Richmond City Council of PTAs outlined the BUILD SCHOOLS NOW initiative prior to the most recent School Board meeting. The initiative includes among its first requests a new Fulton Elementary School.

From the press release:

The BUILD SCHOOLS NOW initiative was born in response to the letter   
written by the business community calling for the elimination of the   
elected school board and is the people?s cry to leadership to end   
fighting and finger pointing and make a capital investment in public   
education.

The BUILD SCHOOLS NOW initiative is the creation of a coalition to   
begin a public movement on behalf of  the children in Richmond City   
Public Schools that calls for the groundbreaking and development of   
new schools as the first phase towards enhancing the public school   
system.  On November 5, 2007, at 5:15pm you are invited to come and   
meet the organizational and community leaders of this coalition.  At   
this press conference we will share details of our plans to end   
political in-fighting and advance educational opportunities for our   
children and move this city towards a new vision for public education.

We are calling on the leadership of this city to make good on its   
promises.  These promises began as early as 2001 with the Facility   
Study conducted by the RPS system, in addition to the City of the   
Future plan developed in 2006, by the Mayor and City Administration.   
To date all promises have gone unfulfilled.  Phase One of BUILD   
SCHOOLS NOW provides for new and improved facilities beginning with   
the following:

A.  New Fulton Elementary School - the 2001 Facility Study showed over   
300 students attending elementary schools live in the Fulton areas,   
and if an elementary school were built in that community, many of   
these students would attend that community school.
B.  New Huguenot High School - addresses the issues of the lack of   
high quality middle and high schools to reverse the negative trend of   
losing middle class families from public schools after elementary   
school.

CONTACT INFORMATION - ART BURTON (804)467-6408

C.  New Summerhill and Broad Rock Elementary Schools  - addresses the   
issue of out-dated school buildings and shifting population south of   
the river.
D.  Richmond Technical Center - addresses the business community need   
to have high school graduates who are prepared to enter the workforce.

These locations were largely selected as a result of the Facility   
Study recommendations; however, being aware of the recent draft   
Facility Study provided to the School Board which gives consideration   
to other schools and considering necessary funding, the BUILD SCHOOLS   
NOW initiative includes necessary flexibility to address the most   
important needs for all students and what should be the most   
reasonable course of action.

The BUILD SCHOOLS NOW initiative also has two other critical   
components that should be introduced in the beginning phase.  These   
two components are:

1.  Local School Councils - individuals should be selected from local   
unit PTAs, parents, community leaders, business leaders, school board,   
school administrators and teachers, and city officials to provide a   
voice for all stakeholders during the creation and implementation of   
projects relating to new school facilities, including; but not limited   
to, the building design and identification of curriculums and programs.
2.  Fiduciary Control Board - individuals selected from the same   
groups as identified in item 1 to have the responsibility of financial   
accountability to allow for a third-party check and balance system.

The BUILD SCHOOLS NOW initiative opens the door for collaboration   
between all stakeholders committed to ensuring a 21st Century public   
education system that allows equal access and success for all children   
in the city of Richmond. To do any good for the public education   
system we must have a clear and specific discussion of the only things   
that really matter - children and classrooms.  No plan to improve the   
schools can succeed without input from the parents - and parents must   
be included from the beginning.

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CONTACT INFORMATION - ART BURTON (804)467-6408