Today, we’re talking about a proposal that’s back on the table in Durham Public Schools — and one that is likely to get a lot of attention from families ahead of the school board’s April 9 work session.

DPS is again considering a shift to what it calls an express-stop transportation model for secondary magnet students.

Here’s the basic idea: instead of neighborhood bus stops, students would be picked up and dropped off at centralized hubs — mostly existing DPS campuses and other district sites.

Under the current plan, the first phase would begin in the 2026-27 school year and affect students at Durham School of the Arts and Brogden Middle School. Then, in 2027-28, the district would expand the model to other secondary magnet programs.

District documents say about 770 students and families would be affected in that first year.

Now, if this sounds familiar, that’s because it is.

A version of this proposal came up before, and when it did, many families pushed back hard. Parents and students said the model would make transportation less accessible, especially for families with rigid work schedules, multiple children, or limited access to a car.

And that basic tension is still here.

That, plus a look at April 9's Local News Day event! You can join me at the Southwest Regional Library branch at 3605 Shannon Rd. from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. to talk about what's important in local news.