The Durham school board forged ahead with its plan to build a new Durham School of the Arts despite months of community debate. At a meeting Thursday, the board did not discuss the issue further and simply passed it unanimously as part of a consent agenda.
An analysis by The 9th Street Journal published before the meeting found the new DSA is on track to be the most expensive public middle or high school built in the Triangle area and likely the state. The board didn’t discuss 9th Street’s analysis nor any further details.
The new DSA has been the subject of much school board debate for over three years.
In 2021, a DPS consultant’s assessment determined that the current DSA campus did not meet the requirements for a school of the arts. The district then began developing a plan to relocate the current campus from its downtown location to a site a few miles north on Duke Homestead Road.
At a base price of $241 million, or $256 million with additional items such as athletic fields, the new DSA costs about $643 per square foot. The price dwarfs other school projects in The 9th Street Journal’s analysis.
The district has defended the high price tag.
“Construction continues to become increasingly expensive due to market conditions and current construction inflation,” Fredrick Davis, senior executive director of building services, said through a spokesman in an email response to The 9th Street Journal about our recent findings.
The original estimate for DSA was less than half of the current amount.
In 2022, voters passed a $423.5 million bond referendum, which included funding for DSA alongside seven other building projects in Durham. With the new DSA now requiring over $241 million — double an earlier estimate of $120 million — renovation projects have been postponed at several elementary schools.
During the public comment section before the vote, speakers made a final plea to the board to reconsider the new construction. They emphasized the high cost (one speaker waved a copy of the 9th Street Journal article) and the significance of the downtown location.
“Being downtown is what makes DSA, DSA,” said Lucia Harrington, a rising junior at DSA. “Ask any student at DSA, and they will tell you more and more ways they value being downtown,” Harrington continued.
John Hodges-Copple, a retired planning director and member of the group Durham for DSA, said that the board could still change course.
“It’s not too late to pivot and save that $50 million,” Hodges-Copple said.
Hodges-Copple is a member of Durham for DSA, a group that has countered the district with a $180 million community option to renovate the current site — more than $50 million less than the current plan.
Interim Superintendent Catty Moore said during an Aug 8. meeting that the community option does not meet the programming needs or the appropriate timeline for a new DSA.
Also during public comment, speaker Julia Borbely-Brown said that she does not believe DPS’ processes have been in accordance with North Carolina law.
“A letter was sent to you today by an attorney, and I hope that you will take to heart what was pointed out in that letter and not expend any additional funds on the new DSA project until you are in compliance with state law,” Borbely-Brown told the board.
The district denied this claim.
Rod Malone, the board’s attorney, said the board was “fully in compliance” with the law.
Matt Kopac, a member of Durham for DSA, said, “It’s not just about one school or a punch list. It’s about history, the mission of the school, sustainability, livability, accessibility, and a sense of place. We don’t believe school buildings are just walls and ceilings, and we believe these decisions have bigger implications and therefore demand a higher standard in how they are approached.”
