Leads inter-departmental planning initiatives (Land Use, Transportation and Residential / Demographic) across DPS operations, academics, specialized and auxiliary services under the direction of the Executive Director of School Planning. Who We Are Planning for Schools and Communities in Durham, North Carolina involves managing, maintaining, and coordinating projects and data – providing data for decision-making and overseeing the development and implementation of DPS policy and practice. This position requires an individual that has extensive experience working in diverse work environments, with the ability to employ diplomacy, tact, and courtesy in all communications and interactions within the various departments in the school system as well as the external Durham community. School Planning at DPS includes planners, data analysts, strategists and creative problem solvers to identify and deploy systems level approaches to the interconnected areas of student assignment, school transportation and school nutrition / food systems. We work to understand the community and context of Durham, and plan with daily, lived experience of children in mind.
Student Enrollment Planning:
● Manage the development inventory and report mechanisms with Durham Planning Partners, including but not limited to Durham City/County Planning and Durham Housing Authority. Understand and operationalize the residential development into the DPS Annual and Long-Range Enrollment Projection.
● School Planning lead on the development, maintenance and operations of the integrated student enrollment and space utilization workbook.
● Lead administrator of the district’s street-level assignment database for use by district staff, parents, and members of the public. Crosschecks student assignment queries from staff and the public related to the street-level assignment database. Facility and Classroom Utilization:
● Manage DPS annual facility and classroom utilization based on enrollment, both projected and observed. Ensure that utilization is consistent with DPS design standards and educational specifications.
● Meets with principals, teachers, and department heads to study needs regarding program, space, and systems requirements for facility programming.
● Develops and annually updates a five-year facility space-programming plan.
● Member of K-3 Class Size Working Group and EC/PreK New Classroom Working Group. Long-Range Planning:
● Integrate development data into the long term locational and geographic needs of the school system at elementary, middle, high.
● Develops and implements district facility needs assessment reports, which outline building modifications/additions, mobile relocations necessary for the effective delivery of educational programs.
● On-going monitoring, management and planning of transportation and child nutrition outcomes associated with demographic, programmatic, and facility decisions. Transportation:
Liaison between DPS departmental administrators and committees and the Director of Transportation and Safety & Security – bringing together both the goals of the project and site- or topic-specific considerations for the operation and design of the school and surrounding community.
Leads the implementation of campus operational efficiency and safety enhancing projects, such as transportation improvements to pedestrian, passenger vehicle and school bus operations. Design & Construction:
Liaison between DPS departmental administrators and committees and the Director of Design & Construction – bringing together both the goals of the project and site- or topicspecific considerations for the design and construction of facility renovation or new construction projects.
Leads the implementation of campus operational efficiency and safety enhancing projects, such as food systems and distribution planning, and transportation improvements to pedestrian, passenger vehicle and school bus operations.
MINIMUM EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND REQUIREMENTS:
Master’s Degree in Public Policy, Urban Planning, Geography, Systems Planning & Administration or a related field and a minimum of 8+ years of related or comparable work experience in educational, institutional or commercial space planning; or any equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the required skills, knowledge, and abilities.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES (NOT REQUIRED / HIGHLY DESIRED):
● Ability to work within a cross disciplinary environment. ● Ability to work in an environment that is periodically “high pressure” with tight deadlines.
● Ability to exercise considerable independent judgment and initiative in independently performing assigned projects. ● Knowledge of operational and physical needs of a K-12 school environment.
● Knowledge of planning principles and practices including; demographic analysis, strategic organization planning, and the dynamics of community participation planning.
● Knowledge of the principles of organization, and administration; knowledge of system change and its connection to organizational relationships.
● A high level of proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite programs: Word, Power Point, and Excel. Experience with PDF software ADOBE and Bluebeam. Solid experience with graphics programs such as InDesign and Photoshop is preferred.
● Functional skill set in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Capacity to contribute to the development of the Durham Public Schools Student Enrollment Map, Boundary Lines, and the strategic location of programs and students.
● Skill in recognizing, analyzing, and providing solutions to difficult data processing problems.
● Ability to interpret and apply federal, state, local, and school system policies and regulations regarding planning and student assignment.