DPS Delays $5.3M Class Tech Proposal until Aug. 27

A Birthday Wish for South Durham

I’m asking 100 neighbors to help raise $5,000 by Sept. 22 to expand independent local journalism through Southpoint Access.

Southpoint AccessWes Platt

Durham Public Schools will wait until Aug. 27 to take up a classroom technology proposal tied to about $5.3 million in county funding.

Superintendent Dr. Anthony Lewis asked the Board of Education at the start of its Aug. 13 work session to remove the interactive panel purchase from the consent agenda. Lewis said the proposal should go through the district’s new board committee structure first, giving board members and the public another chance to examine it before it reaches the full board.

The delay doesn’t end the proposal. It gives board members two more weeks to examine how DPS plans to use technology money set aside by Durham County.

Lewis said the district expects the classroom upgrades to support student outcomes. He also recalled a student on his advisory council describing the goal more simply: “Help me pay attention.”

The rest of the consent agenda passed without discussion. Among the items approved was a three-year Goalbook agreement with Enome Inc. to help special education staff develop individualized education programs. The estimated cost is about $147,000 a year and up to $441,000 over three years.

The board also approved a Brady Integrated Security contract renewal and an amended right-of-way and easement agreement involving Hillside High School.