Good morning, readers.
At yet another special meeting yesterday evening, the Durham Public Schools Board of Education didn’t come to any resolution regarding the salary dispute that is affecting more than 1,300 classified workers.
But Superintendent Pascal Mubenga submitted his resignation to the board during the closed session, chair Bettina Umstead said.
“Dr. Mubenga joined Durham Public Schools seven years ago and has led the school system through challenging times,” Umstead said in a statement. “He leaves a legacy of academic growth and a firm commitment to equity.”
The district’s deputy superintendent, Nicholas King, will take over until a replacement is found.
Additionally the board released preliminary findings from Tharrington Smith LLP, the firm hired to conduct an internal review of what happened with the salaries.
The report states that in February 2023, the district’s CFO knew that an earlier pay study that recommended raises based on total years of work experience for some workers would cost the district more than $20 million to implement. But the CFO made the budget using salary figures that didn’t count these employees’ years of private sector work experience, bringing total spending on the salary increases to a lower level of around $10 million.
Then in October 2023, the board, “based on incomplete and inaccurate information” about the new salaries, voted to implement raises that honored years of both public and private sector professional experience for these workers.
Mubenga knew about the disparity on November 8, the report states. He told the board on January 11.
“As a result, this situation has created unnecessary disruptions for our staff and students,” the statement reads.
Umstead said the board remains committed to increasing pay for classified employees, but it’s not clear how. And the board met with the Durham Association of Educators, which has been advocating for the salary increases, the statement said, and will continue to work with DAE.
“Everything we do should be focused on our students and how we can best support them,” Umstead said. “That requires our schools to be open.”
Have a good Thursday.
—Jane
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Today’s weather
Sunny with a high of 60 degrees.
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