Therapists and classified staff warn Durham schools of mounting vacancies and ask board for competitive pay

Multiple classified staff and allies told the Durham Public Schools board Thursday that turnover among occupational therapists, physical therapists and other classified roles is undermining services to students and that pay is a major factor in departures. A physical therapist who spoke during public comment said the district has lost multiple therapists to neighboring counties and that pay differentials are driving vacancies; she described 38% of those roles as vacant in her department. The testimony: “We are missing 3 of 8 PTs,” the speaker said, asking the board to make direct hires competitive with neighboring counties. The speaker said roughly nine to ten occupational therapists had left since June and that remaining staff are stretched over more students. The speaker urged the board to “pay DPS direct hires what you need to pay us to be competitive” and said the daily choices about which child to serve are becoming untenable. District context: during a finance update in the same meeting, district staff said they are monitoring state funding and enrollment and estimating they would need roughly $3 million to achieve a minimum 2% increase for classified employees districtwide. Staff described the state budget as the principal variable; they said the state has not adopted a permanent budget and that funding is being released in waves by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Board discussion: board members and staff acknowledged the urgency. Staff said they continue to explore options and will report back at the Sept. 25 update. Board members asked for clear timelines and for staff to prioritize sustainable funding so any raises can be maintained. What was not decided: the board did not adopt a compensation package at the meeting. District staff said they are pursuing “every way possible” to build toward at least a 2% classified increase and will return with updates.