durham public schools

Minimum pay for DPS support staff trails city and county wages

DPS’s minimum pay for support staff is $1 below Durham County’s and nearly $7 below the city’s. Local leaders will discuss the gap and what it means for schools.

Southpoint Access

Southpoint Access

— 5 min read
Share
Minimum pay for DPS support staff trails city and county wages
South Durham Guides | Southpoint Access
Practical guides for eating, shopping, raising a family, finding work, and staying connected in and around South Durham.
Southpoint AccessWes Platt

Durham Public Schools’ minimum pay for support staff is $18.22 an hour, a dollar below Durham County’s minimum and nearly $7 below the City of Durham’s.

The county’s wage floor is $19.22 an hour; the city’s is $25.09. DPS’s classified staff include bus drivers, instructional assistants, cafeteria workers, and custodians.

That gap will be the focus of today's joint meeting of city, county, and school leaders. Officials will discuss what the disparity means for school staffing and local budgets, and consider changes to the city’s housing-based wage formula.

The meeting starts at 9:30 a.m. in the second-floor committee room at City Hall, 101 City Hall Plaza.

The agenda allows 45 minutes for the wage discussion, with presentations from city administrators and Sally Hodges-Copple, senior public policy analyst at the N.C. Budget & Tax Center.

Read more