Murray-Massenburg Elementary School

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

As the Durham community continues to grow it is vital that Durham Public Schools is growing as well to stay up to date with the need for educational resources and schools.


Currently, there is forecasted overcrowding of schools in Durham County as the population has increased by 27% since 2010. This growth leads to the need for additional schools within parts of the county that are seeing the most development, most recently the Hope Valley Farm area.


Elementary School F will be located within this community and will house students beginning in 2024. One of the first steps to the school build is selecting a name that reflects the community and we hope that you will assist us in doing this. Located on the corner of S Roxboro and MLK, we will utilize the natural topography to locate the school along the ridge of the property. The vision for this school is to create a new physical framework to house the future vision of learning to be a beacon within our community of what is possible.


If you have any questions or comments, please leave them in the tab labeled "Questions" below.



On May 5, the Durham Public Schools Board of Education has voted unanimously to name the newest DPS elementary school under construction Murray-Massenburg Elementary School after two female trailblazers: attorney and human rights activist Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray and the first African American female principal in the Durham City School System, Betty Doretha Massenburg.

Dr. Murray, the first Black person to earn a juris doctorate from Yale Law School, was a legal scholar, author, feminist, poet, Episcopal priest, labor organizer, and multiracial Black, LBGBTQ+ community member. Her legal arguments and interpretation of the U.S. Constitution were winning strategies for public school desegregation, women’s rights in the workplace, and an extension of rights to LGBTQ+ people based on Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Mrs. Massenburg was the first Black female principal in Durham, leading Holloway Street Elementary in 1975. Her passion and commitment to teaching Durham students inspired not only the children, but also the community. She was a proud career educator, business owner, motivational speaker, poet, author, and community servant leader. Prior to being promoted to principal, she also taught at Crest Street and Fayetteville Street elementary schools; and, served as dean of girls and assistant principal at Rogers-Herr Middle School.


As the Durham community continues to grow it is vital that Durham Public Schools is growing as well to stay up to date with the need for educational resources and schools.


Currently, there is forecasted overcrowding of schools in Durham County as the population has increased by 27% since 2010. This growth leads to the need for additional schools within parts of the county that are seeing the most development, most recently the Hope Valley Farm area.


Elementary School F will be located within this community and will house students beginning in 2024. One of the first steps to the school build is selecting a name that reflects the community and we hope that you will assist us in doing this. Located on the corner of S Roxboro and MLK, we will utilize the natural topography to locate the school along the ridge of the property. The vision for this school is to create a new physical framework to house the future vision of learning to be a beacon within our community of what is possible.


If you have any questions or comments, please leave them in the tab labeled "Questions" below.



On May 5, the Durham Public Schools Board of Education has voted unanimously to name the newest DPS elementary school under construction Murray-Massenburg Elementary School after two female trailblazers: attorney and human rights activist Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray and the first African American female principal in the Durham City School System, Betty Doretha Massenburg.

Dr. Murray, the first Black person to earn a juris doctorate from Yale Law School, was a legal scholar, author, feminist, poet, Episcopal priest, labor organizer, and multiracial Black, LBGBTQ+ community member. Her legal arguments and interpretation of the U.S. Constitution were winning strategies for public school desegregation, women’s rights in the workplace, and an extension of rights to LGBTQ+ people based on Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Mrs. Massenburg was the first Black female principal in Durham, leading Holloway Street Elementary in 1975. Her passion and commitment to teaching Durham students inspired not only the children, but also the community. She was a proud career educator, business owner, motivational speaker, poet, author, and community servant leader. Prior to being promoted to principal, she also taught at Crest Street and Fayetteville Street elementary schools; and, served as dean of girls and assistant principal at Rogers-Herr Middle School.


Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

Future Home of Elementary School F

over 2 years

Page last updated: 06 May 2022, 06:52 AM