Durham Schools Delays Major Tech Purchase; Discusses Climate Plan and Board Retreat
The Durham Public Schools Board of Education delayed a major classroom technology purchase, refined its climate action and sustainability resolution—including solar priorities, student roles, and new reporting expectations—and set committee lineups and retreat plans to sharpen how the board governs and updates policy. 46mins
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Original Meeting
Thursday, August 13th, 2026
8260.267
#DPSCommunity | DPS Board of Education Monthly Work Session | 8/13/26
Video Notes
#DPSCommunity | DPS Board of Education Monthly Work Session | 8/13/26
In This Video
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Board Member Millicent Rogers acknowledged funding and authority limits around climate work, clarified that the sustainability resolution would not mandate specific projects or alter state-required instruction, and urged colleagues to include related goals in their legislative priority recommendations.
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Board Member Nadeen Bir sought clarification on how emission scopes, reporting cadence, youth involvement, and cost savings were defined in the climate action plan, prompting staff to explain the three tracking scopes and Board Member Rogers to emphasize keeping the monitoring framework flexible as standards evolve.
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Board Member Wendell Tabb asked whether the upcoming retreat should be self-facilitated or led by an outside facilitator, and, after Chair Harrell Goff suggested a board-led approach with administrative support, recommended using a facilitator to help guide the largely new board through its priority topics.
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Chair Harrell Goff described a vision for an early-year, board-directed retreat focused on aligning communication, governance tools, and strategies in partnership with the superintendent, and invited colleagues to weigh in on whether such a retreat and its potential outcomes would be a good use of time.
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Board Member Bir supported using external facilitation while also recognizing facilitation expertise within the board and community, expressed a desire for more learning on governance practices, and emphasized aligning retreat work with the strategic plan, policy, and state law while holding the board accountable to its own norms.
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Board Member Gabby Rivero confirmed board agreement on next steps for planning the retreat—including refining dates, drafting an agenda for later approval, and continuing to weigh use of an external facilitator—while Superintendent Lewis underscored the value of a facilitated retreat for building a high‑functioning governance team.
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Board Member Tabb questioned why the chair appeared to be appointing committee chairs rather than having committees choose their own leaders, and Chair Harrell Goff responded by citing inconsistencies between policy and past practice, clarifying that other committees had already selected their chairs and that the Legislative Steering Committee should similarly determine its own leadership and might not need a formal chair.
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Attorney Malone recommended that the Policy Committee consider converting several committees into standing committees and clarifying chair appointment rules, while Vice Chair Cason and Board Member Tabb emphasized the need for consistent policies so future committee leadership decisions would be structured and not ad hoc.
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Administration explained that, under the existing policy timeline, summer law-driven policy updates might not reach the board until November, and Board Member Rogers used the discussion to urge prioritizing state statute and North Carolina School Boards Association–driven policy work alongside community-requested items.
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Board Member Bir sought clarification on waiving the policy deadline so the Policy Committee could address overdue updates, noting members’ capacity to reroute items if needed, while Superintendent Lewis reminded the board of back‑to‑school demands before the motion to waive the policy passed unanimously.
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