Good morning, readers.
For the second time in two weeks, Durham Public Schools will close schools today as administrators expect teachers and school staff to call out from work in the midst of an ongoing pay dispute with the district.
The district closed 12 schools last Wednesday and educators and their supporters, including students and families, attended protests organized by the Durham Association of Educators.
On Friday, the school board met to attempt to come to an agreement over salaries. Last month, the district announced it could not continue to pay raises to 1,300 classified staff members that a pay study recommended and that they had been promised in writing and already paid for several months.
But the board couldn’t agree on either of two options presented to try to preserve some of the wage increases. Classified workers, who have received the higher wages through January, are not on track to receive them in February.
In a statement following Friday’s special meeting, school board chair Bettina Umstead explained that implementing the pay study’s recommendation for higher wages would have cost the district $20 million. That is $9 million more than the district budgeted for the 2023-2024 academic year. The board already voted to use $4.5 million from the district’s fund balance to cover the raises through January, “the fair and right thing to do,” Umstead wrote. But the fund balance, the district’s safety net, has a projected $6.4 million, less than the $12.7 million it’s recommended to maintain, which is only a month’s worth of expenses for the district.
Furthermore, Umstead wrote, “many of the raises are very large.” More than 500 workers received 25 percent more in raises, while more than 25 employees received raises over 40 percent. Other employees received raises ranging from 13 to 57 percent, and another class of workers received wage increases of 29 percent.
“…The wide discrepancies given to one employee and another in the consultant’s schedule, as originally applied, requires more study,” Umstead wrote. “We are not saying our employees are not worth it. … We are saying, absolutely, that we cannot choose an option that is unsustainable and would deplete the system’s funds.”
The school board has until Thursday to make a decision on February’s wages.
Schools that will be closed today include Morehead Montessori, Bethesda Elementary, Carrington Middle, E.K. Powe Elementary, Durham School of the Arts, Sandy Ridge Elementary, and Little River K-8 School.
Have a good Monday, everyone.
—Jane
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Today’s weather
Sunny with a high of 57 degrees.
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