By Bonnie N. Davis

The Richmond School Board adopted a $280 million operating budget that eliminates $4 million in numerous programs and services, but includes money for a plan to increase salaries to attract and retain teachers.

The 6-1 vote Monday night followed weeks of threats to close or merge several schools, along with intense lobbying from the public for Richmond City Council to pour more money into the cash-strapped school system. Although no schools will be closed, the budget still falls $10.9 million short of the amount sought by the School Board.

Under the spending plan that begins July 1, Richmond Public Schools will receive $179.4 million, including $151.5 million in local tax dollars, $26.3 million from state sales taxes, and $1.5 million in unspent funds from last year.

Last week, the board agreed to keep Armstrong High School open, along with four Richmond elementary schools targeted for closing, despite previous suggestions that closing them would eliminate 5,000 empty seats. During Monday’s meeting, no mention was made about closing schools, although School Board member Derik Jones, 8th District, said too many buildings remain under-populated.

“We will have to look at rezoning,” said Dr. Jones, who joined Monday’s meeting by speakerphone while traveling through Atlanta’s airport. “We can’t keep asking the mayor to throw or put money at situations that we have not properly right-sized.”

Mayor Dwight C. Jones is the father of Dr. Jones.

Other efforts to “right-size” the school system, which enrolls 24,000 students in some 42 schools, also saw defeat. Plans to expand elementary school foreign language programs will not move forward, nor will a rotating fund for athletic equipment maintenance or technology upgrades throughout the school system.

Seemingly resigned to the cuts that included a $2.3 million reduction to the academic improvement program, Superintendent Dana T. Bedden vowed to keep pushing. The program was designed to provide more teachers, instructional assistants, social workers and guidance counselors to help beef up student performance.

“We did the best with what we had,” Dr. Bedden said after the meeting. “We have to figure out what is next with the academic improvement plan and try to find untraditional pathways. There’s still work to be done.”

Board member Kimberly B. Gray, 2nd District, agreed, saying that she was “feeling filled up” by the budget process. Ms. Gray, who has served on the School Board for eight years, is a candidate for Richmond City Council.

“We’ve pulled together, but I’m disappointed and don’t feel like we’ve been fully heard,” Ms. Gray added. “I feel that (Dr. Bedden’s) plan is being gutted and it’s discouraging to work so hard. Binford Middle School is an example; it has turned around in two years. I am disappointed that we are here to gut an improvement plan that everyone supported.”

Meanwhile, the board seemed hopeful that the teacher salary plan, which provides $4.97 million over two years to make salaries more competitive, will help attract new teachers, while leveling the salary playing field to help retain current teachers.

“While we cannot fund the entire academic improvement plan, I think we can do more for academics by decompressing the teacher salary scale than we otherwise would be able to do,” said School Board Chairman Jeffrey M. Bourne, 3rd District.

Mr. Bourne praised Dr. Bedden and his team “for working under some very challenging circumstances and environments” during the budget process. “I know we’ve all felt frustration and strife.”

The single vote against approving the budget came from Board member Mamie Taylor, 5th District, who also joined the meeting by speakerphone.

Board members Kristen Larson, 4th District, and Tichi Pinkney Eppes, 9th District, were absent and did not vote.

The board also approved a $9 million capital improvement plan in which nearly half of that amount will go toward renovating Overby-Sheppard Elementary School. New walls, heating, cooling and electrical system upgrades will cost $4 million to turn Overby-Sheppard into a shared-use space and community center for the new Highland Grove neighborhood in North Side.