Durham leaders outline $276 million in youth spending, warn of gaps as ARPA funds end

Durham County officials told a joint meeting of Durham County, the City of Durham and Durham Public Schools on Aug. 12 that the county currently budgets roughly $276,000,000 a year for youth-related services — about 40% of the county general fund — and that one-time federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) investments supporting after-school and wraparound services are winding down.

Manager Cheryl Hager, identified in the meeting as county manager, said, “But talking about the budgeted amount that the county has in general for youth spending, that's a broad definition for the current approximately $276,000,000. That's approximately 40% of our general fund budget.” She added that Durham Public Schools accounts for the largest share of that total at about $224,000,000 and that school-related debt service adds another roughly $61,000,000 for 2025–26.

Why it matters: elected officials and agency leaders said many of the county’s ARPA-funded programs — used for school capital, after-school programming, school nurses and direct academic supports — were one-time investments and that local partners will face service gaps when the money runs out. County staff and elected leaders urged coordinated data collection across jurisdictions to quantify youth served and to plan a joint…