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  "description": "Plus, what's ahead for the Durham Planning Commission? And did you catch the Office Hours interview with author and veteran game designer Richard Dansky?",
  "path": "/the-demise-of-leandro-raises-more-concerns-about-durham-school-funding/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-04T12:22:36.000Z",
  "site": "https://soduwelikelocal.news",
  "tags": [
    "Sustainability Math: Funding South Durham Neighborhood NewsTo cover schools, growth, and local government with consistency, Southpoint Access needs more than subscriptions and sponsors - we need community philanthropy to bridge the early-years gap.Southpoint AccessWes Platt",
    "decision to vacate Leandro",
    "Leandro ruling leaves DPS looking to RaleighAfter three decades in court, Leandro no longer offers Durham schools a legal backstop for broader state investment - and that shifts even more pressure onto lawmakers in Raleigh and local budget-makers in Durham.Southpoint AccessWes Platt",
    "Durham School Board Fires Deputy SuperintendentDismissal letter cites a child abuse investigation, unauthorized actions, and communication failures as justifications for firing Dr. Tanya Giovanni.Southpoint AccessWes Platt",
    "Durham Planning Commission: UDO, Rocky Branch, FY27 planDurham planning commissioners will review a proposed FY27 work plan that keeps the stalled UDO rewrite alive while also weighing a 225-home Virgil Road rezoning with implications for traffic, schools, and South Durham growth.Southpoint AccessWes Platt",
    "Office Hours: Richard Dansky, Ghosts of Smoke and FlameThe local author joined me to talk about his new horror-comedy novel, why angels and demons made sense for this story, and what the collapse of studios like Red Storm says about the state of video games right now.Southpoint AccessWes Platt",
    "Nerdspresso: Thanks Jeff Stanford for 20 EpisodesTwenty episodes in, Nerdspresso Phase II has become a lively home for fandom, pop culture, and thoughtful nerd talk at Southpoint Access.Southpoint AccessWes Platt",
    "SoDu Sold: Home Sales Tracker - April 2026Get the lowdown on homes sold in the Southpoint Access readership area during the past 30 days.Southpoint AccessWes Platt",
    "SoDu Shopping Basket: Aldi Edges Walmart for Lowest TotalAldi leads at $50.86, just ahead of Walmart ($51.96), while Fresh Market tops $89.73 - a $38.87 gap for the same 17 staples.Southpoint AccessSouthpoint Access",
    "Durham Obituaries – March 31, 2026 | Southpoint AccessHonoring lives recently lost in the Durham community, with upcoming services and remembrances.Southpoint AccessSouthpoint Access",
    "⁠⁠⁠",
    "Threads",
    "Instagram",
    "⁠⁠⁠our Discord community⁠⁠⁠",
    "the Southpoint Access subreddit"
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  "textContent": "Sustainability Math: Funding South Durham Neighborhood NewsTo cover schools, growth, and local government with consistency, Southpoint Access needs more than subscriptions and sponsors - we need community philanthropy to bridge the early-years gap.Southpoint AccessWes Platt\n\nBettina Umstead, chair of the Durham Public Schools Board of Education, on Friday issued a statement on behalf of the district about the N.C. Supreme Court's decision to vacate Leandro, the case that gave schools a lever to use the courts to pressure legislators to properly fund education in North Carolina.\n\nUmstead called the ruling \"disappointing\" and warned that it would inflict \"irreparable harm to our public schools.\"\n\n\"Durham families feel this when HVAC systems stop working, when educators advocate for increased salaries that are not keeping up with inflation, and when we stretch the budget to provide the arts, global languages, and additional supports our students need,\" she wrote.\n\nThe Leandro Plan, if funded, could have provided about $70 million to DPS for instructional assistants, counselors, social workers, and more. It would've meant about $36 million for early childhood education, opening 710 more slots for children in pre-K.\n\n\"Any person connected to public schools can tell you about how great the need for increased funding for public schools. The state has not met their constitutional duty and it falls on local school districts to fill in the gaps,\" Umstead wrote. \"The impact of the lack of state funding for public education is already felt as school districts navigate tough budget seasons with discussions of personnel cuts and school closures. This news is disheartening and impacts every community in North Carolina. Durham’s children deserve a fully funded public education system. North Carolina’s children deserve a fully funded public education system. Our children deserve so much better.\"\n\nWhat are your thoughts on the Leandro decision and its impact on Durham schools? Reply to this email and let me know.\n\nWes Platt\nNeighborhood News Guy\n\n## News from the Neighborhood\n\nLeandro ruling leaves DPS looking to RaleighAfter three decades in court, Leandro no longer offers Durham schools a legal backstop for broader state investment - and that shifts even more pressure onto lawmakers in Raleigh and local budget-makers in Durham.Southpoint AccessWes PlattDurham School Board Fires Deputy SuperintendentDismissal letter cites a child abuse investigation, unauthorized actions, and communication failures as justifications for firing Dr. Tanya Giovanni.Southpoint AccessWes PlattDurham Planning Commission: UDO, Rocky Branch, FY27 planDurham planning commissioners will review a proposed FY27 work plan that keeps the stalled UDO rewrite alive while also weighing a 225-home Virgil Road rezoning with implications for traffic, schools, and South Durham growth.Southpoint AccessWes PlattOffice Hours: Richard Dansky, Ghosts of Smoke and FlameThe local author joined me to talk about his new horror-comedy novel, why angels and demons made sense for this story, and what the collapse of studios like Red Storm says about the state of video games right now.Southpoint AccessWes PlattNerdspresso: Thanks Jeff Stanford for 20 EpisodesTwenty episodes in, Nerdspresso Phase II has become a lively home for fandom, pop culture, and thoughtful nerd talk at Southpoint Access.Southpoint AccessWes PlattSoDu Sold: Home Sales Tracker - April 2026Get the lowdown on homes sold in the Southpoint Access readership area during the past 30 days.Southpoint AccessWes PlattSoDu Shopping Basket: Aldi Edges Walmart for Lowest TotalAldi leads at $50.86, just ahead of Walmart ($51.96), while Fresh Market tops $89.73 - a $38.87 gap for the same 17 staples.Southpoint AccessSouthpoint AccessDurham Obituaries – March 31, 2026 | Southpoint AccessHonoring lives recently lost in the Durham community, with upcoming services and remembrances.Southpoint AccessSouthpoint Access\n\n## **Get Connected**\n\n  * Send email to ⁠⁠⁠your neighborhood news guy: **wes.platt@southpointaccess.news**\n  * Follow on ⁠⁠⁠Threads**.**\n  * Connect on**** Instagram**!**\n  * Join**** ⁠⁠⁠our Discord community⁠⁠⁠\n  * Join the Southpoint Access subreddit!\n\n\n\n## 🤝 **Support Our Sponsors**\n\nLocal journalism in **South Durham** survives thanks to the generous businesses and organizations that make this work possible. 🧭\n\n💛 **Shop local. Hire local. Support those who support Southpoint Access.**",
  "title": "The Demise of Leandro Raises More Concerns About Durham School Funding",
  "updatedAt": "2026-04-04T12:22:37.284Z"
}