Richmond school officials are proposing larger class sizes, the elimination of 140 positions and three furlough days for all staff in next school year's budget.
Budget and Finance Director Lynn Bragga presented the proposed $245.8 plan for 2010-11 to the Richmond School Board last night.
The spending plan reflects a decline in state and local revenue of more than $14 million. It also includes nearly $3.7 million in higher expenses for health insurance and payments to the Virginia Retirement System.
The current budget is $259 million.
In addition to the furloughs and staff reductions, other proposed cuts include:
•cutting employee tuition reimbursements in half and reducing coaching supplements; •eliminating a pilot Spanish immersion program for kindergarten and first grade; •reducing long-term substitute pay to $125 per day from $206; •reducing support for regional programs such as governor's schools by 6 percent; •reducing administrative department budgets by 15 percent; and •not filling nearly 50 positions that are now vacant. Of the 140 positions proposed for elimination, 20 are administrative and the rest come from increasing class sizes by an average of one student at each level.
For instance, the pupil-teacher ratio for middle and high schools, now 21-to-1, would be 22-to-1.
That breaks down to a reduction of 75.5 elementary positions, 15.5 middle school positions, 12 high school positions and 15.5 specialty high school positions.
The division is also waiting to see whether the amount of money coming from the state changes. There is a possibility the city might get $9 million less from the state, putting the division's total shortfall at more than $26 million.
School Superintendent Yvonne W. Brandon said school officials will work hard to keep the focus on a quality education. She said she hopes retirement and attrition will help reach goals for staff reduction.
"We're going to be doing things differently, yes," Brandon said. But "we're working extra hard to hold our dedication . . . to student achievement."
The board will conduct evening work sessions next week on Tuesday and Thursday . A public hearing on the budget is set for Feb. 1.
The board is scheduled to approve the budget in mid-February.
Contact Holly Prestidge at (804) 649-6945 or hprestidge@timesdispatch.com.
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