DPS Updates County Budget Ask for New Bonuses and Supplements

Durham Public Schools officials have rearranged their ask to county commissioners to provide special supplements for early childhood and English as a second language teachers and for classified staff specializing in sign language, deaf/hard of hearing, visually impaired, and spoken language facilitation.

Administrators also proposed continuing a $7,000 per year bonus for EC facilitator positions in the district using local funds.

The Board of Education voted unanimously to approve the request Thursday night during a work session in an agenda item added late in the meeting. Interim Superintendent Catty Moore apologized for the lateness, reporting that staff had been working until the last minute to develop the information to present to the board.

Besides an existing budget ask of $200 a month for EC and ESL classroom teachers, DPS leadership proposes:

• $350 per month for EC specialized program teachers, which would cost DPS about $200,000.
• $200 per month for classified staff who help with deaf and hard of hearing students, as well as spoken language facilitators. That would cost an expected $90,000.
• $7,000 bonuses for about 27 EC facilitator positions in the district, which would come in at around $190,000.

Moore said staff found some financial flexibility – about $1.5 million – due to vacancies in other positions throughout the district.

Board Vice Chair Emily Chavez moved to accept the proposal, with a second by Board Member Alexandra Valladares. It passed unanimously.

Board Member Jessica Carda-Auten said she was “excited about this,” noting that her research indicated that the higher the supplement for hard-to-staff positions, “the more effective it is for recruiting/retention.” She also said that the district should be sure to clearly communicate these supplements and bonuses are available.

That can be a little tricky in the short term, though. As Moore explained, jubilation about the pay boosts should be tempered by the reality that the increases – now part of a $27.4 million request – must still get past the Durham Board of County Commissioners. Ground conditions also could be changed by state legislative maneuvers during an election year.

“The final reconciliation happens after we have a landscape of where everything is,” Moore said. She cautioned that the bonuses and supplements probably wouldn’t happen until this fall.

The request should be submitted to the county in time for the May 14 commission meeting, Moore said.