also know because I do believe they can rise to the occasion. Um we see our students doing that all the time.
The other thing this is a little bit more longer term is just thinking about device refreshes and budgets and I think I often talk about multi-year budgeting and so how do we get on a plan for when we're refreshing these devices? feel like at some point a um a device refresh for our educators is probably coming too and like how what's the yearly cadence for that so we can match that with this salary study and all the other things that we need to fund within our system and we're planning for that intentionally um is something that we got to do a better job. I see all these smiling faces around me so it must mean that people are already planning for that. Um but anyway I think it's we just got to be proactive and intentional around this work. Um, thank you.
>> All right. And, um, I know Vice Chair Rogers has, um, some questions and comments. >> Hi everybody. Um, thanks for this presentation.
Uh, I appreciate the work that's happening to, um, bring ac uh, academics and our educators into this conversation. Uh, really appreciate that. I think uh my first question I'mma back off of the conversation that we're having right now. My first question is around the precy and the precy indicates that finance has located the money for this purchase. Where did uh finance locate that money and what does that mean that the board is or the districts they're not doing um now that we're reallocating resources like where is the funding coming from?
Good evening. It's Mr. Teter. Um I don't enjoy this answer um because it was um our only option at this juncture um to tap into that amount of cash.
Um we would need to do that from our capital outlay fund balance um in order to make that volume of an expenditure at this point in time. >> Thank you. And I'm assuming the operations team is adjusting their budgets accordingly. So it um so we we've ran that through a couple of groups and so um operations is equally u frustrated. Um so it does um it won't interfere with their current year appropriation um of the uh of the county funding for this year for what they're doing. Um but the conversations that we've had um as a staff is that um as we work through this period of time, we we will work in a way to recoup that
um for operations um as we work through some other challenges with technology. Uh so it's um sort of kind of the best spot we could land with that at this point. >> Thanks. Okay, I'm going switch gears a little bit um and go to a question about moving to a day user model.
I too have some concerns about moving to the day user model and what it would mean or what kind of hurdle it would be to for a student to check out um a Chromebook to do a research paper or do a college application. Who would they need to see? Do they know who that person is? Um I wonder what uh when you are bringing back this information about such a strategy, could you also bring information about how parents or students could otherwise access the
curriculum or um the textbooks in order to support their students, right? um if they're preparing for a test um or need to refresh what happened in class because looking at the materials in class for 50 minutes or an hour and a half uh is just not enough. what that would look like and if there would be any funding requirements in order to get those printed materials in front of students and available to parents to support those students. Will y'all think about that?
>> Yeah, I think that's the very process that we're that we're talking about going through is is all those kinds of scenarios. I you know and again I want to be clear and and I think I my team will tell you I've been very clear. I'm I'm not sure we can pull off a day user model at 912 at all. Right. And and so I
think that is a an absolute um open question for the very reasons that you mentioned. Um I'm I'm not sure that it is logistically logical. I'm not sure how much time it would cost um students and educators in the course of a day to kind of stand up a system where students actually check out Chromebooks, bring Chromebooks back the next day. There are very serious questions about whether or not a day user model um is possible at at the 912 level.
Um and so and and and that's why you know what we've said very clearly is we we've not even suggested that that's something that we would try to do this school year because we know there are a ton of questions um to be asked about about that. But but those are the the kinds of things that we certainly will want to be absolutely secure about um before we move in that direction. >> And Mr. Jumbi mentioned that 68 is going
ahead and going to day user model in January. Is that accurate? >> Yes. So, principles have been requesting four um middle school principles have been requesting to become day users at least for the last um you know six plus months.
Um and our desire was to make sure that we honor that and perhaps go day users in January. So yes, that's our goal. So, how does that impact uh middle schoolers that are taking high school courses? How would that be applied consistently?
>> So, I think you know that is a a relatively small subset of students and it may very well be that those students given the uh coursework that they are um sitting for um you know we may consider a bit of a hybrid model for those students. Again, the idea is is is making sure that students have the technology they need. If it becomes very clear to us that students in say math one, English one need to have uh the
technology uh in their hands on a daily basis, I think we can address that. >> And then the resources to help students learn study skills that parents areo expected to be helping with. uh how is that going to be reinforced when middle schoolers are on a day user model? >> Yeah, I you know I don't want to suggest that I have the answer to that question.
That that's that's why you know again we've also we've also created a runway for that process to happen. Um it is a shorter runway and it's a shorter runway because it's something that our principles have already been uh clamoring for. So, you know, we feel like with their help and with their guidance, you know, we can get ourselves to a to a reasonable solution about how to move that process forward. Again, what what I want to do what I do want to be clear about here is, you know, if it becomes clear to us that from a logistical and realistic perspective, this isn't something that we can do. You know, we aren't going to kind of jam a a square peg through a round hole um here.
if we can't do this and do this well and in a way that serves students and serves serves the district, you know, we'll we'll re, you know, re-evaluate this as a as an approach. And I want to be clear too, if I could, that when we if the decision is made to do day user, day user doesn't automatically equal never go home. Uh I think we have to also ensure that curriculum is helping driving this in this decision as well from the standpoint of ensuring that whether there's any specific assignments or research that's done at the middle school level or any uh opportunities for extended learning that um those devices will go home. However, there will be some as as uh Miss Sbury mentioned earlier, there are definitely going to be need some need to be some communication with our families as well to ensure that those devices do return.
So, I just wanted to make it clear that we say day use, we're not saying never ever go home. Uh, and be clear about curriculum um informing. >> Thank you.
Um, and then my other question was around communication to families if they had multiple devices like what has that process been like so far, if it's happened at all? And then I know that we were waiting for schools to notify central office that they needed more devices um that they needed more devices. How does that work with enrollment and metriculation? Right? So, I've heard from many parents at DSA that the sixth graders don't have Chromebooks, haven't been issued Chromebooks, and that was a choice, you know, to help guide their studies for sixth graders, I'm sure. Um, but it also sounds like from this presentation that there may be students at DSA or other schools that have multiple devices and really it feels like sixth grade parents are being
penalized. Does that make sense? What's the communica? What's the communication like?
What's the process look like to say student enrollment has this number of students enrolled? Do you have that many devices or when new folks show up, how is communication around whether or not they get a device communicated? and if they show up and they have multiple devices assigned to their student, how is that communicated with the parent? >> So, I'll start with the enrollment process and I think that ties back to the onetoone uh inventory system that we've been talking about.
Um, one increase in enrollments that's what that was one of the first categories that we made sure that we honor. So if say a school had 100 kids previously and they had an increase in enrollment to 150 that 50 those 50 Chromebooks that's one of the categories we honor at first. Any slight Chromebooks that we had we had to
make sure that enrollment is fulfilled. So there's no school out there that had an increase in enrollment that we did not fulfill. Uh but now that ties back into the the asset management. uh if schools are not managing these assets right even if we give them an extra 50 it gets lost in the devices they've you know that disappeared or the multiple assignments so that yeah that chaos right there is what we're trying right now to put accountability around saying hey you had an increased enrollment honor the increase can you find the kids who have multiple devices and ask them to turn back the device can you hold the one who done turn it in last year can you hold them accountable can you communicate the families so we really try to work with the tech champions um to see if they can one reach out to the students, reach out to the families, send a message out there and say, "Hey, our records show that you have your student has two devices.
" So, it really all ties down to the universal asset management system to say, "Hey, last year I had 100. I assigned them. These are 100 Chromebooks, 50 did not come back, but I
have 50 more students. I received their Chromebooks. " So, it really ties back to that asset inventory management system that helps us balance those. But yeah, uh, one of the categories we dealt with was an increase in enrollment and schools that had a drop in enrollment, uh, we've been working with them to get back those excess devices.
I don't know if that answers the question. >> Thank you. That does. And last question, is there any educational process teaching students in middle school and high school how to see their Chromebook as a valuable item and to store it properly both at school and at home?
And are there designated locations at schools for those devices to be stored properly, safely, and uh free from being stolen? >> Storage options. We're working with schools on that. I don't think at this point, you know, schools, I don't think schools use lockers anymore. Um I don't think we've partnered with the schools quite well to identify those storage options in case they need to store Chromebooks as they're going for PE or
any other classrooms, but we will be partnering with schools on that. Um education around the Chromebooks. I know last year we started with educational video around the Chromebooks but this is something we encourage uh we work with tech champions to encourage to make sure that the kids understand how valuable their items are. Um you know we always relate that hey take care of it like your phone take care of it like your you know computer at home.
Um but yes it's just a promotional um habit that we have to keep on drilling every now and then to make sure that they take care of their devices more often. But yeah that that's a place where we see room for improvement. I was going to also say that it's a part of the culture we're trying to repair. It's hard to feel that something has high value if you feel as though you have infinite amounts of it. And so now that we have these mitigation strategies in place where you do not get two and three devices and you do not get a device if you did not turn it in this year, then we will see this cultural gradually change. And I know that's probably not something that um the board
wants to hear as an immediate response, but know that these mitigation strategies, accountabilities, and the metrics of success that align to what is appropriate for schools based on that ADM as it fluctuate as a part of an ongoing monitoring process is is another prong of how we build that uh structure of accountability. And although the check-in checkout process uh may be a little laborious in terms of what we want to do, we want to explore opportunities for um and and the tech fee is one of those things where we do have that shared responsibility with families and our students in terms of taking care of these devices long term. >> Thank you so much. Um, other board member questions or comments?
Yes, Chairstead. >> Oh, sure. Yes. Well, before the motion, um, just thank you again for coupling accountability with education to to really look towards solving this problem. And we look forward to, I
think, seeing more great work from your team to um, as you work to fix the mess that you didn't create. So, thank you. And um and going back to that plan that was referenced at the beginning of your presentation, we look forward to seeing that and I think we're thinking like early spring for um that while we do Dr. King um so that we can get it in at the beginning of budget season and kind of have something to reflect on so that we have a robust plan for what this will look like moving forward both if and how.
We're going to be doing the one to one. >> We're going to work as quickly as we can to get that to you. just knowing that we have a couple of, you know, we want to manage this process and then we'll be in the benchmarks and then we'll be into um assessment season. And so we want to just make sure we um plan that work out so that you know we we we we're able to do it in a way that doesn't uh overburden our schools given the all the other pieces that they'll be that they'll be managing. Um, but we we're going to make every effort to have it in
your hands um as early as possible. Certainly before March. I just that was that was that was the the the dead date. >> Thank you.
>> Okay. Now, I'll entertain a motion. 262 262 um um and $140 which also includes taxes, cases and the uh devices needed to uh restore us to one to one. >> It is 2,000 that's on the precise.
So what we're asking for is different but we're asking for exactly what was on the precies to be transparent with the public. And again that's for 2,000 devices, not the 2050. And that total is $1,262,140. Move approval of the purchase of 2000 Chromebooks from CDWG
at the cost of 1,00 1,262,140. >> Second. >> Been moved by Miss Beyer and seconded by Mr. tab to approve the purchase of 2,00 Chromebooks with their protective cases.
Um, is there any other discussion? Okay. See, and then we'll take a roll call vote. Um, beginning with Miss uh with Vice Chair Rogers.
>> Meliss Rogers. I vote I. Uh, >> Miss Chavez. This is Emily Chavez and I vote I >> I >> I I >> I >> I um it passes unanimously.
Thank you. Thank you all so much. Okay. And the next item on the agenda is the safety and security and emergency
management update. And for that I welcome Mr. Barnes and >> Good evening, board members. Um, Miss Howard is going to give you a quick overview of update on safety and security for this school year.
>> Thank you. Good evening, everyone. Thank you for the opportunity to share this year's safety and security and emergency management update. My role as executive director is to ensure that our schools remain safe, prepared, and compliant with both state law and district policy.
Tonight, I'll walk you through our key initiatives, compliance requirements, training, and partnerships that strengthen our safety framework. Next slide. We'll begin with the establishment of our superintendent health and safety leadership team. And this is in alignment with our policy 42017271 injury and prevention. So this team it
consists of representation from key departments including building services, IT, life safety, my department safety and security, student services and risk management. This t team will lead accident prevention, hazard identification and awareness across all schools. It will also assist in managing investigations when incidents occur and ensures hazards are corrected. Importantly, the superintendent's designate will lead this group, emphasizing the district's commitment to safety at the highest level.
Next slide. School safety drills and exercise requirements. Next slide. North Carolina North Carolina law requires schools to conduct full schoolwide safety exercises annually. This includes tabletop exercises conducted with school administration and simulated lockdown drills specifically focused on intruder scenarios. Schools
are also encouraged to practice for multiple hazards such as tornadoes, earthquakes, and fires. exercises are coordinated with local law enforcement and emergency management so our responses are realistic and collaborative. My team ensures that DPS is fully compliant with these statutory requirements and we work closely with other DPS departments such as student services, building services, and life safety. And additionally, when schools experience uh a lockdown scenario event, we ensure that we connect with student services to ensure that they have supports and resources in place for our schools.
Next slide. As we know, school safety is a layered approach. So, safety within DPS is built on this layered approach. Technologies such as metal detectors, cameras, access control, and visitor management systems support the safety, but our strongest protections are well-trained staff, clear protocols, preparedness, and
strong partnerships with first responders. Some of our safety and security tools include cameras, secured vestibules and access points, our two anonymous tip systems, and visitor management systems. Safety is built every day through our people, training, and the collaboration. Our safety and security tools are important, but preparedness is what keeps our students safe.
Next slide. This is an opportunity I'd like to raise to our community and our families. Our family's role in safe campus community. Safety is a shared responsibility between our schools, our families, and our community.
And so I'd like to raise the topic of the importance of secure gun storage in our famil family's homes. It's it's it is essential. Firearms must be locked, unloaded. Ammunition should be stored separately so our youth involved gun incidents stem from unsecured firearms. Together we can
ensure a safer environment for every student. Next slide. our anonymous tip systems. We have two in place.
We have our Motorola text and we have our Sandy Hook say something uh anonymous reporting tool systems. These systems provide an effective way for individuals to confidentially report issues ranging from bullying, mental health concerns to potential threats of violence. Tips submitted through anonymous tip systems are reviewed 247, 365 days a year. All life safety tips receive immediate attention.
This includes potential welfare checks, home visits. Um, and our law enforcement, they connect with the heart team when the heart team is available. Next slide. School admin administrator training. Every principal and assistant principal in DPS is required to complete annual safety training. These courses cover
their roles and responsibilities in emergencies, campus emergency response team procedures, and parent student reunification protocols. This ensures a consistent district-wide approach to preparedness. So, no matter which school a student attends, they receive the same level of protection and response. Next slide.
Some of our safety resources include our student services involvement. As I mentioned before, just resources and support uh for our campus community and our anonymous tip systems. This information about our anonymous tip systems are shared through our leadership weekly, posted throughout our schools and our academic buildings, and also included on our district website. Safety resources include our law enforcement partnerships and community engagement. Our schools, families, and community members share a responsibility for our safety. Next slide.
Our standard response protocol. We also use a standard response protocol approach. It's a nationwide model that provides a clear and consistent set of actions for emergencies. This helps staff and students know exactly what to do in a crisis, whether it's a lockdown, an evacuation, or a sheltering event.
Because it is a nationally recognized framework, it also improves coordination with first responders across jurisdictions and really across the nation. Resources and support are immediately available uh after a school event. So if a school is um impacted by a secure or a lockdown, we ensure that our district notification includes student services. Next slide.
Our SRO's. Next slide. Our school resource officers are a critical part of our safety network. They participate in regular meetings, safety assessments, and mandatory training. This year they
completed their annual restorative practice training which helps them support student relationships and positive school culture beyond just their law enforcement duties. Next slide. Their duties and expectations. We've outlined clear expectations for how SRO serve DPS campuses and this is outlined outlined and guided and supported by our currentou.
First, their presence and visibility is key. They remain on campus during school de during the school day during school hours in uniform, visible to students and staff. Second, they play a mentorship role building relationships, attending meetings, providing safety programs and presentations to our students in the community and connecting students with resources. Third, their law enforcement role. They may take lawful action to ensure safety, but must always balance this with student well-being and the legal standards governing our schools.
It's important to note and I'd like to raise um information regarding the sheriff's office. They have shared that while following the law, SRO's are not an extension of ICE. Some referral programs that our SRO's commonly uh refer our students include RISE which is resources for youth success and empowerment. Project build this uh centers around gang prevention and intervention.
Proud which is personal responsibility to overcome with understanding and determination. Teen court. DAC which is drug education and counseling. And GK gang education and counseling.
Next slide. Uh we'll go back a slide. It's important to note that discipline remains the responsibility of our school administrators. SROS only step in when there is a direct safety concern. They
may assist with joint investigations if criminal or school discipline issues overlap such as drugs or weapons on campus. Confidentiality is also critical. They only access student records under FURPA guidelines, parent consent, emergencies or legal authority. And that legal authority would be if there's a life safety concern or a threat of violence to our campus communities.
And lastly, communication and planning are essential. SRO's meet regularly with principles, conduct annual and mid-year safety assessments, and they attend required trainings. Uh this year we completed our annual safety summit at the start of the school year. This keeps safety planning active.
This keeps safety planning active and ongoing and not just a one-time compliance item. And in summary, our focus is on the prevention, preparation, and partnership. We're ensuring compliance with state laws, strengthening training for administrators and staff, and fostering positive, effective roles for our SRO. Our ultimate goal is to
maintain safe, welcoming learning environments where our SC our scholars can thrive. Next slide. And thank you for your time. I'm happy to answer any questions.
Thank you so much, Miss Howard. Appreciate you being here and sharing all of this information with us. Um board members, oh student left. Um board members questions or comments?
Uh Mr. Tab, >> thank you. So, thank you so very much. Um safety and security is very complex.
I mean, so many people have so many different ways of saying how can we make the schools safe? Um and I'm hearing a lot of that our schools are safe. Then I'm also hearing we're not doing enough to make our schools safe. So, you know, it runs the gamut of different people with different opinions. So, I have a few questions.
One, what are we doing truly different um that we haven't done before within the last within the start of this school year, we are hearing from a lot of other co especially college campuses that there is mass shootings. There are a lot of things that's happening. You know, decisions are being made by chancellors and presidents and changing the way they're doing security. So, I'm just wondering what are we doing that's different within the last three months because I've heard this presentation before. The other thing is with security, other than just doing the metal detectors, are we taking into consideration people uh what are we doing to stop people from coming on to our campus? Not after they get in our building, but we have, you know, are we considering I don't know what they call the things that, you know, that you got to hit a button and
that the thing goes up. >> I'm going just I'm going just say the gate. Well, what I don't know what it's called. Um, but there are some schools that you have to buzz in there first before it even lets you onto the to the campus itself.
Um, so some different things other than just, you know, having, you know, technology. Uh the other thing is in terms of safety and security, how involved are we allowing our parents and community to really truly talk about safety and security? So where's the community engagement also coming from them of what they would like to see happen? And I'm not sure if that's happening cuz I saw the piece in there about community family and what they should do, but are they actually involved into some of the things that they see should happen within their
schools? Um, so I'll stop there, but I could go on and on, but I'll I'll stop there. >> Thank you. Thank you for raising those those questions.
And so what are we doing different? Uh, communication. It's a layered appro approach to safety. Um, we're connecting more often and a little bit more with our community partners.
Um, we are connecting with councils that focus on safety in various districts, not only in the state of North Carolina, but across the country to see what are others experiencing, how are they approaching the issues and concerns that they face, and really putting our heads together as a team really as it relates to student safety. um getting more people involved in our approach. Um and again that superintendent, our new uh health and leadership team also just bringing more partners and um district leaders together to approach the topic of school safety. And so that's what we're doing a little different this year. Um just adding to our approach um
as far as keeping the campus secure. Um, another thing is we're working closer with the center for safer schools and risk assessments. And so that is something that we are prioritizing this school year to work with various departments throughout the district to ensure that we're going out to the schools. We're working with our SRO.
We're working with principles to ensure that our schools are a safe environment. And that may include uh assessing if we have enough fencing or safety and security barriers. Um, but we do have our secure vestibules to ensure that there are parameters in place and safeguards so just anyone can't make it into our schools. If we do have an issue on our campus property, our locations, we connect immediately with our law enforcement to investigate those matters. Um, but we ensure that we have protocols in place that we don't have any concerns entering in our schools behind our walls. Um, and we just we
continue to explore various options with as it relates to to security, whether that's weapons detections, metal detectors, all the tools that are available. Um, but it's important to ensure that our community is we practice preparedness as it relates to our approach to safety. >> And last thing, this is more of a comment and this is a work session, so I'm going to make this comment. Um, we had we had gone to California to LA and to visit schools there and we went to Compton and we noticed that they had security officers within their schools more or less like what were they more like um the security not SRO's but they were stationed through they were security security officers throughout throughout the school, but it was a very relaxed,
you know, environment, but they were there. Um, do you think we're at the point where we need more SRO's coupled with the heart professionals? What do you see? >> Our SRO's actually work very closely with the heart team.
And so whenever we have any type of life safety, mental health crisis concern, um whether that's involving a student or a staff member, the first thing that they do is they do connect with the heart team if there is a heart official available. So that is an option. >> Mr. T, but I also like to add that uh I know even I talked today in that since we are now a member of the counter council of greater city schools that we in communication with other urban districts across the country. Um so we have Javaike meetings and she met with the other security people uh this past week uh across the country and come up with different ideas that maybe what's working for them and then we talk about
are those things possible for our district. So we will continue to have those communications with u those other districts across the country. >> Thank you. Thank you.
other board members. Mr. Hoff, >> thank you. I um appreciate the report.
Um, I wanted to lift up um those families, those students who are afraid to go to school, who despite our very best efforts to keep them safe, still don't feel safe um in our buildings. And I wanted to lift up um again what Mr. tab uh lifted around community engagement um and for us not to take um that kind
of engagement lightly because whenever I feel that we are able to add that to the processes of what we're doing, it allows people to feel safer just because they're a part of the process of understanding what's taking place, understanding or being a part of the decision- making about what's happening in their building. Um, and so I just wanted to lift that up to as uh the more the more opportunity we have for that to be a very intentional thing for our stakeholders, especially our students, our teachers, our families within the buildings to be a part of the decision making about what safety is in their building, what it looks like, what it feels like. Um, I think that will bring people back into the spaces, help them to feel safer because they're a part of of that process of identifying and and and saying what it what they
need to to feel safe. Um, so I just wanted to lift that up. That's all I wanted to say. >> And thank you for raising that again.
And I did neglect to address the community engagement. And so also, um, we're intentional. safety safety and security is intentional in participating um in the summit. For example, the superintendent had a summit for families to come and speak and connect um with our team and law enforcement and the SRO's.
Um so that's an opportunity where we make oursel available to discuss any situations, any concerns, whether it's bullying, um any concerns about weapons on campus or just how to use the tip system. Additionally, we are available through our anonymous tip system. Uh they speak to us, they talk to us a lot through our anonymous tip system. Um so oftent times a lot of questions. Sometimes it's just um a worry or a concern because they may not be aware of certain information or procedures that
we have in place. And so a lot of times I will receive questions through our anonymous tip systems and they're answered immediately. They're being monitored 247 365. Um but it is something that our health and safety leadership team can discuss on maybe offering uh additional community programs and summits um just to push additional information and connect with the community more.
Miss Haragoff, we also had a meeting last night with El Centro and that was a big part of the conversation about safety in schools. And so, uh, I know that we have another meeting, I believe, scheduled next week, uh, as well. And so, we'll continue to have those meetings with our community members. >> Other questions or comments from board members?
>> Yes, Chairstead. >> Thank you, Miss Howard, for this presentation. um love seeing the SRO's train in restorative practices. Sitting in that circle was really amazing. Um I know we do a lot of training in the safety summit with them and the
principles. So that's really awesome and love to hear that we're doing a lot of partnership with the heart team. I know there's a a call from community members around how do we deepen our relationship with that team. So I'm glad to know that they're already in close communication.
Um, if a family or student has concerns with the SRO in their school, where should they go with those questions or concerns? >> If there's any concerns with any of our SRO's, uh, the SRO leadership has notified um that that concern should be reported through the sheriff's office directly uh so it can be uh formally addressed and investigated. And >> is that something a student could share with a principal who could help them find that? >> Absolutely.
they can call my office directly. We can assist. Um but yes, that is the process. >> And then there's another um there's been some conversations in the community around students and vaping and have all kinds of um edible things that they are ingesting these days. What are and I
don't know if this is in your department or it could be cross departments. >> Are we addressing those with our students? >> It is across departments, but our SRO's do offer safety uh presentations. This includes vaping, uh safety online, drugs, uh bullying, uh deescalation concerns, fights.
Um so these safety programs are offered through our SRO and I believe also student services. >> Thanks Absolutely. >> I will I will just add to that we are partnering with some community organizations uh that were not just looking at vaping things like that just as punitive because some of those are true addictions. And so we're having partnerships with some community organizations that provide support for addiction um um you know should should students need that as well. So in other words, we're not just uh suspending if you get a vape. Yes, there will be some consequences and we want to make sure that we're addressing uh any any type of addiction if it's
>> Thank you. other board members. Miss Ber, >> so I appreciate this report. I appreciate so much the comprehensiveness of of the drills and the many issues of safety that are so critical.
Um, and I want to acknowledge that safet student safety has to be our first priority. And I think too often we jump to hardening schools and looking for ways to actually make a school feel more like a prison or inaccessible or locked in in lots of different ways. when research actually shows that that relationships matter so much with trusted adults, with trusted caregivers, with and that that particularly gun violence is a public health concern. And
so, um, despite the federal government defunding the CDC doing research into this, um, there aren't as many tools as one would need at the local level to address um, assault weapons and and things that would significantly keep students safer. um there aren't great investments in mental health services at the state and the federal level, which is something else that our students, I think, need more investment in. So, I appreciate us looking at all options, but not being sold on something that someone tries to sell us um and and sell us out of fear. I looked at the report from the Council of Great City Schools and it shouts out in Durham, North Carolina, a diversion program for offenders under 21 allowed firsttime misdemeanor offenses to be diverted with no record. That's what Durham shouted out for. That took 10
years of work from um our now uh representative Marsha Mo like when she was a judge in Durham. I think the work that the heart program is that deep systems work. I think training SRO's and restored practices, that's work that aligns with Durham's values um as we all lean into keeping students safe. Um so I just I just appreciate, you know, and welcome the community in in solutions and um ones that actually respect the the importance of of relationships between children and adults and give children and young people um the chance to learn from as they're making mistakes like we all did when we were young.
Um I don't know where I was going with that, but thank you for sharing the complexity of of student safety with us today. >> Absolutely. And thank you.
Thank you. Um I um to following that um I just you know whenever I think about safety and particularly about gun violence it really it's just one more example of at the local level how we are dealing with problems that have been created at the federal and the state level. So the more that our legislature expands access to guns, the more that now it falls on local leaders to protect our students and our families, right? So and at the same time that they're not funding our schools um and giving us what we need just to educate our students, much less protect them.
So that feels really frustrating because it puts us in a tough position. So I appreciate your work to try to do all of the different things you can to keep our students safe. Um I just had a couple of questions. Um, I come from a public health background, so I am thinking this about this too, um, from a public health perspective.
So, I'm wondering, I love the mention of the gun storage. Um, and I'm wondering, have you all sorry, has there been any work done to educate um to use schools, again, shouldn't be our role, but um to use schools as a way to educate uh students and families about the importance of um safe firearm storage and even to distribute partner with the health department, for example, to distribute um gun locks and safety storage. just thinking about options for ways to get this information out to all of our families. >> So, that that is something that we can explore um especially when we have our next community uh summit like the recent one we had with the uh that the superintendent uh hosted. Um but we also ensure so for example if we receive a report of a threat of violence involving one of our students um we request that
law enforcement conducts a home visit. This isn't for charges or for anything in that way. It's to ensure that the student does not have access to weapons in the home. Um and if the parents, the families, the guardians do own weapons to ensure that they know how to secure those weapons safely and to provide a gun lock if necessary.
Um so just to provide that education and that outreach. So that is something that we do and is a part of our process um when we're investigating threats of violence. but we can explore and connect with student services on maybe offering some type of outreach um within the district that can provide this gun safety education. >> That's great to hear that you're doing taking those steps and just I think if there are opportunities that could be a good partnership for us um to again tackle a problem that shouldn't be ours but it is. Um the other other question I had was um about the text to tip programs. I know we have two and I know that there's some work to um spread the word about those
>> um in our schools. Do you >> I find myself when I'm walking through especially middle and high schools looking for signs about it like >> are we and I know my now middle schooler came home telling me she watched a video and she knew she's supposed to report things. like are there is there anything else we can do to make sure that again we're removing all barriers for students to be able to have the information the number they need to report to just to make it really simple and straightforward so we're getting those >> so we encourage our principles um and we require that that information is posted throughout the school um and again it is on our DPS website and we include it as a reminder weekly to DPS leadership to ensure that this information is made available uh within the community all throughout the community. Uh so we send those constant reminders weekly.
I believe it's working. I receive enough tips um that I think that you know various uh topics. So I believe it is working. Um but we ensure and encourage them to push this information out within
the community. >> Great. Thank you. I think that that is all.
Oh, the one other thing is thank you for I'm I'm really glad that you're working to learn from other districts so we're not here um as though we're on an island because we're not. So >> absolutely together. >> Thank you. Um All right.
And Mr. Tab, >> thank you. Have we done any surveys with students um to ask them how they feel about safety in their schools? >> Believe we have had a survey in the past.
I'll just share that there are multiple questions around that the issue of safety in our student uh climate survey that students take each year. >> Are we using that information? >> Yes. Yes. Information that's shared all feedback is reviewed um and we address
any concerns that are raised in the surveys. And are we on a state schedule when we supposed to do any type of official lockdowns drills or do we create our own schedule? So it is required by the state that the drills have to be conducted and within our district we conduct one in the fall and one in the spring and we work with our principles on scheduling. So what works with their schedule to ensure that throughout the district the drills are conducted. >> And the reason I'm bringing that up because there's been a lot of lockdowns and they're looking at that as almost like they're getting firsthand drills, >> right? But I don't know if procedures are really they're doing things the way you would want them to do it because real life sometimes is very different than the training itself on what what the drill should actually look
like. >> Exactly. And so this is the reason why we do one in the fall and one in the uh spring. But after an actual lockdown event, there's a debrief.
So there's two debriefs. There's a debrief with myself, my team, and law enforcement. And then we have a debrief with law enforcement and the school administrators. I'm watching the lockdowns.
We have many cameras. And so I'm watching it live to see how are we responding? Are you responding the way that you've been trained um and we follow up with our administrators. So there is a debrief that occurs um after the lockdowns.
This is why we have two lockdown drills uh throughout the school year. >> Okay. We can talk more. >> Okay.
>> All right. Thank you. Um, thank you so much again for all of your work. We're feeling all of our questions this evening.
We're working to keep our students and our staff safe every day. Um, >> Miss Carter. >> Yes. Who's that?
Miss Chavez. >> Yes. Um, I had some comments before before u Miss Howard leaves the
stand. >> Okay. Um, so I wanted to say thank you for this presentation and um, I think what's standing out to me is the variety of ways in which we're looking at and approaching and sort of defining safety and security. So I appreciate that and um, and just say that I I think we want our schools to be spaces where students learn how to have healthy relationships with one another and with themselves.
So, I I see this work as um part of that goal. Um I appreciate the hearing about um some of the additional partnerships and um approaches to to safety and security that we're working on this year. Um I also appreciate the um looking at non-punitive approaches to drug and alcohol use. I think that um that's important. Um and I was going to
comment a bit on the gun education piece. Um I was going to ask a similar question to Miss Cardotten about messaging to families around gun storage. Um I think a few years ago some of us talked to um Moms Demand Action and I know we've partnered with them in the past to on a I think a resolution. Um but I think there are more opportunities for um communicating with families about gun storage, the importance of that and um potentially handing out um gun locks at events and things like that. I I think um I would just support, you know, looking into more more opportunities like that. Uh a couple years ago when I um left the hospital with my with my baby, they um had made a point, it was clearly on their checklist to educate us about um
gun safety at home. And I found that interesting. So if there are other checkpoints at which we could um provide that kind of education to families. Um obviously a lot of people feel uh safer at home um having uh firearms and you know what comes with that of course is just wanting to make sure that they um are locked up properly and um that people are using the the most effective types of locks and that kind of thing.
Um, and then the last thing I wanted to kind of lift up was that I think that um, you know, when we talked talk about safety and security, it wasn't um, explicit in here, but um, in talking with uh, Dr. Lewis the other day. This came up in our conversation, but just um you know the the question of biases and um addressing those biases in our security protocols is so important. I
think obviously biases are one of the primary concerns that a lot of people think about with anything related to policing or anything that feels similar to policing. So, um I know that um we have that um uh you all, Miss Howard, your team has been mindful of that work um around bias, antibbias training. Um and so I think that's just you know something to to to name when we think about this work so that um you know we are not can not as I mean every biases are everywhere but we c we have to be self-reflective to deal with them so so that we're not thinking about um targeting or um you know any of our students or that kind of thing. So feel free to comment on any of that, but those are my thoughts related to your presentation. Thank you
>> and thank you for raising those topics. I actually took notes um mom's demand action. So I'll connect with student support services um and we do believe in serving the whole child um and being mindful of biases um and so thank you for raising that. >> Thank you.
>> Great. Thank you, Miss Howard, so much for being final comments. >> Dr. Lewis, sorry about that.
>> Just just to reiterate some comments that were made earlier around school safety being um a community uh issue and a very comprehensive uh approach as we think about school safety. Um, and when we think about school safety, yes, we want to keep the 31,432 students safe, two of them which live with me, but also making sure that our staff feel safe as well. And so when we think about what more can we do, and I appreciate the conversations and the questions tonight, and we're always thinking about what more can we do, and that's one of the things that definitely keeps me up at night and we think about school safety, keeping weapons out of
our our buildings. Um it's those consistent positive connections with our staff uh that that makes a difference. And we have some amazing staff that work to build relationships with our students, but there are some that um we probably could could um you know touch just a little more to ensure that they have that caring adult that they can connect to and being real with our students because they are concerned about being a snitch, right? And so that's real for them in their community.
So any way that we can assure them that reassure them that those see something, say something, those text text to tip are truly indeed uh anonymous. I was talking to some students, they were even just concerned by going into the office to to share some information. They thought someone would see them. And so again, um we will continue to double down on our um current uh practices and always seek to do more to keep our students and staff safe.
So thank you so much for this conversation. Thank you, Dr. Lewis.
Okay. Anybody else? With that, thank you again. >> Thank you.
>> Um and uh the next item on our agenda is for information only. This is our overnight field trips. And next we have a uh summary of follow-up items. No.
anyone? So, I only see a few here uh relative to the and and these are actually consent items except well there's one for the consent item. I think that was prior to the presentation. And there's one item for the classified study and it was uh include DPS benefits as we calculate DPS
living wage comparability as it compares to uh Durham City County. Um there were a couple of some discussion points around um the purchase of the Chromebooks uh including how will day user model work and implementation of technology fee is different across schools and uh for equity and access. Um and that's all we have. >> Thank you.
Um, with that, I'll entertain a motion to go into close session. >> I move that we go into close session for the reasons stated on the agenda. >> Second. >> Been moved by Chair Umstead, seconded by Miss Beyer.
Go into close session. Any discussion? Um, with that, we'll take another roll call vote. Um, Vice Chair Rogers. Millisent
Rogers. I vote I. >> Miss Chavez. >> This is Emily Chavez.
I vote I >> I >> I >> I >> I. Motion passes unanimously. We'll go into close session. Just a reminder, we're no longer returning after close session um via video or via live stream. Um so, thank you everybody for joining us this evening.