[SeeGov Enhanced] DPS celebrates test-score gains while tackling absences and worker pay

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Southpoint AccessWes Platt

Durham Public Schools leaders had plenty to celebrate Thursday night, including the district’s highest proficiency rate in more than a decade and its first year since 2014 without a school receiving an F performance grade.

But the Sept. 10 Durham Public Schools Board of Education work session also put two persistent challenges back in the spotlight: More than one-third of DPS students were chronically absent last year, and raising wages for the district’s lowest-paid employees could require an investment of more than $5 million.

The board didn’t vote on the academic, attendance, or pay presentations. District staff plan to return with more information about classified employee wages, while attendance data will be reviewed monthly by district leaders and reported to the school board quarterly.

Here’s what stood out from the meeting: