DPS Classified Staff Pay Holds Through January, But Future Uncertain

The good news: Classified staff at Durham Public Schools won’t have to return any money to the district for what some administration officials have termed an “overpayment.”

The Board of Education on Thursday night voted to move $4.5 million from the local fund account to cover paychecks for classified staff – including bus mechanics, occupational therapists, and instructional assistants – at a higher rate established after a compensation study last year, at least through the end of this month.

The not-so-good news: It’s not guaranteed that DPS will hold fast at the higher pay rate without seeking more financial assistance from the Durham County Commission. Board members expect to start meeting next week about how to handle classified pay in February and beyond.

But one more thing the board assured by way of a motion that passed unanimously: DPS won’t reduce classified worker pay below levels seen in 2022/2023 and they want to give classified workers, regardless of experience, a 4% raise.

Those votes came after the board heard more than an hour of public comment from classified staff, teachers, parents, and students about broken trust and broken hearts of workers who keep schools clean, who serve food, who repair school buses, who provide backup to classroom teachers, and who help the most vulnerable students learn to read and write and thrive.

“You don’t trust us,” noted Board Member Alexandra Valladares, “and I don’t think you should.” She urged the community to remain vigilant and to continue holding the district accountable.

Board Member Natalie Beyer recommended that the board work with affected staff members as the district continues to seek a sustainable solution.

The controversy started in mid-January when DPS administrators announced that 1,300 classified workers were paid too much, based on a compensation study conducted in 2023, with steps assigned to those workers based on years of experience. The district recalculated the steps for those employees, condensing decades of professional experience in some cases down to entry level, and resulting in dramatic cuts in pay for workers who can scarcely afford it.

That led to a week of turmoil, when mechanics, cafeteria workers, and custodians called out in protest, and many bus drivers refused to drive students aboard school buses without a mechanic available to help if needed.

Before Thursday’s board meeting, the Durham Association of Educators rallied dozens of classified staff and supporters on the muddy grounds outside the Minnie Forte-Brown Staff Development Center to urge DPS leaders to treat workers with more respect.

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