Highlights about Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The Durham Public Schools Board of Education hears emotional testimony from Burton Elementary students, staff, and families urging continued visa sponsorship for international teachers, alongside concerns about missed McKinney-Vento transportation and special education protections. Board members then grapple with restraint and seclusion rules, child abuse reporting, and a major overhaul of the student code of conduct—aimed at reducing suspensions, strengthening restorative practices, and protecting students with disabilities—while also weighing OT staffing gaps, student mental health, and a proposal to use part of the Durham School of the Arts site for affordable housing.

The Springfield City Council confronts security concerns in the chamber, clashes over proposed limits on public comment, and emotional testimony about racism, selective rule enforcement, and police power. One alder also defends a controversial vote to bring supportive housing for unhoused residents to their ward despite neighborhood opposition.

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education hears from a former homebound student about isolation and inclusion, caregivers fighting to keep Glenwood open for its Chinese dual-language community, and Sewell families pressing for a fair and transparent school-closure process. Board members also weigh outsourcing custodial work, question per-pupil funding formulas, and probe how trailer classrooms shape future closure and redistricting decisions.

The Carrboro Town Council urges the governor to push Duke Energy toward renewable power, celebrates Creek Week and Transgender Day of Visibility, and reviews years of racial equity work. The council also hears concerns over a community center rental dispute and highlights resident-led Green Neighborhood Grant projects tackling flooding and extreme heat.