Nick Conigliaro at ABC8 News writes:
The school year is quickly approaching and Richmond Public Schools (RPS) have a few things they’re looking to work out before those first days. On Monday, the school board will be meeting to discuss maintenance repairs and job vacancies.
Leaking roofs, a 30-year-old AC unit and an entire school in need of new windows are the most important points listed in an over $10 million emergency repair report being proposed at tonight’s meeting. Overall, there are proposed 28 issues that need to be fixed, according to Chief Operating Officer Darin Simmons Jr. The $10 million for these repairs are proposed to come from the over $13 million left in the RPS architectural and engineering account.
Over $10 million is needed for immediate repairs to @RPS_Schools facilities. This proposal will be heard by the School Board at tonight’s meeting.
I’ve got the details all morning on Good Morning Richmond. @8NEWS pic.twitter.com/8greQ7TLyW— Nick Conigliaro 8News (@NConigliaroNews) July 16, 2018
A comment from Reddit RVA (/uMasenkablast) was telling as it sounds like the article says two things: the money comes from the RPS architectural account and it also says school board officials are also asking the community for the money.
Other related articles include:
Kamras commits to ‘fixing, beautifying’ every single RPS bathroom
Concerned over student safety, RPS teacher implores school board to fund repairs
8 comments
Isn’t this is what the Mayor promised to focus on when he ran two years ago? I guess the new Pulse bus was more of a priority.
The a/c in my classroom does not work at all, it’s probably 95 degrees in the room today and my school is not even on this list. Just let that sink in and think how many actual critical needs there are in RPS right now.
Maybe they can sell more T-shirts!
Did everyone go down the memory hole already? Didn’t they just raise the meals tax? Where is all that money going? With all the food being served in the City over the last several months why isn’t that money being tapped into? This is outrageous.
@Liz… LOL…I was thinking the same thing! They need $10 mil for vital repairs yet they spend $26K changing the name of a school that will accomplish absolutely nothing!!! Where do we find these fools?
So far…***VERY*** unimpressed with Kamras. He’s been an embarrassment so far. Silly talk about fixing bathrooms and selling T-shirts- what a complete clown.
To be fair, Pulse started in 2010, was 50% federal grant funds and only 16% from city of Richmond. When you say no to those federal funds, they don’t often show back up when you are ready for them.
The money pot you’d pull from for transportation isn’t the same money pot you’d pull from for schools. Might see more even schools across economic lines if it worked like that, but that might make too much sense.
Hey let’s just tax restaurants more
OMG Sean why do you come here with all your facts and nuance?
I mean, what’s left for us without uninformed outrage?
Details on restricted funds and matching grants are no fun. Keep your knowledge of public finance to yourself, thanks.