DPS Foundation confirms hiring, mum on role for Matt Sears
Magan Gonzales-Smith, the Executive Director of the privately-run DPS Foundation, has confirmed the hiring of Durham Public Schools Board Member Matt Sears but declined to comment on his role.
(Updated 2/4/2023: This story has been updated to include the number of staff at DPS Foundation. The original article mistakenly eliminated the line during a publishing review.)
In a story that appears to remain a BCPI exclusive, the privately-run Durham Public Schools Foundation has confirmed they have hired recently re-elected Durham Public Schools Board Member Matt Sears to serve as their Director of Partnerships. Mr. Sears announced his resignation from elected office on Tuesday afternoon in a story that has yet to be published by traditional local media outlets. This is the second sitting School Board member to be hired by the DPS Foundation following the June 2020 announcement that Xavier Cason would leave the DPS School Board for the DPS Foundation just two months after his re-election.
The DPS Foundation was founded in September 2018 with a $70,000 contribution from Durham Public Schools. Mr. Sears and Mr. Cason both served on the DPS Board at the time of that initial contribution. It is not uncommon for public school districts to have privately-run foundations or support organizations that can act as fundraisers, scholarship awarders and/or general supporters for a local school district. WakeEd Partnership was founded in 1983 and operates as a privately-run organization with six staff members in support of Wake County Public School System. Guilford Education Alliance, with a current staff of eight, was founded in 2002 and reported raising over $1.3-million in their most recent filing year with just over $400,000 in net assets—essentially cash or investments they had in reserve. In their most recent available IRS filings, the DPS Foundation reported raising over $3.5-million in their fiscal year ending June 2021 while indicating they were holding onto nearly $2.5-million in net assets at that time. (Updated: Mr. Sears would be the eleventh staff member at the DPS Foundation according to their online staff listing.) As an independent, privately-run 501(c)(3) organization, the DPS Foundation is required to submit an annual IRS Form 990, which becomes public record, but otherwise lacks direct accountability to the public for their activities. On the other hand, the Board of Education follows open meeting laws, is subject to public records laws and is composed of a publicly-elected Board of seven representatives.
Magan Gonzales-Smith, the Executive Director of the DPS Foundation, confirmed by email to BCPI that Mr. Sears applied for and was selected in a competitive process as the Director of Partnerships, a position she states was publicly advertised. A review of social media posts by the DPS Foundation revealed announcements for numerous job openings in the past but none for “Director of Partnerships” during the timeframe Ms. Gonzales-Smith identified the position was posted. Ms. Gonzales-Smith declined to respond to inquires about the specific role that Mr. Sears will have as the new Director of Partnerships and how his duties might be distinguished from the role of former Board Member Mr. Cason who is currently employed as the Director of Community Schools & School Partnerships.
Ms. Gonzales-Smith is no stranger to either Mr. Cason or Mr. Sears. She served on the Executive Committee of the People’s Alliance, a local political organization with an influential political action committee (PAC), from January 2015 through 2016 before serving as the President of the People’s Alliance throughout 2017 and 2018. Mr. Cason was endorsed by the People’s Alliance PAC in his 2016 and 2020 campaigns; Mr. Sears was endorsed by the People’s Alliance PAC in his 2014, 2018 and 2022 campaigns. Since 2010 every School Board candidate endorsed by the People’s Alliance PAC has won their election. Ms. Gonzales-Smith, in her maiden name, remains the sole Registered Agent of the People’s Alliance according to the organization’s filing with the North Carolina Secretary of State.
Additional School Board connections to the People’s Alliance presidency include current Consolidated District B Board Member Millicent Rogers, who served as the People’s Alliance co-President from January 2021 until her election to the School Board in May 2022, and Adam Beyer, the current People’s Alliance President and son of District 4 Board Member Natalie Beyer. Mr. Beyer had served as the co-President with Ms. Rogers from October 2021 until solely assuming the office when Ms. Rogers stepped down.
With Mr. Sears vacating the District 3 seat, among the next steps for the remaining six members of the Board of Education will be to appoint a replacement member. The appointee will be required to reside within School Board District 3. Durham County Board of Election officials confirmed that there will be a special election during the 2024 Primary to allow District 3 voters to duly elect their representative.
