Richmond Public Schools superintendent responds to $20 million budget shortfall
Apr 14, 2025
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- In a message addressed to Richmond Public Schools families on Monday, April 14, Superintendent Jason Kamras shared his thoughts on the district's $20 million budget shortfall.
Last month, Richmond Mayor Danny Avula proposed a city budget plan for fiscal year 2026 -- allocati
ng $9.6 million for Richmond Public Schools -- over $20 million less than the district had requested.
Kamras began his Monday message by assuring staff that collective bargaining agreements would still be honored.
"I want to be clear that we are committed to providing all the raises enshrined in our collective bargaining agreements, including a 3% bump for our teachers. In fact, the School Board approved the new salary schedule for next year with these raises included at last week’s Board meeting," the statement reads. "How will we do this? Well, we’re going to have to find some savings in other parts of our budget. That could include closing out some vacancies, cutting some contracts, and reducing other expenditures. Towards that end, I’m working on a proposal for the Board to consider at our meetings in May."
The superintendent also defended the decision made by Avula and the City Council, saying that he believes they "care deeply about Richmond's young people."
"The painful reality is that there just isn’t enough money to go around. Our community’s needs outstrip its resources," the statement reads. "Does that mean we stop advocating? Of course, not. We should continue to push for every last penny. But, as we do so, I want to encourage every RPS supporter to focus on our students’ needs, not the motivations of our city’s elected leaders."
Additionally, Kamras said he believed the greater threat to the school district was the potential loss of federal funding due to decisions and rhetoric from the Trump administration.
"We will continue to monitor things in D.C. very closely and will, of course, advise you on any advocacy we think is necessary to protect our schools," Kamras said in Monday's statement. ...read more read less
