The Richmond School Board will ask Mayor Dwight C. Jones and the City Council to fill a $23.8 million hole in the public school system's budget for next year rather than cut jobs, employee benefits and programs to fill the gap.
The board is scheduled to formally vote on the budget Thursday, but agreed in an informal work session on Monday to ask the city for additional money to cover $263.7 million in spending for the year that begins July 1. Richmond already provides $123.7 million in city funds to the school district.
Superintendent Yvonne W. Brandon presented a budget last month with $239.9 million in projected revenues, and she outlined a series of cost-cutting options that included layoffs, bigger classes and passing increases in health-care coverage to employees and retirees.
Several board members referred to the challenge that Jones made to the school system in his State of the City address, in which he vowed to "let go of the mediocrity" in the city's public schools and embrace innovations.
"You want excellence? Excellence costs," said School Board member Evette L. Wilson, who represents the 9th District.
The board's decision pleased the Richmond Education Association, whose president, Angela Dews, joined in a discussion that considered options such as making employees pay the employer share of health premium increases for their spouses and families.
"It's your legal responsibility to ask for what you need to run the school system," said Dews, who promised that teachers would help the board lobby the city for additional money.
However, Chairwoman Dawn C. Page acknowledged after the meeting that, depending on the mayor's answer, the board may have to revisit the lists of priorities it made before deciding to ask for enough money to avoid cuts.
"We may have to have that discussion," said Page, who listed avoiding class-size increases as her top priority.
Chief Operating Officer P. Andy Hawkins said the board's priority is clear: "They'll do whatever they can to prevent job losses in the classroom."
Brandon said she would communicate the board's decision to the Jones administration informally and then transmit the formal budget after the board votes Thursday.
Jones is due to present the city budget to the City Council on March 6, less than a week before the Virginia General Assembly is scheduled to complete work on a two-year state budget that is forcing hard choices for school districts across the state.
The mayor said earlier Monday that the city will have wait for final state action by the governor and the assembly in April to know how much aid to expect.
"With so much undecided at the state level, it would be premature to talk of filling the gap for schools," Jones told council members at a luncheon meeting.
"Let's all work together cautiously and creatively — about how to work with the school system to find mutual savings — and work to find good ways of funding the right programs for our children," he said in prepared remarks.
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