Durham Public Schools puts hiring freeze into effect

Durham Public Schools announced a hiring freeze effective through the rest of the 2024-2025 school year.
Posted 3/27/2025, 4:12:00 PM Updated 3/28/2025, 2:12:24 AM

APPEARANCE TOMORROW AFTERNOON.

CURRENTLY HAYNES, WRAL, NEWS

LIVE IN

ORANGE COUNTY.

>> THERE IS A HIRING FREEZE IN

THE DURHAM PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM

AFFECTED IMMEDIATELY. AND

THAT'S TO DO WITH MONEY.

THE BUREAU'S AARON THOMAS IS

LIVE OUTSIDE THE CENTRAL OFFICE

IN DURHAM TONIGHT. AARON, THE

SCHOOL DISTRICT IS ALREADY

FACING A 7 MILLION DOLLARS

SHORTFALL.

>> US WRITER AND IN FACT, WE

GOT A PRESENTATION OF THE BROAD

BRUSH THAT PROPOSAL JUST WITHIN

THE PAST 15 MINUTES OR SO.

SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE

SCHOOL DISTRICT IS ASKING FOR

ABOUT 222 MILLION DOLLARS TO

OPERATE IN THE UPCOMING SCHOOL

YEAR. THAT IS A MORE THAN

15 MILLION DOLLAR INCREASE IN

THE GOT THIS CURRENT SCHOOL

YEAR. OF COURSE, THEY HAVE A

LOT OF DIFFERENT FINANCIAL

CHALLENGES AS IT RELATES TO

FEDERAL FUNDING.

>> AS DURHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS

ANNOUNCES A DISTRICT-WIDE

HIRING FREEZE OVER FINANCIAL

UNCERTAINTY. EDUCATION

ADVOCATES ARE SOUNDING THE

ALARM ABOUT IMPACTS INSIDE

THE CLASSROOM.

>> JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT BILL

DOESN'T MEAN WE DON'T WE NEED

THEM TO THE KIDS OF DURHAM.

NEED THESE ADULTS IN THE

BUILDING.

>> SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER,

AMANDA GAUCHE, REFERRING TO

THE HUNDREDS OF OPENINGS IN

DPS. ALL POSITIONS WITH THE

EXCEPTION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION,

TRANSPORTATION AND THOSE

CRITICAL TO DISRUPT OPERATIONS

ARE IMPACTED BY THE HIRING

FREEZE THE DISTRICT, WORKING TO

GET AHEAD OF ANTICIPATED LOSS

OF FEDERAL FUNDING OVER THE

UNCERTAIN FUTURE OF THE

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

>> WHOSE RECEIVE ABOUT

43 MILLION DOLLARS OR 6% OF

OUR BUDGET. THE FUNDING FROM

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO DO IN

DURHAM, PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

>> THIS ANNOUNCEMENT COMES THE

SAME NIGHT. SUPERINTENDENT

ANTHONY LEWIS PRESENTED A

PROPOSED BUDGET TO OPERATE DPS

MORE THAN 222 MILLION DOLLAR

REQUEST AIMS TO FAIRLY

COMPENSATE TEACHERS WITH

MASTER'S DEGREES AND RECRUIT

BUS DRIVERS AMID A

TRANSPORTATION CRISIS. SOME

STAFF MEMBERS SAY THE BUDGET

PROPOSAL STILL FALL SHORT.

>> ARE YOU SEEING CLASSIFIED

FOLKS ARE GOING TO STAY FOR

THE PROMISE OF WHAT?

>> WELL, AS IT RELATES TO THIS

HIRING FREEZE, WE'RE TOLD THE

SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THIS IS

A TEMPORARY MEASURE. AS FOR

THIS PROPOSED BUDGET, THE

PUBLIC AND FAMILIES WILL HAVE A

CHANCE TO WEIGH IN FOR THIS IS

FINALLY PRESENTED. THE COUNTY