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Durham Public Schools has been awarded a Department of Education grant that will provide $11.4 million over five years to support some of the most significant budgetary items for the Growing Together Plan.
The grant proposal was developed in collaboration with the Growing Together Team, leaders of the funded schools, and district leaders in multiple departments, to include Career and Technical Education (CTE), Arts, Curriculum & Instruction, and Operations.
Specifically the plan provides the following:
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Funding to strengthen the Sustainability Theme at Southern School of Energy and Sustainability with an intent to improve academic outcomes and increase enrollment.
“One exciting part of the plan is converting the automotive program to electrical and allowing students to take courses focused on electric vehicles,” said Magnet Schools Coordinator Dr. Rita Rathbone, the author of the grant application.
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Funding to support the revision of the magnet theme at The School for Creative Studies and build a program more comparable to Rogers-Herr as a regional year-round option. The intent is to improve academic outcomes, increase enrollment, and reduce overcrowding at Neal Middle School.
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Strategic efforts to increase racial diversity among both students and staff at all DPS Montessori schools.
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Additional specialized training for Exceptional Children’s (EC) teachers to increase access to Montessori instruction for EC students in all Montessori schools.
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The funding needed to secure the remainder of the training and materials cost to fully furnish all classrooms as Montessori classrooms at Little River Elementary.
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The funding needed to support the transition of Lucas Middle School to a Montessori school and to support collaboration with Lakewood Montessori Middle School. This includes staff training, instructional materials, and outdoor learning spaces at the school.
“This grant is quite a boost to our overall efforts to promote and increase diversity and access across our district,” said Dr. Anthony Lewis, DPS Superintendent. “With equity as our core value, it is crucial not only that we design and administer quality programming but ensure that all students, regardless of their residency, have access to the great schools that their parents and families choose for them.”
DPS has also been invited to apply to the 2025 grant cycle to secure funding to strengthen the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at both Shepard Middle School and Hillside High School and to support the district’s Dual Language Immersion magnet programs.
The DOE noted: “Especially in this auspicious year in which we are acknowledging the 70th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court Decision of Brown v. Board of Education, we appreciate the effort it took to complete your application for the fiscal year (FY) 2024 MSAP grant competition, your patience in awaiting the completion of our full application review, and most importantly, your work to come on behalf of the students and families of Durham Public Schools.
Seventy years ago, our country made a promise that this would be a nation where students of all races and backgrounds could learn together in the same classrooms and the same schools and acknowledged that education is “a right which must be made available to all on equal terms.” We know that in many parts of this country, there is still much work needed to meet Brown’s full promise. Your application demonstrates commitment to taking some of these key steps, implementing innovative methods and practices that both attract a diverse student body and provide all students with equitable access to engaging and rigorous learning opportunities. We are so pleased to be working with you to achieve these goals.”
