DPS Votes to Cover Salary Payments, Questions Remain • Emancipate NC Sues Durham Sheriff’s Office Over Jail Policy Redactions

It’s Friday, January 26.

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Happy Friday, readers.

At a raucous meeting last night, hundreds of Durham Public Schools employees, parents, and supporters turned out to admonish the school board for its mixup over salary payments to classified staff. By the meeting’s end, staff were assured that they wouldn’t have to pay back any money they already received. But it remains unclear how a policy change DPS has adopted that won’t credit some staff for years of professional experience outside of the school district will affect salaries going forward.  

Demonstrators, led by members of the Durham Association of Educators, gathered outside of the DPS Staff Development Center on Hillandale Road an hour before the DPS School Board was set to hold its regular board meeting.

The fiery crowd eventually made its way inside to await answers from the board. Patience waned quickly. The meeting was supposed to start at 6:30 p.m. but school board members didn’t arrive until 7:08 p.m.

“If you won’t pay us for our time, at least respect it,” an audience member shouted from the back of the room.

Speakers were given one minute each during public comment. Some chose to yield their time to the person behind them to try and ensure folks wouldn’t be cut off.

Symone Kiddoo, a DPS graduate and president of DAE, said, despite the anger on display, most of the people in attendance understand that the school board shares their goal of high-functioning public schools and a desire to collaborate and right what went wrong. 

“I’m tired, they’re tired. Y’all are tired. What I’ve heard you [the DPS school board] say is that you want answers almost as much as we do,” Kiddoo said. “And the righteous outrage is understandable under the circumstances, and we validate the frustrations of classified staff, all staff, and our community in this room. We also affirm our desire to lead with vision and unity and we invite the board and central office to join us in setting this debacle straight.” 

After nearly an hour of public comment, the DPS finance department shared a presentation that showed the school board had enough money in its fund balance, the board’s savings, to cover the payment error through the end of January. The board voted unanimously to move about $4.5 million from the fund balance into its account that will be distributed as a one-time additional payment to workers by the end of the month. Still, mixed feelings and more questions about workers’ pay remain.

Have a good weekend.

—Justin

Editor’s note: The primary election is just around the corner and we are planning our Election Guide for February 7. Endorsements in local races will publish in print and online, and candidate questionnaires, which are being sent to local campaigns this week, will publish on our website before early voting begins on February 15.

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