After a series of bizarre confrontations with the Richmond school board, Richmond Mayor L. Douglas Wilder has lost the P.R. battle to bring accountability to the city school system. For those not familiar with the ongoing saga, Wilder evicted the school administration from City Hall late this summer, only to have a circuit court judge order the school officials back in. The incident cost tens of thousands of dollars, soured the public on Wilder and garnered widespread sympathy for the school board.
While Wilder’s heavy-handed tactics may have backfired, he was on to something. Someone has to hold the school board accountable. Richmond city schools spent $13,168 per student in the most recently completed school year — up 6.3 percent from the previous year, report Olympia Meola and Michael Martz with the Times-Dispatch. Spending is climbing even as enrollment is declining.
A city auditor has identified potential savings of up to $20 million a year, but the board has taken no action. It would be one thing if record spending delivered demonstrably superior results, but improvements in student performance, if any, have been marginal. Is there any way to hold the Richmond school administration accountable? Is there any way to stop this runaway train?
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