As school bells rang for the first time in the 2009-2010 school year, Durham Public School administrators said enrollment could be up slightly across the district.

"We are anticipating close to 33,000 kids," said Dr. Carl Harris, Superintendent of Durham Public Schools. "We'll have to see how our enrollment numbers come in over the next 5 days how our enrollment balances out."

The headline in Durham on Tuesday: new bus routes.

"Our consolidated stops are basically our attempt to move stops that are very close together to a more centralized stop," Harris said. "What we've done in doing this is make sure that we don't have any safety issues that we feel that are there for kids and their families."

Schools in Durham started the school year with leaner budget. According to the Durham Public Schools Central Office, the overall state cut for the system was $17.8 million. But federal stimulus funds reduced that to $9.8 million.

"We have fewer resources this year to do the work that we must do but we are committed to doing this job and doing this job as well as we can," Harris said. "So we're going to take the resources we have, do the very best we can do with them and I'm not quite sure whether this is the end. We certainly hope we face no additional cuts this year but that is to be seen."

NBC 17 has requested the total number of positions eliminated in DPS because of the cutbacks. A release on the system website said:

"Most of the teacher position cuts that are to be made have been. We now must wait and see the number of students who arrive and will make any adjustments as necessary."
It also spells out more about the state cuts:

• 100 percent of staff development funds, middle school Literacy coaches, and remediation funds.
• 90 percent in technology funds that were used to pay for much of our annual software licenses and other items such as RIO and media center software.
• 18 percent in Central Services funds.
• Transportation was cut by nearly 4 percent. This is, of course, a non-negotiable, so local funds must absorb that reduction.
• State supplies as a line item was spared but textbooks as a line item was virtually eliminated.
• State support for non-instructional staff (substitute teachers, school administrative support, janitorial support, technology support, etc.) also was virtually eliminated and must be picked up from local or federal funds.