Durham Public Schools Board of Education District 1: Davit Melikian

Name: Davit Melikian

Age: 40

Party affiliation: Democrat

Campaign website: www.davitfordurham.com

Occupation and employer: Independent Home Builder 

1. What is your past or current involvement with Durham Public Schools? What makes you qualified for this job?

I am a product of Durham Public Schools and the son of educators, so public education has shaped both my upbringing and my values. I now have two young children and plan to send them to DPS, which makes this work personal and long-term for me.

Professionally, I am a licensed home builder and small business owner with experience managing large budgets, negotiating contracts, and overseeing major capital projects. DPS manages hundreds of millions of dollars in facilities, maintenance, and construction, and I believe it’s important to have board members who understand that work in a hands-on way.

I also currently serve as First Vice Chair of the Durham Democratic Party and as State Chair of the Armenian Assembly of America in a nonpartisan role, which has given me experience in community engagement, accountability, and coalition-building. Together, these experiences prepare me to bring practical oversight, transparency, and steady leadership to the Board of Education.

2. For incumbents, what has been your greatest accomplishment on the board? For newcomers, what change would you bring to the board?

As a newcomer, the change I would bring to the board is stronger hands-on oversight of operations, particularly facilities and capital spending. Durham Public Schools manages significant investments in construction, maintenance, and long-term infrastructure, and those decisions directly affect students and staff every day.

As a licensed home builder, I would bring professional experience in budgeting, contract review, and project management to help ensure school projects are well planned, competitively bid, and built to last. I would also push for more proactive problem-solving and clearer communication, so issues are addressed early instead of becoming crises. My goal is to help the board ask better questions, improve accountability, and make sure public dollars are being used as effectively as possible to support educators, students, and families.

3. For the past two years, the district has uncovered budget shortfalls and had to make midyear cuts and adjustments. How can the board ensure that every DPS dollar is being put to best use?

The board’s responsibility is to make sure budgeting is realistic, transparent, and closely monitored throughout the year. That starts with more realistic forecasting, clearer assumptions, and regular check-ins so problems are identified early rather than midyear.

Every dollar should be tied to outcomes. That means closely reviewing major contracts, capital projects, and operational expenses, not just approving them at a high level. As a builder, I’m used to tracking costs, renegotiating when needed, and adjusting plans before overruns become crises.

The board should also insist on clear public reporting so staff and families understand where money is going and why adjustments are being made. Strong oversight, early intervention, and accountability are the best tools for making sure DPS dollars are used wisely.

4. The superintendent is the board’s sole employee. The current board recently unanimously extended Anthony Lewis’s contract for another year. What letter grade do you give Lewis, and how could he do better?

The superintendent’s job is one of the most challenging roles in the district, and it takes time for leadership decisions to show measurable results. While it is still too early to fully evaluate the long-term impact of Superintendent Lewis’s actions, I believe he is trending in the right direction.

There has been an effort to bring more stability to the district during a period of real challenges, including staffing shortages, transportation issues, and budget pressures. That said, continued improvement is needed, particularly around proactive problem-solving, clearer communication with staff and families, and timely follow-through on identified issues.

As a board member, my role would be to support the superintendent where progress is being made while also asking tough questions and holding leadership accountable for results. Effective oversight requires both patience and clear expectations, and I believe it is important to allow time for improvements to take hold while maintaining a strong focus on outcomes.

5. Nearly every public school district in the state saw a decrease in enrollment this year. Durham’s was particularly dramatic, with over 1,000 fewer students than last year. With kids leaving for charter and private schools, what can DPS do to convince parents that public schools are the best option for their students?

Trust! Families leave public schools when they lose confidence in the system, not just because of one issue. To bring families back, DPS has to focus on doing the basics well and doing them consistently. That starts with stable staffing, strong instruction, reliable transportation, and school buildings that are safe, well maintained, and welcoming.

DPS also needs to be honest about what parents are looking for. Many charter and private schools are newer, smaller, or more focused on areas like STEM, and families are responding to that. The answer is not to compete through marketing, but to close real gaps by improving facilities, expanding strong academic programs, and clearly communicating what DPS offers.

Finally, trust matters. Parents need clear communication, predictable operations, and confidence that problems will be addressed quickly. When families see well-run schools, supported teachers, and leadership that is accountable, public schools become the obvious choice again.

6. DPS is committed to equity in education, but the “achievement gap” between white students and students of color persists. How can the district better fulfill its most basic mission of educating every child?

Closing achievement gaps starts with fixing systems, not slogans. DPS fulfills its basic mission when every school has stable staffing, strong instruction, and the right supports in place before problems escalate. Students fall behind when teachers turn over, classes are overcrowded, transportation is unreliable, or academic and behavioral needs are addressed too late.

When challenges do arise, escalation should not automatically lead to law enforcement involvement. Schools must avoid pushing students into the school-to-prison pipeline through unnecessary out-of-school suspensions or exclusionary discipline. Suspension should be a last resort. Restorative practices, early intervention, and consistent support keep students connected to learning while addressing behavior in a constructive way.

The district also needs to better understand students as individuals. Some learning gaps are tied to challenges outside the classroom, including family instability or unmet basic needs. Schools should work with counselors, social workers, and community partners to provide support where it’s needed. When students are supported early and kept engaged in school, outcomes improve and gaps begin to close.

7. North Carolina recently received an “F” grade from the Education Law Center, which reported that the state is second to last in average funding per student. As of January 2025, the state legislature hasn’t passed a budget, leaving educators without a cost-of-living adjustment. What can the Durham school board do to help student outcomes with a state government that seems uninterested in supporting public schools?

When the state fails to meet its responsibility, the local school board cannot fix everything, but it also cannot stay silent. One of the board’s most important roles is advocacy. That means consistently and publicly pushing the General Assembly to fully fund public education and making clear how underfunding harms students, educators, and communities.

At the same time, the board must be disciplined locally. With limited resources, DPS has to prioritize what directly impacts student outcomes: retaining educators, maintaining safe and functional schools, and keeping students in classrooms. That requires careful budgeting, transparency, and making sure every dollar is working toward learning, not waste.

The board should also strengthen partnerships with institutions like Duke University and North Carolina Central University. These partnerships can support tutoring, teacher pipelines, student enrichment, and shared resources. While they cannot replace state funding, they can help fill gaps and improve outcomes while the board continues to advocate for the funding public schools deserve.

8. The majority-member staff union Durham Association of Educators (DAE) has, at times, clashed with the superintendent and the board over policy and procedure. What kind of relationship should the board have with the DAE, and how can you balance pressure from staff with pressure from administrators and taxpayers? 

The board should have a professional, respectful, and consistent relationship with DAE. DAE represents the day-to-day experiences of educators and staff, and their input is important to understanding what is working and what is not inside our schools. That relationship should be built on open communication, transparency, and good-faith engagement from all sides.

At the same time, that respect must be mutual. The board’s responsibility is not to simply approve what any one group asks for, but to make decisions in the best interest of the entire school system. While staff perspectives matter greatly, the board must also consider administrative realities, taxpayer expectations, and long-term sustainability.

Ultimately, students must remain the central focus of all decision-making. The board’s role is to listen carefully to DAE, ask tough questions of administration, and make balanced decisions that improve working conditions while keeping student outcomes as the top priority.

9. With Durham School of the Arts and Northern High School moving to new buildings, the district still owns the defunct former sites of those and other schools. What should the district do with those sites? If it is beyond the jurisdiction of the school board, how can the board work with the county to make those sites useful for the Durham community?

Vacant school sites are valuable public assets, and leaving them underused is a missed opportunity. While some decisions may involve the county or other agencies, the school board should play an active role in shaping how these properties serve students and the broader community.

One option is to repurpose former school buildings as spaces for career and technical education and vocational training. These sites could become hands-on learning environments where students gain real experience in trades, construction, and building maintenance. The process itself, from renovation to redevelopment, can be part of the learning.

In partnership with the county, the district should also explore using these sites for housing, including affordable or workforce housing. Revenue generated from these projects could help fill budget gaps and support school operations. The board’s role is to think creatively, work collaboratively with local partners, and ensure public assets are used in ways that benefit students, families, and the Durham community over the long term.

10. Thousands of students have stayed home from school during federal immigration enforcement sweeps. On one November day when agents were in the Triangle, over 20% of DPS students stayed home from school. What can the board realistically do to make DPS a welcoming and safe environment for all students, regardless of immigration status?

I don’t blame families for keeping their children home. As an immigrant myself, even with proper documentation, work authorization, and naturalization, immigration enforcement activity is still frightening. That fear is real, and it directly affects whether students feel safe coming to school.

While the board cannot control federal immigration actions, it can control how DPS responds. DPS must have clear policies that limit immigration enforcement on school grounds, require proper legal documentation, and ensure staff are trained to respond calmly and consistently.

The district should also maintain access to a strong legal support framework so that if enforcement activity occurs on school grounds, it is immediately documented, monitored, and handled appropriately. Families should know that DPS will respond quickly, communicate clearly, and help connect them to legal resources when needed.

11. Give an example of an opinion, policy, vote, or action you changed based on constituent feedback. If you have not yet held elected office, describe a time when you changed your position on an issue after listening to those affected by it.

I have not yet held elected office, but I regularly change my approach based on feedback in my work as a home builder. I often start projects with a standard plan and building process, but as I talk with homeowners about what matters most to them, their priorities, budget, and how they actually live in the space, I adjust my approach.

By putting myself in their shoes, I often identify small details or design choices that better fit their needs and that they may not have known to ask for. Timelines, costs, and vision frequently change as a project moves forward, and being flexible while still managing expectations is essential.

That experience has taught me the importance of listening, adapting, and moving forward thoughtfully. It’s the same approach I would bring to serving on the Board of Education, where policies and decisions must reflect the real needs of the people affected by them.

12. If there is anything else you would like to address, please do so here.  

One additional point I would like to share is that I believe school boards are strongest when they are made up of people with different backgrounds, skill sets, and lived experiences. Education systems are complex, and no single perspective has all the answers. Bringing together educators, parents, professionals, and community leaders with varied experiences leads to better questions, more thoughtful decisions, and stronger outcomes for students. I see my background as a builder and small business owner as one of those complementary perspectives that can help the board better serve the entire community.