RICHMOND, Va. — The Richmond School Board voted Tuesday to keep Richmond Virtual Academy in its fiscal year 2027 budget, but the program's future depends on whether the city approves additional funding.
The vote comes after months of backlash over proposed cuts. Nearly 20 people took to the podium at City Hall, with teachers and parents holding signs reading "Save RVA," urging the board to preserve the virtual academy.
Watch: RPS educators, students protest proposed budget cuts at town hall
One student described what the program means to them.
"When I switched to RVA, I finally feel seen, learning from home gave me peace, it gave me focus, it gave me room to breathe without fear of bullying," the student said.
Parents also spoke in support of the academy.
"I stand here as a deeply disappointed parent of a student at Richmond Virtual Academy. Richmond Virtual Academy is a safe environment in which my student thrives," one parent said.
"I've had the privilege of seeing my kids transformed by RVA. It's been a lifeline for my family in crisis," another parent said.
The revised budget increases the city funding request from the original $9 million to $12 million in order to keep Richmond Virtual Academy open after the board reconsidered closing it.
School board member Wesley Hedgepath made a motion to amend the superintendent's FY 27 budget to include fully funding Richmond Virtual Academy.
Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras said he supports the academy but expressed doubt the city will approve the additional funding needed to sustain it.
"The city has until May 31 to adopt their budget. We also don't know if the state will complete its budget work on time. What that means is come May, come June, that we can't afford the program," Kamras said.
The budget also relies on a $20 million increase in state funding based on the House's recently released budget. That increase is not guaranteed, as the General Assembly is still working through its own budget process. About $7 million of the proposed state funding is one-time money, meaning that amount would need to be allocated again for the following school year's budget.
The new proposal restored funding for several items that had drawn scrutiny, including collective bargaining, 2% raise for all union units currently in negotiations, like teachers, school nutrition services, care and safety associates and instructional assistants, health insurance costs, existing collective bargaining agreements, mental health support contracts, and summer school for elementary and middle school students. However, the insurance cost split — set at 75/25 between RPS and staff rather than the initially proposed 50/50 — remains a concern for some teachers.
"Bundling our vision and our medical is going to have a negative effect and we're going to have an increase from that, and I've asked about that and have not gotten an answer," one teacher said.
Before the meeting the Richmond Education Association, a union representing RPS educators, held a rally calling for a city or state audit to understand how the district reached a gap of more than $20 million.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
