[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":55,"_73":55},"mediaId",6077368,"mediaKeyId","2964748-9eb6d6fe48d9a0ff7d8e5377e4ef8015","parentId",2964748,"title","Teachers and parents press board on pay, classified staff equity and meet-and-confer policy during budget comments","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",1816000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2964748-9eb6d6fe48d9a0ff7d8e5377e4ef8015&start=1816&end=1816","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2964748-9eb6d6fe48d9a0ff7d8e5377e4ef8015/thumbnail_1816000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6077368/North-Carolina/Teachers-and-parents-press-board-on-pay-classified-staff-equity-and-meet-and-confer-policy-during-budget-comments","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6077368-ae04b75822ec56f2f5aa543d08b20cdb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770828242&Signature=JFCwcg21OFP~QYUxXBHsGsh~Flno0aR9FR6p1TOu4ZVTrhJPrK9uh3ODCxSdRk~exOAGScN4ULX2qjbGgZOFQenEM9dKxX42YxDMt4tdK7m4zLsTijF2XGr6hnbUYs3Xdk1l5yxv4r3hBa8eGy3Kzq-iBZKnTm72F5r~daC749VFT4zaLUBgVEplLgIWnlYNMWKwgER9~Btn3yF5pgGy-~Z7i~cwhyPyIKpWhly~ETBR1WYMoQDRYeXhbjtpo-Njjrick1EHCwicFyn0jTlpLhFJ8H1SK3zKUqaLweV9FUIzNQvET1iEzRwIeHxFGTxkLzWZQYBYTrk~~HiPpcW7Qw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-04-10T10:23:54Z","article","Teachers, parents and advocacy groups used the budget hearing to press Durham Public Schools for broader compensation and labor-policy changes, urging the board to consider classified staff wage adjustments, step increases, and the Durham Association of Educators’ (DAE) meet-and-confer proposal.

Beth Clifford, a sixth-grade teacher at Githins Middle School, said a proposed teacher pay supplement is welcome but cautioned that raises for teachers alone do not address a broader staffing crisis. “Everyone deserves a raise,” Clifford said, arguing that classified staff and support roles must be made competitive with neighboring districts. She also asked for clarity on whether classified staff will receive step increases and paid inclement-weather days next year.

Martie Triggs, a parent and MSW, urged restoration of master's pay for school social workers so that the district can retain staff with advanced qualifications; Triggs emphasized social workers’ role in addressing mental health and community needs. Board members noted they had invited the Durham Association of Educators to join budget discussions; the district said DAE declined the invitation extended on 03/31 but that the board will continue to review DAE materials submitted in advance.

Speakers linked compensation and labor questions to recruitment and retention: they said losing support staff increases burdens on teachers and undermines school operations. The board reiterated its commitment to reviewing public comment alongside the superintendent’s recommended budget in upcoming work sessions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","#DPSCommunity | DPS Board of Education Budget Hearing | 4/9/25","oneSentenceSummary","Teachers and parents asked the Durham school board to address compensation across staff categories, restore master's pay for social workers, clarify step increases for classified staff, and consider the Durham Association of Educators' meet-and-confer proposal.","taxTitle","Durham Public Schools, School Districts, North Carolina","taxId",14087,"location","North Carolina","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":55,"_73":55},6077373,"Community members press Durham schools to expand mental-health supports and bring HEART response into schools",890,1546000,2436000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2964748-9eb6d6fe48d9a0ff7d8e5377e4ef8015&start=1546&end=2436","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2964748-9eb6d6fe48d9a0ff7d8e5377e4ef8015/thumbnail_1546000.jpg","/articles/6077373/North-Carolina/Community-members-press-Durham-schools-to-expand-mental-health-supports-and-bring-HEART-response-into-schools","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6077373-9290ad3e691a2760ff003c08c0d59e4d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770828242&Signature=np~iWqtX47oojrxQlC-uuT6ZAsV-NPuVsVGc7BdzdIxCp6l5JKHA5A2Z4~pdYnkPeUxuc-KcCAuJRAGfBibmb88Mgc0~arG9fakuXDfN7BV-pm7e8GeSOU5i5hs20I3hRJVO7B7JXSlFF3ey40hJl~Bq92yRRLGtz-1ElkVOW1UXJ9errj95-lw0R-0zxnxMGWdgurB8ZoB694FHnY6hq5LDmecWbkacY6YWzHa1g3q262ZTYDp0TvaPbx6hnC29d~TdduZ33Ektz8F2pE8trGC2zcHtUtYqUqtrgW9miyyeNaJWbZEkSoKTzh4jVLfuTw0wQEbAn~BQ9EyAINcD-w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Parents, teachers and community advocates used the budget hearing to press Durham Public Schools to expand mental-health services, increase school counselor supports, restore pay differentials for school social workers with master’s degrees and pursue partnership funding to embed HEART crisis-response teams in schools.

Fern Hickey, a parent at I.K. Poe Elementary and member of School Parents for Immigrant Defense, asked the board to keep funding for co-located mental-health services, improve school counselor ratios and support expansion of HEART into Durham schools. Hickey said students are facing compounding stressors and that district policy and culture should prioritize mental-health services.

Several speakers described concrete staffing and funding requests. Martie Triggs, a parent and MSW who identified herself as a DPS parent, urged restoration of master’s pay for school social workers and a student-to-social-worker ratio aligned with national recommendations. Triggs said the national recommendation is about 1 social worker per 250 students and that local caseload numbers cited in the meeting were not fully clear.

Shanice Hamilton and other advocates urged an interlocal agreement among the school board, county commissioners and city council to fund HEART teams in schools. Hamilton said organizers proposed embedding a full-time peer support specialist and an EMT in one elementary, one middle and one high school as a starting point and that the initial county budget request for that plan is $450,000 for fiscal year 2025–26.

Teacher speakers connected these mental-health requests to in-school safety and staffing pressures. Beth Clifford, a sixth-grade teacher at Githins Middle School, encouraged investment in local, evidence-based mental-health programs such as HEART and urged caution about outsourcing to for-profit providers. Clifford also raised compensation and staffing equity concerns for classified staff and bus drivers in the proposed budget.

Speakers asked that mental-health services be widely promoted and accessible to uninsured or underinsured students and that restored compensation for qualified social workers help attract and retain staff. Board members acknowledged the testimony and said community input will inform the board’s review of the superintendent’s recommended budget in the next work session.","Parents, teachers and community advocates asked the Durham Public Schools board to maintain co-located mental-health services, improve counselor ratios, restore master's pay for school social workers and pursue an interlocal agreement to place HEART crisis response teams in schools, including a $450,000 county funding request.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":55,"_73":55},6077378,"Immigrant parents ask Durham schools for more busing and language access during budget hearing",346,1230000,1576000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2964748-9eb6d6fe48d9a0ff7d8e5377e4ef8015&start=1230&end=1576","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2964748-9eb6d6fe48d9a0ff7d8e5377e4ef8015/thumbnail_1230000.jpg","/articles/6077378/North-Carolina/Immigrant-parents-ask-Durham-schools-for-more-busing-and-language-access-during-budget-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6077378-5bedfb15e1028a5395db71ee5fe3a706/orig.mp4?Expires=1770828242&Signature=mXWgw6vOz1NizPahR6ye5xht9gb-6sVUDhFaRMLFB2dvXWNgB7ukJE8FNRTf6y7iJ-ZJ6OOGIewMJA~v7AA5bsi9wWHamTXMkr8YQ9ySvJt4V0Qj8DyCWWfhUutlAHKhJ-Ht-PJnpsBgBeu8CKgIfEGGNdN9AYaM985cvYeocax39vsF34La1icl5u2GG3FVzg5GwvZSlJw1eTmTSYzugq7xZed2pqnfXBXsQo2PuytDWBhuA2h7S47aPJFkIZaZ14~csvM4aBchFch4YboI-NSTv~99iC~tuoTX2zabc78F8yO0AoJKMjkOkE5Xl4irT1cpknF1w~7WIRkjda5CHA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Members of a parent group called School Parents for Immigrant Defense urged the Durham Public Schools Board of Education to fund more consistent bus transportation and expanded language access, telling the board that recent routing changes and complicated school communications have hit immigrant families especially hard.

Tony Macias, a founder of the group, said the district’s family responsibility zones and inconsistent busing have “disproportionate impact” on immigrant families and that many parents feel safer when their children ride school buses. “We strongly support the proposed budget for greater driver wages,” Macias said, and urged policies to ensure “everyone who needs a bus gets a bus.”

Speakers also described barriers in school communications. Macias and others said automated phone blasts and principal messages are not always delivered in families’ primary languages, and that PowerSchool’s account setup can be difficult for parents to navigate. Jocelyn Dawson, speaking for the same parent group, highlighted the role of bilingual community liaisons at schools such as Holt and Hope Valley elementary schools and said those positions rely on Title I funds and are therefore not guaranteed.

Dawson said Eastway Elementary’s bilingual community liaison position was cut this year even though the school’s Latinx population has increased. She urged Durham Public Schools to fund bilingual liaisons consistently across schools and to provide more bilingual staff districtwide.

Speakers recommended ongoing interpreter training and said current interpreter capacity sometimes requires one interpreter to serve multiple schools. The board acknowledged public comment and said it will review community submissions alongside the superintendent’s recommended budget in upcoming budget meetings.","Members of a parent coalition urged Durham Public Schools to fund more bus service, improve language access and consistently staff bilingual community liaisons, saying family responsibility zones and communication gaps disproportionately affect immigrant families.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_46":104,"_48":105,"_50":106,"_52":107,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":108,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":109,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":55,"_73":55},6077383,"Parents urge Durham school board to preserve Club Boulevard Elementary dance program",275,640000,915000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2964748-9eb6d6fe48d9a0ff7d8e5377e4ef8015&start=640&end=915","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2964748-9eb6d6fe48d9a0ff7d8e5377e4ef8015/thumbnail_640000.jpg","/articles/6077383/North-Carolina/Parents-urge-Durham-school-board-to-preserve-Club-Boulevard-Elementary-dance-program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6077383-40eff1956ce6eddb566edd45c4eb1116/orig.mp4?Expires=1770828242&Signature=WbHWceOSMByrV1Ici12dI-fUX01bF79qfmkQl6ozVWa8OqXlVyh~Onl2PZmYaa1EkAXG0Mc2XgHnlf0k7skFZS2wkAeYafXKLLhCoXVln-vjxydWcXvwhH45CrhqFNK2qdT6eB9dz7t8UAlTaozHfcn1qDw5BQQejQMwEXiJ4Gk4fDxkL6hby7L65sHXB4qaFwKLQ1D3Lg~EFuDMOR8pfmel40oZd4RwAHxzJ4PtqJvWYnuKMyOsF4lv~fhokThTBxff~5h3Q6x-Mb-NqmyKZgfPE9k1CkWeJt77iBuOBQ-OoFovnwNm24EHXWLUfqYQUIBnUQyZA2kXzsubtCoTXw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Parents and PTA leaders at a Durham Public Schools budget hearing urged the Board of Education to find funds to preserve the dance program at Club Boulevard Elementary, arguing the program serves a broad group of students and would be “nearly impossible to rebuild” if cut.

Speakers said the program has been part of the school for more than 20 years and described how students benefit from regular participation. Beth Red Myers, a Club Boulevard parent, read messages from children who said dance makes them feel included and confident. “Every week when I walk into dance, it is my favorite thing to do at school, and it makes me feel good about myself, like I belong,” Myers read on behalf of a first-grade student.

Alyssa Platt, Club Boulevard PTA secretary and a parent of two students, told the board the program is “one of the most inclusive and unifying” at the school and noted recent competitive success: the school’s elementary dance team won awards at an AMP dance competition. “Dance is the cornerstone of our school’s identity,” Platt said, adding that it develops teamwork, leadership and social-emotional skills.

Platt and Myers framed the request against broader budget shifts the district is making, including expansion of dual-language immersion (DLI) programs. They said DLI serves a limited subset of students while the dance program is open to all, and that smaller schools such as Club Boulevard have fewer resources to absorb cuts.

Speakers asked the board to weigh the long-term cost of losing arts programs, arguing that cuts to specialist offerings are difficult to reverse. The board’s agenda materials for the superintendent’s recommended budget are posted online; board members said they will review public comment as they continue budget deliberations in an upcoming work session.

The public comment portion of the hearing concluded with the board thanking speakers and noting that the superintendent’s recommended budget is available in BoardDocs for the work session.","Parents and PTA leaders urged the Durham Public Schools board to restore funding for the long-running dance program at Club Boulevard Elementary, saying it supports students’ social-emotional and academic development and that cuts would be difficult to reverse.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Teachers and parents press board on pay, classified staff equity and meet-and-confer policy during budget comments

Community members press Durham schools to expand mental-health supports and bring HEART response into schools

Immigrant parents ask Durham schools for more busing and language access during budget hearing

Parents urge Durham school board to preserve Club Boulevard Elementary dance program