To members of our Bull City Community who are divided and hurting:

On March 2, 2021, we watched as the Durham Board of Education convened to make a decision on the reopening date of Durham Public Schools. In March of 2020, we watched as Durham Public Schools did everything in their power to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our Durham community. It is clear that the safety and well-being of all is no longer a top priority.

The following is public comment the People's Alliance Education Action Team submitted to the Durham Public Schools (DPS) Board of Education regarding the district's decision last Thursday to reopen public schools for in-person instruction.

The People’s Alliance Education Action Team urges the Durham School Board to adapt a few key elements of its recent decision to reopen public schools for face-to-face instruction in March.  

Over recent months, People's Alliance action team members have worked together with the PA Board of Directors and community partners to create a set of budget recommendations for Durham City and Durham County's coming fiscal year. Our members work towards our vision of a just, equitable, and inclusive community where all people thrive in several interconnected areas — economic justice, education, housing, environmental justice, and race equity. These funding priorities offer a way for the city and county to address multiple issues at once as part of a just COVID-19 recovery.