Richmond's School Board last night voted 7-2 to approve a 2010-11 budget that increases class sizes, eliminates 138 positions and makes employees take three unpaid furlough days.
Cuts also include a popular Spanish immersion program at two elementary schools and reductions in employee tuition reimbursement, long-term substitute pay and coaching stipends.
The $245 million spending plan is down from the current budget of nearly $260 million. It includes $3.7 million in increased employee health-care and retirement costs and takes into account a shortfall of more than $14 million in state funding.
But it ignores the possibility that city schools may lose an additional $11.1 million in state funding for the next fiscal year with changes to the state's composite index that is used to calculate state aid.
A substitute budget proposed by board member Kimberly B. Gray failed. While it would not have increased class sizes, it would have closed one school; reduced overtime pay for transportation, custodial and security staff; and cut vendor contracts by 10 percent.
Before the vote, schools Superintendent Yvonne W. Brandon told the packed boardroom that the board and school officials reached a point where traditional values had to be redefined.
"Our roller coaster is heading down, and it is a steep decline," Brandon said, adding that it's unknown when the swing upward will occur.
During public comment before the vote, a number of speakers questioned some of the cuts and suggested that the board wasn't looking at all the nonpersonnel areas first.
School Board Chairwoman Kimberly Bridges responded sternly by saying that Richmond could stop busing students and turn off all the lights and the heat in each building and still not be able to meet the current budget deficit.
She said school officials are expecting to hear at the end of this week about the state's budget situation, which could mean even deeper cuts for all of Virginia's school divisions.
"I've played with these numbers," she said. "No matter what we do, someone will be unhappy," she said.
The school plan passed last night will become part of the full city budget, which the City Council will vote on in the spring.
Contact Holly Prestidge at (804) 649-6945 or hprestidge@timesdispatch.com.
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