Richmond City School Faces Tough Decisions with Budget Shortfall

This morning I received a copy of this email in my in box. It is written by a Fox Elementary School Parent and was forwarded through a friend Mary Munford elementary school.  Read on, the Richmond City School Board is facing some tough decisions in this fiscal year with a tremendous budget short fall:

Subject: School Board Votes on Budget this TUESDAY

Dear Friends- Yesterday I attended the last budget work session for the Richmond School Board.

Here is the upshot:

* Richmond Public Schools are $17.8 million in the hole due to local revenue short falls.

* The Superintendent proposed a budget to the School Board which was unimaginative and balanced the books in two major ways: Furloughs of all employees for 3 days (i.e. do the same job for less pay) and increasing class sizes (most drastically in K-3 grades). This is tantamount to RPS balancing the budget on our kids backs.

* When it became apparent that the state might cut RPS funding by $11.2 million the Superintendent came back to the school board with another set of 11+ million dollars in cuts that less directly affect the classroom (and in most cases not at all).

* The budget that will be voted on (TUESDAY, February 16 at 6pm City Council Chambers) will be for the original $17.8 million using the Superintendents original cuts DESPITE the fact that there is easily $10 -11 million of cuts identified by the Superintendent that will less directly affect our kids.

* Please show up TUESDAY, February 16 at 6pm City Council Chambers to show the school board that you want them to honor their stated priorities: To put our students and their classrooms first. If you can only show up for 30 minutes that is fine. I will be there with muffins for kids if you need to bring them. Mine might be there too!

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2010 6PM – 8PM (hopefully no later) CITY HALL, CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS – 2ND FLOOR IF YOU CAN NOT BE THERE BE SURE TO EMAIL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE. FIND ALL EMAILS ON RPS WEBSITE.

After receiving this email, I emailed Kim Bridges, my School Board Rep, and  Chair of the School Board and asked her if she thinks this is this an accurate portrayal of the situation and if she had a response.  As of yet, I have not received a reply to my email, but this afternoon I did receive a “robo-call” recording of Kim Bridges inviting me (and I can only assume the rest of the parents of Richmond City Schools) to meet her at Albert Hill Middle School on Thursday the 18th to further discuss our options.

Plus after visiting the RPS homepage, I can see that they have set up an email account to take comments on the subject. Although, I’m not sure that will have the same effect as turning out in full force with our kids at the School Board Meeting on Tuesday.

Actually, it looks like they’ve been looking for comments from the start. Superintendent, Dr. Yvonne Brandon sent a letter, back in September to “supporters of Richmond City Schools,” asking for their input.  And the Department of Budget and Financial Reporting has all the details of all the proposed cuts on line as well.

So, If you want to have input about next year’s budget cuts, now is your chance.  In addition to the 3 days of furlough and increases in class size as described above, additional cuts include: eliminating the Spanish emersion program at Fox and Southampton Elementary Schools, reducing pay for long term substitute teachers, cutting in half teacher reimbursement for continuing education, reducing support for Minds in Motion and more.