Richmond City Council / News Release
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Monday, 13 May 2024
Link: https://richmondvacitycouncil.blogspot.com/2024/05/richmond-city-council-and-mayor.html
Richmond City Council and Mayor collaborate on significant investments in Richmond Public Schools
Historic $239.3 million of city funds to go to Richmond Public Schools
Richmond, Virginia (5.13.2024) - After several weeks of budget work sessions and one public hearing on the proposed FY 2025 budget, Richmond City Council announced today that it is amending the Mayor’s proposed budget to include millions of dollars in additional operating and maintenance funds to the Richmond Public Schools (RPS) budget. Each year, the Mayor submits a proposed budget for the following fiscal year (beginning on July 1) which Council has the opportunity to amend. The final budget would not be possible without collaboration between Richmond City Council and City Administration.
Through discussions with City Administration, Council has amended the proposed budget, thereby making an additional $15.1 million available for school maintenance needs (for a total of $17.6 million in FY25). This increase in funding is a result of the reallocation of $5.1 million in cost savings from a previously authorized completed school project and expanding the flexibility of RPS to use $10 million from the “School Modernization” project to address maintenance needs (text amendment).
Furthermore, the Mayor’s proposed budget included $15.8 million for the RPS operating fund. Council amended the budget to increase the RPS operating fund by $2 million, from $15.8 million to $17.8 million.
“We often hear that a City’s budget is a demonstration of its values,” said Council President Kristen Nye, Councilmember, Richmond Southwest 4th Voter District. “I’m pleased that our FY25 budget shows that the City deeply values Richmond Public Schools and accordingly invests the City’s budget to ensure our children, teachers, and staff can be successful. As a former School Board member, I have always been a strong advocate for our schools and was proud to continue doing so throughout the FY25 budget process.”
“Education is the great equalizer,” said Mayor Levar Stoney. “It is critical we invest in our children, schools, and teachers and give them the resources they need to succeed. I’m proud to work with City Council to propose historic investments into Richmond Public Schools.”
With the proposed amendments, the FY 2025 local contribution to RPS, which is $239.3 million, is $87.7 million more than the FY 2017 allocation. This now represents a 58 percent increase in City support of RPS since 2017. Moreover, the City has provided almost three times the state required funding level for RPS.
”Like every stakeholder invested in Richmond Public Schools, Richmond City Council, and the City Administration want every possible dollar to go towards improving outcomes for our children. We are grateful to everyone who cares for better public education and look forward to working collaboratively to ensure all possible avenues for funding are pursued, including advocating for increased state support,” says President Kristen Nye.
Contact
Steve Skinner, Council Public Information Manager, Richmond City Council Office of Council Chief of Staff; 804.64.6052 (tel); steven.skinner@rva.gov (email)
Website
https://www.rva.gov/richmond-city-council
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/RichmondCityCouncilVirginiaUSA
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Richmond City Council overview
Richmond City Council is the official governing legislative institution of Richmond, Virginia and represents residents in creating and amending local laws/ordinances, providing government policy and oversight, and establishing an annual Richmond Government Budget.
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Richmond City Council - Richmond City Hall - 900 East Broad Street, Suite 300 - Richmond, Virginia 23219 U.S.A. - rva.gov/richmond-city-council (web)
