Principal: Kesha Futrell 
Address:  401 North Driver Street

                Durham, NC 27703
Phone : (919) 560-9190
Office Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
School Hours: 9:20 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Enrollment: Maximum of 200 students

Helping Students Succeed at DPLC

The Durham Performance Learning Center is one of three alternative schools within Durham Public Schools. DPLC is a high school with a focus on enrolling and supporting students who have not been successful in their previous schools. Students who have struggled with academics, attendance, and motivation or who are looking for a different environment or approach are encouraged to apply to DPLC. Our small class sizes, flexible scheduling, individualized academic interventions, social/emotional learning support, and post-secondary planning activities allow students to re-connect with school and help them get back on-track towards graduation. At DPLC, we create a family-like culture where we build genuine relationships with our students and each other and are creative in our approach to meeting the needs of our students. DPLC is a small school with a capacity of 200 students. 

We enroll new students at the start of each semester, and we can accept students after they have completed their first year of high school. To be considered, students must have taken at least English I and Math I (preferably Earth/Environmental Science and World History as well) at their prior school and have no major disciplinary infractions. In addition, we do not offer the Occupational Course of Study nor ELL sheltered classes or ELL electives. Our focus is to help our students meet the minimum requirements for graduation as quickly as possible. Therefore, we only offer standard-level courses, limited elective choices, and no after-school athletics or activities. However, eligible students may participate in athletics/activities at their base high school and pursue advanced academic coursework through DPS e-learning and community college partnerships.  

Interested students and their families must complete an application via our homepage. Our enrollment team will review the student's academic, attendance, and discipline records to make an enrollment decision. Accepted students and their parent/guardian must attend an orientation prior to enrollment. 

DPLC Background

Performance Learning Centers® (PLCs) were developed by Communities In Schools of Georgia, and the first PLC began serving students during the 2002-2003 school year. Today, there are PLCs in Georgia, Arizona, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Washington and Virginia thanks to investments from school districts. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Walmart Foundation, the Nicholson Foundation and others.  Communities In Schools of Durham collaborated with Durham Public Schools to open the Durham PLC in 2007-08.

DPLC Creed

We believe that anyone who has an active desire to change his/her circumstances deserves the opportunity to work toward that goal.

We believe that knowledge and success stem from a quality, personal education, the courage to face our fears, our failures, and our past and move beyond them, the ability to see a new path when the one we’re travelling compromises who we are and how we see ourselves, and a resilience that finds us firmly on our feet when we stumble along the way.

We believe that the lessons we learn here are for us in part, but for others on the whole.

We believe that anything worth having should be difficult to get.

We believe that positive contributions to our community and school will only breathe more life into all the things we will accomplish.

We believe that our experiences do not dictate who we are or who we will become.

We believe that it is our right to strive for the greatness we know we can achieve.

We believe that the sky is the limit.