Under the 1982 U.S. Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe, it is unconstitutional to deny the benefits of public education to undocumented students. Durham Public Schools believes all children are equally deserving of a sound basic education and does not ask families for their immigration status or record that information in student records.

The shortfall amounts to about 1% of the district’s overall budget. DPS's new CFO says it's due to factors like charter school growth, cafeteria and utility costs, and positions that the district didn't sufficiently budget for.