BLUEPRINT FOR GROWTH

New school construction, school renovations expand the district

here students learn is just as critical as what they learn. That’s why Durham Public Schools leaders are executing robust improvements across the county, building new schools and renovating existing ones.

The capital improvement program is regularly updated to reflect new school construction, building renovations, and system-wide improvements to ensure that our schools and facilities are worthy of the students, educators, and staff members DPS serves. The capital program is supported by multiple sources including county bonds, state funding, and the annual operating budget.

“Learning environments are critical to student success,” says Fredrick Davis, senior executive director of building services. “These new structures and renovated facilities will foster rich experiences for students and our students are most deserving.”

The planned expansions and renovations will address overcrowding concerns and eliminate the use of mobile classrooms by adding square footage to existing structures. The renovations also address needed upgrades to operational systems to allow for greater safety and efficiency in our schools. The completion of the renovations will add 32 new K-5 classrooms and 16 new Pre-K and exceptional child separate setting classrooms each.

On July 11, 2022, the Durham County Board of

Commissioners placed education bond referenda on the November 8 ballot to support Durham Public Schools as well as Durham Technical Community College and the Museum of Life and Science. The general obligation bonds for DPS would fund $423,505,000 of the ten-year plan.

The ten-year plan includes, in priority order:

• New schools (already funded and either open or under construction): Lyons Farm Elementary opened in August 2022, and Northern High School opened in September 2023

• New schools: Murray-Massenburg Elementary is slated to open in the fall of 2024; Durham School of the Arts is scheduled to welcome students in 2026

• Comprehensive renovations: Bethesda Elementary, Club Blvd. Elementary, Glenn Elementary, Holt Elementary, Mangum Elementary, and Morehead Elementary to provide additional permanent classroom seats for students to support the Growing Together initiative

• New school: C.E. Jordan High

• Comprehensive renovations: Eastway Elementary, Fayetteville St. Elementary, Hope Valley Elementary, Lakewood Elementary, Oak Grove Elementary, Parkwood Elementary, Pearsontown Elementary, and E.K. Powe Elementary

• Other renovations and system-wide improvements include: high school theater renovations kitchen renovations refitting the current Durham School of the Arts campus for Durham School of Technology, Ignite! Online Academy, and central administrative office space · refitting the current Northern High campus as a career and technical education training center renovations to administrative buildings

As of fall 2022, the current projected cost of the ten-year prioritized capital improvement program was $944,488,572. Due to inflation and market conditions, the program cost is periodically reviewed and revised.

Blueprint For Growth

Solar Power At Lyons Farm

Durham Public Schools hosted a “solarbration” at Lyons Farm Elementary School in May 2023 to celebrate the district’s first large-scale solar PV system, which not only generates clean energy for the school but impacts the education students will receive.

“Students will be able to interact with live generation data concepts that they learn about in their science classes,” says Aaron Hope, DPS Energy Manager.

Fredrick Davis, senior executive director of Building Services, adds that the panels represent a part of the district’s operational services construction and design objectives.

As the lead learner for Lyons Farm Elementary, Principal James Hopkins infuses teachable moments into everything, and the solar panels will be no exception. The panels demonstrate this district’s commitment to energy- and cost-savings, complement a teacher’s repertoire of lesson plans associated with a S.T.E.M. discipline, and represent historical significance, says Hopkins.

“This is a classic 21st century school move. We have a STEM explorations lab so my science teacher will jump all over this. I’m sure she’ll design projects with our third, fourth and fifth graders around STEM,” says Hopkins. “This is like a dream.”

Known for high expectations, Hopkins says the solar panels will be a point of discussion in classrooms.

“This is your dream to be able to use this type of technology in the classroom to make sure students understand why there is this move ... toward solar power. We’ll have all types of questions from kids.”

Hopkins says he envisions a kiosk or display in the school that will provide information on the amounts of power the panels are generating. The students will be trained as docents to speak about it with visitors as well.

“This intersects with exploration and growth,” says Hopkins of two of the school’s five core values (exploration, joy, rigor, justice, and growth.)

The intersectionality of core values and history is just as exciting, he says. There is historical significance in having solar panels on the property. Family patriarch James Lyon told Hopkins the story of working the farm and requesting power lines on the property. Duke Power turned them down, citing lack of infrastructure. So, the family dug easements on Scott King Road.

“This idea of solar power was only possible because this family dug the initial power lines in the 1940s and 1950s. The impact is astounding,” says Hopkins.