RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Richmond is considering record-breaking funding for its schools this coming school year -- but the proposal still falls short of the district's expected costs.
In a press release issued Thursday, March 5, Mayor Danny Avula announced that he's proposed giving Richmond Public Schools (RPS) $257 million in funding for the 2026-27 academic year. Not only is this $8 million more than the school district received for 2025-26, but it's the largest investment in RPS the city has ever made.
"Our children deserve learning environments that are safe, enriching, and full of opportunity," Avula said in the release. "This budget invests in the full ecosystem around our young people -- strong schools, caring adults, and the programs that help students learn, grow, and thrive beyond the school day. We've seen the amazing outcomes that happen when you couple resources with dedicated caregivers, educators and staff. Let's keep it going, RPS!"
However, even this historic amount of money isn't enough to cover all of the costs within RPS' budget as proposed.
Richmond Public Schools' ongoing budget struggles
In recent weeks, as RPS leaders worked to put together a proposed 2026-27 budget, they have been grappling with how to fund necessary programs while still making ends meet.
When initially submitting his budget proposal, superintendent Jason Kamras explained that RPS, while costs keep going up, funding coming in from both the local and state levels is not.
RPS gets most of its city-sourced funding from property taxes and, as there is an assessment freeze planned for 2027, "the pie just won't increase very much," he said. When it comes to state funding dollars, the General Assembly is "grappling with how to fund Medicaid now that costs were shifted to the states, given actions at the federal level."
Ultimately, Kamras' proposal contained many "painful reductions" that amounted to more than $20 million in cuts. Some of the most controversial suggestions included pausing raises for staff, doing away with the Richmond Virtual Academy and splitting the increase in staff healthcare premiums 50/50 between RPS and employees.
On Tuesday, March 3, the Richmond School Board voted 6-2 to send their final budget proposal to Avula with fewer cuts than originally suggested.
This included honoring all existing collective bargaining commitments and a 2% raise for staff currently in negotiation, as well as fully funding the Richmond Virtual Academy and adjusting the proposed healthcare premium split to 75/25, with RPS paying the majority.
Avula's current proposal will only cover so much
While RPS can lay out what it feels it needs funding-wise each year, the mayor and Richmond City Council have the final say in how much funding RPS gets.
In a March 6 statement, the Richmond School Board and Kamras said they were grateful for Avula's proposed $8.2 million year-over-year increase in funding, "particularly since [they] know that this is a difficult year financially for the city."
With this increase, the school district will be able to keep its promises when it comes to its collective bargaining agreements, RPS leaders said. However, the district needed $12 million in additional funding from the city to fully close the gap. This means Avula’s offer still falls nearly $4 million short.
As things stand, it’s possible RPS may need to revisit some of the items it added back into its final budget proposal.
The burden isn’t solely on the city; however. RPS is also hoping for at least a $20 million year-over-year increase from the state as well—something that leaders say they are continuing to advocate for.
"We deeply believe—and our data shows with record graduation rates and rising SOL scores—that investments in RPS are moving the needle for Richmond's children and setting the city up to thrive over the long-term," RPS leaders said in their statement. "Fully funding public schools is not simply a policy choice—it is an investment in our shared future. When schools have the resources they need, students have greater opportunities to learn, grow and succeed. We look forward to working with the Mayor, the City Council and the state over the coming weeks to ensure that our 22,000 students receive every investment they deserve."
Avula's full budget proposal will be released on Wednesday, March 11. It is subject to the review and approval of the Richmond City Council.