#DPSCommunity | DPS Board of Education Monthly Work Session | 11/5/26

Durham Public Schools Board of Education monthly work session, November 5, 2026: The board considered an administration-recommended contract with MGT for a right-sizing and facilities consolidation study, following earlier facilities assessments that identified about $965 million in repair and replacement needs and an average school building age of 65 years. The proposed study was discussed as costing roughly $400,000 to $500,000 and as informing a potential 2028 bond plan. Board members and public speakers raised concerns about the study’s cost, the consultant’s leadership and charter-school associations, community engagement, and whether the scope implied school closures. The board did not approve the MGT contract. A motion to reject the contractor and issue a revised RFP did not pass, and a motion to negotiate a revised contract with MGT and return it for board action on November 19 also failed for lack of a majority. A separate motion directing administration to seek a consultant to study the impact of the Growing Together initiative on enrollment and the community passed 4–2; no vendor or budget was specified for that work.

Other discussion included a presentation on school resource officers, a financial-transparency update, McKinney-Vento student supports, school improvement plans, and a proposed student listening initiative. The board approved the National Homeless Children and Youth Awareness Month proclamation. Members also discussed potential amendments to the NCSBA legislative agenda, including school-safety funding and state funding for any new requirements; no procurement award was identified in that discussion.