RPS superintendent presents FY27 budget that restores raises, protects student supports while keeping some central-office cuts

Superintendent Jason Kamras told the Organizational Development Standing Committee that Richmond Public Schools is proposing an FY27 budget that preserves collective‑bargaining commitments while restoring several items that had been at risk.

Kamras said the proposal includes a 2% raise for all bargaining units currently in negotiation, full funding for mental‑health and wraparound support contracts, full funding for summer school, and elimination of a previously proposed furlough. At the same time, it retains earlier reductions including the proposed closure of Richmond Virtual Academy and the elimination of 46 central‑office FTEs; Kamras said the full list of the 46 positions appears on page 37 of the district document.

Why it matters: Kamras framed the package as a trade‑off that balances student supports and contractual obligations against persistent fiscal constraints. He stressed that recent local investment has coincided with measurable academic gains: “we have had back to back years of growth in all 4 of the SOL subject areas,” and he noted strong gains among economically…