Education and Human Services Standing Committee

Council Chamber, 2nd Floor - City Hall

Agenda — 67 items

1. 1 Call to Order
2. 1 Committee and Other Council Members In Attendance
3. 2 Chamber Emergency Evacuation Plan Announcement and Public Speaker Guidelines
4. 2 The Honorable Stephanie Lynch - Chair The Honorable Andrew Breton - Member The Honorable Katherine Jordan - Vice President
5. 3 Public Comment Period
6. 3 Absent
7. 4 Approval of Minutes
8. 4 The Honorable Nicole Jones - Vice Chair
9. 5 June 11, 2026 - Education & Human Services Standing Committee Meeting Minutes CD.2026.195
10. 5 Staff in Attendance
11. 6 Presentation(s)
12. 6 Whitney Brown, Council Policy Analyst Kiley Kesecker, Deputy City Clerk Greg Lukanuski ,Deputy City Attorney Kimberly Morris, Assistant City Clerk Candice Reid, City Clerk
13. 7 There were no presentations.
14. 8 Paper(s) for Consideration
15. 8 Chair Stephanie Lynch called the meeting to order at 2:06 p.m., and presided.
16. 1. To amend Ord. No. 2026-063, adopted May 11, 2026, which adopted the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 General Fund Budget and made appropriations pursuant thereto, by (i) modifying the name of certain line items in the attachment entitled “General Fund Budget, Outside Agencies and Central Appropriations, July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027,” (ii) transferring and appropriating certain funds from certain Outside Agencies and Central Appropriations line items to such modified line items, (iii) transferring and appropriating the remaining funds from such modified lines items to the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services, and (iv) authorizing the Chief Administrator Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to execute the necessary documents to effect such appropriations, all for the purpose of providing grants to certain entities and providing funding to the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services for the procurement of administration services for such grants. ORD. 2026-169 recommended for approval
17. 2. To order the submission to the qualified voters of the City of Richmond of the question of whether the City should be authorized to levy a local sales tax at a rate not to exceed one percent, the revenues from which shall be used solely for capital projects for the construction or renovation of public school facilities, for a referendum thereon. RES.2026-R028 recommended for approval
18. 10 Upon the Chair's request, Assistant City Clerk Kimberly Morris provided information on the appropriate way to evacuate the Council Chamber in an emergency along with public speaker guidelines.
19. 11 Board Vacancies
20. 12 Education and Human Services Standing Committee Boards & Commissions Vacancy Report Thursday, July 9, 2026 CD.2026.197
21. 12 There were no public comment speakers.
22. 13 Discussion Item(s)
23. 13 page break
24. 14 Richmond Public Schools (RPS) Updates
25. 15 Update from the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer (DCAO) for Human Services
26. 16 Confirmation of Committee Meeting Presentations through February 2027
27. 17 August Committee Meeting
28. 18 Staff Report
29. 18 Jason Kamras, RPS Superintendent, provided the committee the following updates:
30. 19 Education & Human Services Standing Committee July 9, 2026 Staff Report CD.2026.200
31. 19 • An approximately $9 million budget shortfall due to the elimination of one time state funding, and the limited state reimbursement for the General Assembly’s approved teacher pay increase • A 3.17% teacher compensation increase rather than the full 4% due to funding constraints • Potential reductions to include reducing vacancies, increasing some secondary class sizes, eliminating annual substitute positions, and cutting non-essential expenses • Possible city assistance sought to preserve critical services including substitute teachers and mental health supports • Final budget decisions to be made by late July 2026
32. 20 Shavonda Fernandez, School Board Chair, emphasized that Richmond continues to be disadvantaged by the state's Local Composite Index (LCI) funding formula, which places a disproportionate financial burden on the city compared with surrounding localities.
33. 21 Committee members agreed on the need to continue advocating for reforms to the state's LCI funding formula while strengthening long-term collaboration between the city and Richmond Public Schools on budget planning to address recurring funding challenges.
34. 22 Vice President Katherine Jordan emphasized that the current LCI formula directly affects students and families by limiting available state support and urged continued efforts to address its inequities.
35. 24 The following ordinance was considered:
36. 26 Public Hearing
37. 27 There were no speakers.
38. 28 Dominic Barrett, Senior Policy Advisor for Human Services, provided details about grant administration and how grant-making would be managed by selected nonprofit partners, with the city retaining oversight through performance reporting.
39. 29 Committee members praised the ordinance as a significant governance improvement and recognized the multi-year effort by city staff to modernize the city's grantmaking process.
40. 30 There were no further comments or discussions and Chair Stephanie Lynch moved to forward ORD. 2026-169 to Council with the recommendation to approve, which was seconded and approved: Ayes 2, Breton, Lynch. Noes, 0.
41. 31 The following ordinance was considered:
42. 33 Public Hearing
43. 34 There were no speakers.
44. 35 Katherine Jordan, Council Vice President, explained that the ordinance would provide the city with an additional revenue tool recently authorized by the General Assembly to help address ongoing school capital needs. She noted that if approved by voters, City Council would later determine whether to enact the tax and establish an implementation date.
45. 36 Lawson Wijesooriya, the Mayor's Chief of Staff, stated that the Administration supports evaluating the new authority as part of its commitment to improving educational facilities. She explained that the Administration had been preparing for the possibility of the legislation, and they were working with finance staff and the city's financial advisor to assess implementation options.
46. 37 David Rose, Financial Advisor with Davenport & Company, reviewed the proposed 1% local sales tax for school capital projects, estimating that it could generate approximately $45 million annually after required exclusions, and provide revenue for nearly 20 years. He stated that the dedicated funding source could accelerate the city’s $800 million, 20-year school capital improvement program, which had approximately $450 million in remaining borrowing needs, while reducing reliance on the General Fund and strengthening the city’s financial position.
47. 38 Jason Kamras, RPS Superintendent, provided an overview of Richmond Public Schools’ capital needs and facilities planning efforts related to the proposed 1% local sales tax. He noted that RPS facilities' average age was approximately 66 years old, with 12 buildings exceeding 100 years, and he identified $23 million in immediate maintenance needs, and an estimated $30 million in annual deferred maintenance. He also emphasized the importance of sustained investment in existing facilities to prevent future costly repairs.
48. 39 The committee and RPS representatives discussed the following:
49. 40 • Implementation details and potential impacts of the proposed 1% local sales tax for school capital projects • A need for clear information for voters regarding how sales tax revenues would be used, potential tax impacts, and transparency measures • An indication from Financial advisors that revenues would likely be used to support bond financing to maximize capital investments • Distributional impacts of the sales tax, including comparisons with the existing meals tax and whether potential adjustments to other taxes could be considered
50. 41 There were no further comments or discussions and Member Andrew Breton moved to forward RES. 2026-028 to Council with the recommendation to approve, which was seconded and approved: Ayes 2, Breton, and Lynch. Noes, 0.
51. 42 Chair Katherine Jordan left at 3:07 p.m.
52. 44 Kiley Kesecker, Deputy City Clerk, reviewed board vacancies and applications for the committee's consideration.
53. 46 A copy of the report has been filed.
54. 47 Chair Stephanie Lynch moved to forward the following appointment applications to Council with a recommendation to approve, and to continue consideration of one Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Inc., vacancy to the committee's October 8, 2026 Education and Human Services meeting, which was seconded and approved: Ayes 2, Breton, and Lynch. Noes None.
55. 48 Advisory Board of Recreation and Parks: Alexa Santisteban Aging and Disabilities Advisory Board: Mary Player Christopher Roberson Future of Workforce Commission: Noel Cortez Human Rights Commission: Drake Randolph J. Sergeant Reynolds Community College Board: Lisa Harrison Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Inc: Anna Aquino Mary Parker Maggie Walker Initiative Citizens Advisory Board: Kai Banks Christian Washington Richmond Public Library Board: Linda Pechin Samuel Runner
56. 49 Discussion Item(s)
57. 51 Amy Popovich, DCAO for Human Services, provided the committee with the following updates: • Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities moved into the Operations portfolio • The Office of Community Wealth Building moved under Housing and Economic Development portfolio
58. 52 • The Office of Neighborhood and Community Services moved into the Chief Administrative Officer’s office • Youth summer programs were underway, serving more than 1,200 young people • Approximately $300,000 dedicated for a housing stabilization pilot supporting individuals impacted by substance use • Approximately $47,000 dedicated for an emergency medical services partnership allowing emergency responders to administer evidence based treatment intervention • Approximately $76,000 dedicated to continue a resource mapping project • Justice Services Director Greg Hopkins appointed by Governor Spanberger to the Virginia Criminal Justice Board, making him the second Richmond Human Services representative to serve on a state-appointed board
59. 53 Committee members requested a future briefing on opioid settlement funding and noted plans to revisit family crisis funding changes at a future meeting.
60. 55 The committee agreed to cancel the August 2026 Education and Human Services Standing Committee meeting.
61. 57 The committee agreed to table approval of the draft Education and Human Sevices presentation schedule through February 2027, to allow additional discussion about future agenda priorities, including input from Council members and the community.
62. 61 Council staff provided the committee with the June Education and Human Services staff report.
63. 64 There were no amendments or corrections to the meeting minutes of June 11, 2026, and the committee approved the minutes as presented.
64. 65 A copy of the report has been filed.
65. 65 page break
66. 66 Adjournment
67. 67 There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 3:19 p.m.