Working Together to Make Fiscally Sound Choices for Student Success
Fiscal responsibility with taxpayer dollars has always been paramount for Durham Public Schools, but it is now more crucial than ever. DPS is committed to serving all families who seek to ensure that their students are equipped to create the best possible futures for themselves. But we face mounting financial challenges in the face of limited resources. We have more to do and less with which to do it.
We are inviting DPS families and the broader Durham community to assist us in making the important decisions around how we will fund our work. Preparation for the 2026-27 budget is already underway. As always, DPS aims to ensure that our community is well informed about the process. And we invite you to be meaningfully involved at every step.
DPS will once again solicit community input around 2026-27 budget planning with our second annual “Dollars and Decisions” endeavor. We launched Dollars and Decisions last year, and the community responded enthusiastically. Thousands of you weighed in one way or another, and your involvement was instrumental in making the budget process transparent and successful, so we decided to bring it back this year!
Dollars and Decisions is a two-way communication and information tool between DPS and our community that offers clear and easily understandable overviews of the budget development process. This includes straightforward explanations of all DPS funding streams (including your taxpayer dollars) and how we apply those dollars to serve our students, families, and community. It also includes many opportunities - both online and in person - for our families and community supporters to provide input to the budget development process.
The main focus of budget planning is, of course, our students. While deciding where our money is spent, the safety, well-being, and learning achievement of our students is always front and center. Ensuring their success is our investment for a strong and bright future not only for them as individuals, but for our community as a whole.
Budget Priorities for 2026-27
Dr. Anthony Lewis, DPS Superintendent, announced his priorities for the 2026-27 budget in the Dec. 11 DPS Board of Education Work Session. Following is a brief list of considerations as proposed by Dr. Lewis:
Continuation Costs - These include ongoing operational expenses. Considerations for continuation costs in the coming year include allowing for potential employee raises, making up for potential federal and Medicaid funding losses, and meeting the rising costs of health insurance and utilities.
Classified Employee Pay Raises - To properly align the “step and grade” payment schedule for employees who are not certified as teachers, especially for occupational and physical therapists.
Capital Outlay Needs - Capital Outlay funds support buildings, infrastructure and equipment. For the 2026-27 school year, capital outlay needs include an upgrade in technology, specifically new laptops for students and new interactive boards for classrooms.
Dr. Lewis received approximately $14 million in requests for expansion items from all functional areas. These will also be considered for inclusion in the 2026-27 budget.
You Are Invited! Please Join Us.
It is vitally important that as many of those we serve as possible take part in ensuring that DPS provides the very best educational opportunities for our students with the resources available to us. We welcome your input around spending priorities. It is invaluable to us as we proceed with making decisions that will affect our students and employees not only in 2026-27 but for years to come.
Here’s how you can contribute:
Today, we will open a new ThoughtExchange that offers the public the opportunity to share with us their thoughts on how the school district should spend its funding. This input will be collected and distributed to key school leaders and the Board of Education for consideration in preparing the budget. The 2026-27 budget Thought Exchange will close on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.
Public hearings with the DPS Board of Education, in which families and the community will be allowed to address the Board with suggestions and concerns about the budget. These will be announced soon.
Consistent and fluid communication. DPS intends to keep you fully informed with regular updates about the budget process and how we continue to value your input. We also encourage you to use the traditional forms of communication by contacting your school, district officials, or Board of Education members (boe@dpsnc.net) with ideas and concerns.
2026-27 Budget Preparation Timeline
Following are pertinent dates for you to note as we work together to develop the 2026-27 school year budget:
Thursday, Dec. 18: DPS opens a new ThoughtExchange for the public to contribute their thoughts on what priorities should be considered in developing the 2026-27 budget.
Thursday, Jan. 8: A “Meet and Confer” session will be held with the Durham Association of Educators at a location to be announced.
Friday, Jan. 9: Thought Exchange closes.
Tuesday, Jan. 13: The Superintendent’s Advisory Council and Parent Ambassadors will meet to discuss budget priorities.
Thursday, Jan. 15: The DPS Board of Education will hold a work session to discuss budget feedback that they have received thus far.
Thursday, Jan. 22: A second Meet and Confer session with the DAE will be held at a location to be announced.
Thursday, Jan. 29: The first draft of the Superintendent’s Recommended Budget for 2026-27 will be released to the public.
February: A Budget Town Hall Meeting will be held at a date, time, and location to be announced.
Wednesday, Feb. 11: This is a tentative date that is being held for the possibility of a public hearing on the Superintendent’s Recommended Budget. DPS will announce the confirmed date soon.
Thursday, March 12: The target date for presenting the Board of Education’s final budget request to the Durham County Commissioners.