At a recent public hearing in Alamance County, Dr. Denise Nepveux, PhD, associate professor of Orthopaedic Surgery in the Duke Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program, joined a strong community turnout advocating for full funding of the Alamance-Burlington School System (ABSS).
The recent Alamance County public hearing drew strong community response following the release of the county manager’s proposed 2025–26 budget, which allocates $71.9 million to the Alamance-Burlington School System (ABSS). Notably, the proposal includes a 21.38% reduction in county current expense funding compared to the previous year—a cut that has raised significant concerns among educators, families, and advocates.
Among those who spoke was Dr. Denise Nepveux, PhD, associate professor of Orthopaedic Surgery in the Duke Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program and a licensed occupational therapist based in Mebane. Dr. Nepveux emphasized the disproportionate impact such funding cuts would have on students with disabilities, stating:
“Even if their support needs aren’t met, they have to stay. We need to fully fund the schools and raise property taxes if necessary to do it.”
In her full testimony, Dr. Nepveux shared a personal perspective rooted in both professional expertise and lived experience:
“My name is Denise Nepveux. I live in Mebane and I am a registered, licensed occupational therapist. I am a proud graduate of Texas public schools. My older sister grew up with a significant intellectual disability and, like the rest of her siblings, she was well served by the public schools she attended. She was safe, she was valued, she made friends, and her abilities grew. As a student with significant disabilities, she would not have been accepted by a private school.
As we underfund our public schools, kids with disabilities and their families feel it the most, because even if their support needs are not met, they have to stay. They have no choice. Families like mine depend on the rest of the community to care enough to protect their right to an inclusive, high-value education. I don't know if you have considered what a difference a talented, committed, well-supported, and consistent teaching staff means to students like my sister and families like the one I grew up in.
Unfortunately, I have not been blessed to raise children of my own. But I understand what a value our schools bring to the whole community, and the right of all students to education, so I am willing to put my money there. To attract and retain good teachers and other staff including occupational therapists and social workers, we need to fully fund the schools and raise property taxes if necessary to do it.”