Natalie Bent Kitaif
Natalie Bent Kitaif is a member-elect of the Durham Public Schools school board in North Carolina, representing District 1. Bent Kitaif assumes office on July 6, 2026.
Bent Kitaif ran for election to the Durham Public Schools school board to represent District 1 in North Carolina. Bent Kitaif won in the general election on March 3, 2026.
Bent Kitaif completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Natalie Bent Kitaif earned a high school diploma from the Durham School of the Arts, a bachelor's degree from the Guilford College, and a graduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.[1]
Elections
2026
See also: Durham Public Schools, North Carolina, elections (2026)
General election
General election for Durham Public Schools school board District 1
Natalie Bent Kitaif (Nonpartisan) defeated Dilcy Burton (Nonpartisan) and Davit Melikian (Nonpartisan) in the general election for Durham Public Schools school board District 1 on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Natalie Bent Kitaif (Nonpartisan)  | 68.6 | 7,569 |
 | Dilcy Burton (Nonpartisan) | 21.6 | 2,385 | |
 | Davit Melikian (Nonpartisan) | 8.2 | 902 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.5% | 170 | ||
| Total votes: 11,026 | |||
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Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Bent Kitaif in this election.
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Natalie Bent Kitaif completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bent Kitaif's responses.
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As a parent organizer and community advocate, Natalie has shown up when it mattered most—working alongside other parents to push back against over reliance on law enforcement to address student behavior, supporting immigrant families when ICE threatens the community, and advocating for safer, more supportive learning environments for students and teachers alike. She believes discipline should teach, not punish, and that restorative practices—done with real training and support—are essential to student wellbeing and equity.
Professionally, Natalie brings a background in maternal and child public health and a systems-level approach to governance. She understands that strong outcomes require strong structures: transparent budgets, accountable leadership, and decision-making grounded in both data and lived experience. She is committed to rebuilding trust through clear communication, fiscal responsibility, and meaningful community engagement.- Funding Stability, Transparency, and Accountability - Inadequate funding contributes to the district’s most urgent problems with staff retention, the transportation crisis, failing infrastructure, and classroom resources. Natalie will work to identify alternate funding sources for DPS, such as supporting the calls for Duke to contribute to PILOTs, while advocating for full funding from the state. We must also increase budget transparency and accountability to rebuild trust from recent financial mismanagement. We need clear information that all stakeholders can access so they can give input on how dollars are spent. Let’s take advantage of DPS expertise and give staff agency in determining priorities.
- Student Safety & Wellbeing - When parents send their children to school, they need to know that they will be in an environment that is safe, both physically and emotionally. DPS needs to be clear that it will not collaborate with ICE. The district must meet basic demands: providing “Know Your Rights” cards, providing “Proof of Enrollment” letters for all students, & clarifying procedures for all schools to follow if ICE attempts to enter campus. Safety requires global implementation of Restorative Practices to address behavior issues and build cooperation between students and staff. We must have adequate staff training and support, adequate custodial supplies and staffing, and repairs to aging infrastructure.
- Retaining and Supporting Staff - Students can only thrive when adults in their schools have necessary support. DPS has to prioritize better compensation, better working conditions, and clear expectations and procedures to encourage staff to stay and help grow the district. The board has to ensure budget priorities reflect this foundation of student success. DPS is the 2nd largest employer in Durham and in the last few years, DPS has become a majority union school district. We need school board members who will build upon the incredible work that it took to win the current Meet & Confer policy and deliver on what our skilled workers know to be solutions for our schools.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign website
Bent Kitaif's campaign website stated the following:
Secure Futures
Students can only thrive when adults in their schools have necessary support. As the second largest employer in Durham, DPS must prioritize employees’ compensation and working conditions to encourage them to stay and help grow the district.
Our teachers deserve living wages, paid training, advancement opportunities, and the resources staff need so every classroom can thrive.
I will fight to provide all staff with clear written contracts, a minimum wage of $25/hour, predictable schedules and hours, longevity pay, paid training, and advancement opportunities.
We need school board members who will build upon the incredible work that it took to win the current Meet & Confer policy and deliver on what our skilled workers know to be solutions for our schools.
Clarity in Every Cent
Inadequate funding contributes to the district’s most urgent problems with staff retention, the transportation crisis, failing infrastructure, and classroom resources. I will work with the County Commissioners to identify alternate funding sources for DPS, such as supporting the calls for Duke to contribute to PILOTs, while advocating for full funding from the state. We must also increase budget transparency and accountability to rebuild trust from recent financial mismanagement. We need clear information that all stakeholders can access so they can give input on how dollars are spent. Let’s take advantage of DPS expertise and give staff agency in determining priorities. This is the foundation for enhancing the quality of DPS education to halt enrollment drops.
To rebuild trust from recent financial mismanagement, I’ll make sure that all stakeholders have clear information and are part of the process for determining how best to spend our dollars.
Protect Our Students
When parents send their children to school, they need to know that they will be in an environment that is safe, both physically and emotionally. DPS needs to be clear that it will not collaborate with ICE. It is very concerning that the district has been unable to meet basic demands, like providing “Know Your Rights” cards, providing “Proof of Enrollment” letters for all students, or clarifying procedures for all schools to follow if ICE attempts to enter campus.
Safety also requires global implementation of Restorative Practices to address behavior issues and build cooperation between students and staff. Staff need adequate training and support in creating a positive and healthy classroom environment. We must have adequate custodial supplies and staffing, and repairs to aging infrastructure.
— Natalie Bent Kitaif's campaign website (February 25, 2026)
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 12, 2026
