At a heated work session on Thursday, the Durham School Board debated hiring the Florida‑based consulting firm MGT Impact Solutions to conduct a “rightsizing and consolidation” study. The proposed contract, valued at $474,405 and slated to take ten months, sparked strong opposition from parents, teachers and local education advocates.
Parents and teachers voice concerns
Simone Fine, a Hull Elementary parent, former Durham Public Schools teacher and member of the advocacy group Durham Public Schools Strong, warned that the contract could set the district on a path to school closures. “A consultant hired to ‘rightsize’ the district isn’t neutral,” she said.
Other community members echoed her concerns. Mika Tweitmeyer, president of the Durham Association of Educators, called the firm’s involvement “extremely dangerous” because of its history of recommending school closures. “Any decision that will increase staff turnover or layoffs will directly harm our students and must be avoided,” she urged, urging a vote against the MGT contract.
Board action and next steps
After a series of testy exchanges and failed motions, the board voted 4‑2 to table the discussion and request a revised contract that would split the study into phases and include a termination clause. Board member Xavier Cason was absent. The revised contract will be reviewed at the next meeting on November 19.
District attorney Rod Malone suggested a phased approach with separate dollar amounts for each stage, adding that the contract could include a provision allowing the board to walk away if the terms become unacceptable.
Administration’s rationale
Superintendent Anthony Lewis defended the study, saying it is essential for preparing a capital improvement plan ahead of the 2028 bond referendum. He highlighted the district’s aging facilities and nearly $1 billion in needed maintenance repairs, noting that a thorough analysis is a responsible stewardship of taxpayers’ dollars.
Director of school planning Devan Mitchell echoed the need for data, emphasizing that understanding the district’s current situation is a prerequisite to any future decisions about school closures or consolidations.
Concerns about the consultant
MGT Impact Solutions has a track record of recommending school closures, most notably a December proposal to close or consolidate 13 of 85 schools in Cumberland County, which faced vocal opposition from local parents and educators.
The firm’s CEO, Trey Traviesa, is a former Florida state representative and a Republican who chairs IDEA Public Schools Florida, a network of tuition‑free charter schools. He also serves on the board of the Foundation for Florida’s Future, an organization that promotes charter and private school choice programs.
Community response
Members of Durham Association of Educators, Durham Public Schools Strong and Durham for All attended the meeting in force to condemn both the study’s premise and the consulting firm. School board member Natalie Kitaif, endorsed by the Durham Association of Educators earlier this year, questioned the need for an external firm, likening the process to taking a car to a mechanic who might find something to fix.
Board member Milicent Rogers cautioned that approving a study does not authorize school closures, but also warned that refusing to study the district’s circumstances would leave existing inequities unaddressed.
Looking ahead
The Durham School Board will reconvene on November 19 to consider the revised, phased contract with MGT Impact Solutions. Parents and educators plan to continue monitoring the process and advocating for transparent, community‑driven solutions to the district’s aging infrastructure and financial challenges.
Original reporting: The 9th Street Journal (Durham) — read the source article.
