As staff pay debate intensifies, Durham educators to host 'Living Wage' town hall
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- A promised pay raise for Durham Public Schools employees may not happen after a proposed county budget released this week did not include funding for the increase.
School workers had anticipated a 12% raise approved by the school board, but the omission has left employees urging county leaders to find the money. On Thursday, a large group gathered at a Durham church, asking county commissioners to address the shortfall.
"We had to struggle to pay our bills, struggling to buy gas, struggle to buy food," one custodian said.
The debate comes as North Carolina teacher salaries continue to lag more than 25% behind the national average, according to the North Carolina Association of Educators.
"We went from a profession where I couldn't get a job, to one where we have nearly 7,000 teaching vacancies in the state right now," NCAE vice president Bryan Proffitt said. "The 8% number is incredibly misleading, because it's supposed to be part of a budget that was passed over a year ago, yet there is no back pay."
Those who attended described themselves as essential to keeping the school system running but said rising costs have made it increasingly difficult to get by.
"You're not paying me enough to pay for $5 a gallon gas. I'm not able to apply for public assistance, but I still need to afford groceries," another speaker said.
The district's minimum wage is $17.15 per hour. A 12% increase would raise it to $19.22. Without county funding, however, that increase may not materialize.
"After years of service, I should be able to retire in two years. But honestly, I'm no longer sure if retirement would be possible for me," said Carolyn Eubanks.
The town hall at NorthStar Church of the Arts.was organized by the Durham Association of Educators (DAE) and highlighted workers' financial struggles. Retha Daniel-Ruth, a bus driver with 32 years in the district, said her commitment to the job has outweighed the pay.
"The money has not kept me here. It's just the love of my job," she said.
Daniel-Ruth said she works three jobs to make ends meet.
"When I looked at my finances, I'm not even making enough to have a savings account to save towards. So, I have to work," she said.
Durham County Commissioners Nida Allam and Stephen Valentine attended the meeting and listened to employees' concerns. Valentine said he would review the proposed budget but did not commit to specific funding changes.
"I'm not going to commit to any numbers here tonight, obviously. But what I will commit to is taking a hard look at our proposed budget from the county manager that was released several days ago to see what we can do," Valentine said.
He noted the budget challenges facing the county.
"Property tax revenues are down; sales tax revenues are down. And of course, you know, a number of years ago, occupancy tax here in Durham County went away, and went away completely. So that money is dwindling down to nothing," he said.
Mika Twietmeyer, president of the Durham Association of Educators, warned that failing to increase wages could affect staffing.
"With inflation rising, the cost of living increasing, and gas prices going up, that folks are going to have to make a decision whether or not to stay working in Durham Public Schools," Twietmeyer said.
County leaders challenged the school district to identify additional funding to help close the gap. The next opportunity for public input on the budget is a hearing scheduled for May 26.
The debate comes as a new state budget proposal was announced, which includes an 8% raise for teachers, and a 3% average raise for state employees, including classified workers. Critics argue the increase is insufficient.
