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The marquee sign in front of Richmond s George Wythe High School. (Photo: Alan Rodriguez Espinoza/VPM News)
Tensions are high and continue to escalate between members of the Richmond school board and the city administration as a power struggle unfolds over school construction.
Last week, a majority of school board members approved a resolution introduced by Boardmember Kenya Gibson to shift full control over future school construction away from City Hall and to the school district. The legal repercussions of the vote remain unclear.
If binding, the “Schools Building Schools” resolution would give the school board full power over designing, planning and building new schools. It also gives the board control over the bidding process for new construction projects.
Richmond School Attendance Improved, but Concerns Remain
School board members heard a presentation on student attendance data during a Tuesday meeting. (Source: Screenshot from Facebook)
The Richmond School Board reviewed updated attendance rates during a meeting last night. While rates have improved from earlier in the virtual school year, the board voiced disappointment and confusion.
Harry Hughes, RPS Chief Schools Officer, presented the attendance data for the first half of the 2020-2021 school year.
As of the 20th day of classes, in October, 21.2% of RPS students were on track to become chronically absent. That number has slightly decreased to 17.4% as of the 90th day of school this year. The current chronic absenteeism rate is about the same as this time last year, which was 16.9%.
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Manassas Park City Schools tried a year-round calendar in 2014 similar to the one proposed in Richmond for next year. (Photo: Alan Rodriguez Espinoza/VPM News)
Richmond Superintendent Jason Kamras is proposing that city schools operate year-round next year to help students impacted by virtual learning and the pandemic.
Kamras’s vision is for the 2021-2022 school year to begin in person in August, and end in late June. It would include four two-week breaks, or “intersessions,” every nine weeks. About 5,000 “high-need students” would receive additional instruction during these intersessions, adding up to 40 extra school days.
“Ensuring that the students who need it most get 40 additional days is a rather significant shift, and I think an incredible investment to support our young people,” Kamras said when he first proposed the extended calendar during a January school board meeting.