Name: Kristy Moore
Age: 49
Party affiliation: Democrat
Campaign website: https://www.votekristymoorefordurham.org
Occupation and employer: Program Manager, The Hunt Institute
1. What is your past or current involvement with Durham Public Schools? What makes you qualified for this job?
I am a parent of a DPS graduate and a current DPS student, a former DPS teacher, and a former president of the Durham Association of Educators. What makes me qualified for this role is the combination of practical experience and strategic leadership. I understand how schools function day to day, how policy translates into practice, and how to navigate complex systems while keeping students at the center. I also bring experience building coalitions, listening across differences, and advocating transparently and effectively. This role requires someone who understands education from the inside and is prepared to lead with integrity, collaboration, and accountability, which is the perspective I bring to the Durham Public Schools Board.
2. For incumbents, what has been your greatest accomplishment on the board? For newcomers, what change would you bring to the board?
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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?
To ensure every DPS dollar is used to its best advantage, the Board must focus on transparency, accountability, and alignment with student and school needs. As we begin to build trust, the board has to insist on clear, accessible budget reporting to our community. That means regular, plain-language updates on spending, projections, and risks so problems are identified earlier, and midyear cuts are less likely. Transparency builds trust and enables course correction before schools are affected.
We, as the board, have to ensure our dollars are aligned with student needs by examining staffing formulas, central office expenditures, and program effectiveness to ensure resources are reaching classrooms, student supports, and the schools with the greatest needs.
As a board, we have to be committed to strengthening oversight and accountability. This includes asking hard questions, setting clear expectations for financial management, and ensuring that recommendations brought forward are backed by data and clear rationales. When adjustments are necessary, they should be made thoughtfully and equitably, and in collaboration with staff, educators, and community stakeholders to identify efficiencies and advocate for sustainable funding at the county and state levels.
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?
When evaluating Superintendent Anthony Lewis, I try to focus on outcomes, leadership, and alignment with the district’s goals rather than assigning a simple letter grade. From what I’ve seen and heard, there are strengths to acknowledge: he has worked to maintain stability in the district, supported some student and staff initiatives, and navigated challenging circumstances like budget shortfalls and statewide policy changes.
As he continues his tenure here in DPS, I can see a few ways he can be more effective in his leadership. Since he has been in the seat, there have been moments when families, staff, and community members could have benefited from clearer, timelier information about decisions affecting classrooms, budgets, and policies. I also see that he needs to work on building strong two-way relationships with educators, families, and community organizations to foster long-term trust and success. He also needs to work to ensure that resources and programs consistently reach the students with the greatest needs, especially in historically under-resourced schools.
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?
DPS leadership needs to meet with parents who have chosen charter or private schools over DPS and see why. We cannot assume we know why our parents and even some staff are leaving our schools. We also have to focus on quality, equity, and family engagement. That means strong academic programs, well-supported teachers, safe and inclusive schools, and services that meet every student’s needs. We must listen to families, build trust, highlight successes, and create welcoming communities so parents see public schools as the best choice for their children. Partnerships with local organizations can also reinforce opportunities and support for students, showing that DPS is a place where every child can thrive.
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 the achievement gap requires a deliberate focus on equity, resources, and support. As a district, we have to ensure that all children have the resources they need to be successful. Some resources include strong mental health and counseling services, and enrichment opportunities. We have to stay abreast of our data to ensure all our students are growing and make adjustments where needed. We also have to build trust with our educators, students, and families, as building trust ensures interventions are responsive and sustainable. When equity is our focus, we have to ensure our funding, staffing, and programs reflect that.
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 does not do what it should for our students, we, as the DPS school board, have to still make sure our students and staff have what they need. We have to prioritize every local dollar strategically, directing resources toward classrooms, student supports, and the schools with the greatest needs. We have to work to build a strong coalition by working with educators, families, other districts, and education organizations to put pressure on the state legislature for needed funding. As we wait on proper funding, we need to strengthen local partnerships with county leaders, nonprofits, universities, and community organizations to expand mental health services, enrichment opportunities, and family supports that directly affect learning.
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?
As a former DAE President, I know that conflict is not the enemy; misunderstanding is. The board has to be intentional in building trust with our staff, be transparent, and listen to their issues and concerns. If we are open and transparent, we can navigate issues and concerns from multiple stakeholders without losing focus on what matters most: student learning and well-being. We all have to come to the table together and create a professional, collaborative, and transparent relationship with the DAE, grounded in mutual respect and a shared commitment to student success.
As we all work together and balance input from staff, administrators, and taxpayers, we focus on the district’s overall mission: providing high-quality, equitable education for every student. This requires open communication, data-informed decisions, and thoughtful prioritization, so that decisions reflect both the needs of staff and the responsibility to families and the community.
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?
If the school board has jurisdiction, it should start with a transparent, community-driven process to determine the best use of each site, prioritizing uses that align with DPS’s mission and Durham’s needs.
One way we could repurpose sites for educational and community use, such as a parent center, alternative or vocational programs, teacher training spaces, or hubs for student and family services. If sale or lease is considered, it should be done thoughtfully, with safeguards to ensure proceeds directly support schools and students to help fill in funding gaps
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?
The fear families are experiencing is real, and the Board has a responsibility to respond with clarity, compassion, and action. We have to work with agencies to ensure our children and families are safe. We have to communicate with our families with information to keep them safe and ensure our DPS schools remain safe, welcoming, and trusted spaces for all students, regardless of immigration status.
As the DPS board, we need to set and reinforce clear district policies that protect student privacy. Families need to know that schools are not extensions of federal enforcement and that their children are safe at school. We have to be in consistent communication with families—clearly, repeatedly, and in multiple languages. We need to inform them about their rights, district policies, and the protections in place. Misinformation fuels fear, and transparency builds trust.
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.
As a young teacher, I learned to listen to my students’ parents about what they needed from me. My actions, thinking I knew what was best because of my degree and training, were not always right. When I noticed one of my EC students was not making progress toward their goals, I asked the parent what they did at home to help their child. Once, I did that and implemented some of the parents’ strategies, my student began to grow bit by bit. The parents and I became partners in their child’s education. That changed my actions; from day one, I always discussed my students’ learning with their parents to build partnerships.
12. If there is anything else you would like to address, please do so here.