RICHMOND, Va. -- A group of concerned Richmond Public School Parents are frustrated with the school board. They believe they’re not putting kids first in their decision-making over the last couple of years.
While the next school board election isn’t until 2024, these parents have said they plan to hold board members accountable until then.
The group Kids First RPS held a meeting on Thursday night with parents. They wanted to come together to figure out how they should move forward.
Some called the current state of the school board a bad situation, saying they feel some board members are not supporting the current school district administration
“Whether you like them or not, we can’t be like that, because if the admin doesn’t succeed, our kids don’t succeed,” said one parent.
At the meeting, the group took issue with the school board on a handful of topics. They feel no community engagement happens in some board members' districts.
They want all districts to hold town meetings to hear directly from parents. Some parents are also taking issue with surprise proposals being brought up and voted on before public input and the late-night meetings.
Others explained they feel politics are being prioritized over kids, state the board has governance issues and believe the board is not rezoning in the best interest of kids.
“If we get the right representatives, a whole lot will change real fast,” said one parent.
These parents talked about exploring options for accountability. The idea of a recall was thrown around, but then quickly dismissed as not the best option.
When parents asked about possible legal action against the board, organizers said they are pursuing that option and will continue to.
While their chance for change in a school board election may not happen soon, they said it will not stop them from organizing future campaigns and continuing to call for change.
“If everyone email’s their school board rep every week, I think we could hold until we get some new people elected. That’s one thing we can all do,” said parent Shannon Heady.
CBS 6 gave all school board members the opportunity to respond to these direct concerns but did not hear back.
CBS 6 notes it was after business hours due to the timing of the meeting.
