[Durham INC] Fwd: Escalating cost to move Durham School of the Arts, and its impacts

[Mimi Kessler]

Mimi Kessler
919-599-2892


---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: John Hodges-Copple <jhodgescopple at gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Mar 27, 2024 at 9:19 AM
Subject: Escalating cost to move Durham School of the Arts, and its impacts
To: <tlna-list at googlegroups.com>
CC: Matthew Kopac <mekopac at gmail.com>, Mimi Kessler <mimikessler1 at gmail.com>


  Hi INC members,

Thanks for letting me introduce the topic of the cost and impacts of DPS
plan to build a new DSA in north Durham at last night's INC meeting.  The
informal Durham for DSA group would like to make sure as many people as
possible are aware of this and that they can weigh in should they wish to,
so sharing the following with your neighborhoods would be appreciated.  We
believe a focused and phased improvement to the current campus could save
the school system $100 million and thus enable DPS to proceed with the
elementary school renovations that would otherwise be canceled -- Club,
Morehead, Bethesda and Mangum.  Feel free to reach out to me if you would
like more information.

Regards,

John Hodges-Copple   919-685-7495
jhodgescopple at gmail.com

"The future of The Durham School of the Arts (DSA) is an important question
for our school system and our community. *Durham for DSA* is building a
coalition of residents who want DPS to study the merits of improving DSA in
place versus moving the school to a new location in North Durham. We
believe that keeping this historic urban arts school in the heart of
downtown is the vastly superior option for Durham. It is more accessible to
all Durhamites, is a smarter use of our community's financial resources,
and protects us from the negative environmental and community health
impacts of further sprawl.

That's why we're asking you to SIGN ON TODAY
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfI2Jwvf5iyseynhWX5RVVpl8Yv0LRXpRYdEImG7uCO7jfQEQ/viewform?usp=sf_link>
 to a letter
<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QxnFtin87e-jRGBruhgjl1lLeDo5FZJl/edit> in
support of a focused, transparent and balanced comparison of benefits,
costs, and risks of moving DSA versus improving it in place. And share it
with your friends!

Despite what you may have heard, *moving DSA is not a foregone conclusion*.
While the Board of Education has released funds to develop designs for the
new site, the final decision on the future of DSA has not been made. Durham
for DSA is asking our Board of Education, DPS Administration, and other
decision makers to do what we believe should have been done in the first
place: engage all stakeholders – students, families, staff, neighbors,
other bond-funded schools – in a focused, transparent and balanced
comparison of benefits, costs, and risks of moving DSA versus improving it
in place.

While we believe that keeping DSA in place has always been the right
decision, it is more important than ever to seriously consider improving
the school at its current location. The cost of moving DSA had already
increased to $120 million over the original budget. Then the DPS classified
staff issue (with deserved pay increases) has put more pressure on the
budget. All this means that spending a quarter of a billion dollars on a
new DSA would contribute to the budget crunch, would leave four Tier 1
elementary schools without necessary improvements, and could crowd out
other important expenditures.

Fortunately, for equity in our schools, for our finances, and for our
health as a community, there is still time, and we believe there is a
better way: improve DSA at its current site.

Please have a look at this letter
<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QxnFtin87e-jRGBruhgjl1lLeDo5FZJl/edit>
that
captures some of the key points in question and asks the Board of Education
and DPS to pause the process for proper stakeholder engagement. Time is of
the essence. We want to collect signatures
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfI2Jwvf5iyseynhWX5RVVpl8Yv0LRXpRYdEImG7uCO7jfQEQ/viewform?usp=sf_link>
as
quickly as possible to show our school system leaders that this is an issue
that residents care about. We have 400 signatures so far and would love to
add yours."
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