Richmond Times-Dispatch from Richmond, Virginia • B2

B2 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2014 RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH Have a news tip? During normal business hours, call our News Information Desk at (804) 649-6990. At other times, call Local News at (804) 649-6331. At TlmesDispatduom Read more news about your area by going to the Local News page on our website. Rkhmond Richmond schools show their mettle Schools budget gets tentative nod ment budget. "We've got some great opportunities ahead of us," Chairman Donald Coleman, of the 7th District, said.

den H. Sturtevant 1st District, said he was comfortable asking for increased funding, as long as school administrators were serious about following through with accountability measures. The board decided in favor of two of the more contentious items of the night. As has been the case throughout the budget process, the board spent a lot of time debating funding for the city's only charter elementary school, the Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts. The board decided to allow the school to increase its enrollment to 285 students next year.

That was below the 300 the school requested but above this year's cap of 250. The board also agreed to push forth with a plan to add seats to the area's two full-day governor's schools. Mamie Taylor, of the 5th District, strenuously objected on grounds of a lack of racial diversity at the school in Richmond, Maggie Walker. But the rest of the board supported the idea after Kim B. Gray, who represents the city on the Maggie Walker board, described measures that are attempting to address the diversity issue.

ZJ GKItytl rnCSCISpdtui (804)775-8179 BY ZACHARY RBD Richmond Tlmes-Dlspatch The Richmond School Board on Monday night tentatively finalized an operating budget for next year, but the plan is $4.8 million underfunded and the difference would have to be made up by Mayor Dwight C. Jones or Qty Council. "Usually, you send forward what you believe are minimum needs and let them respond," Superintendent Dana T. Bedden told the nine board members as they were debating items to add and to remove as they tried to get the budget in line. He warned against cutting too deeply for fear of losing items the system actually needs.

The board spent 3V4 hours debating increasingly nu-anced items delving as low as $50,000 here and there in a budget likely to exceed $260 million before reaching some consensus. The board will meet again at 6 p.m Friday to take a formal vote on the spending plan for the year that begins July 1. As was the case when Bedden presented an initial plan last month, the big item is raises of 2 percent to 3 percent for teachers and staff. To get to the final numbers Monday, the board did some tinkering, notably moving $3 million for a new timekeeping system and $1.1 million for new school buses to the separate capital improve Rickie Hopkins took over as principal last week. This week, teachers looked happier and more at ease, and students seemed focused on their lessons.

"This is what we want to see," he said, as the group stopped in the hall outside a class where the teacher was using a whiteboard to lead students through a lesson. "To be successful, you have to have the proper equipment." At John Marshall, Principal Beverly Britt spoke of overcoming the remaining obstacle to full accreditation: meeting the federal on-time graduation rate. "Academically, we do well here at John Marshall," she said. But 31 percent of students at the school qualify for special-education services, and getting those students prepared to graduate in four years, she said, is a challenge. Bedden said he'd like to see growth at every school.

"We know everyone is not going to make the jump (to full accreditation) in a single year," he said. "But that's not what we're looking at right now. What we're looking for is growth." Wilson said all of the lessons would come in handy during her year as head of the VSBA. "If we can't see challenges firsthand, we can't help," she said. Going on tour, she said, gave her the chance to see things that might be shared.

There might be a good program in Bristol that could work here, or something here that could work in Norfolk," she said. "What the state needs is someone to connect those pieces." BY ZACHARY RBD Richmond Tlmes-Dlspatch Kerri M. Wilson poked her head into classrooms, talked to students, teachers and principals, and looked at all manner of things educational good and bad. For three hours Monday, the new president of the Virginia School Boards Association got to see the best and worst of education in the city while walking the halls of Broad Rock Elementary, Martin Luther King Jr. Middle and John Marshall High schools.

"I'm hoping to get a better understanding of the different challenges faced by schools in the state," she said at MLK, which opened in January. "The VSBA is in the business of helping students and helping teachers. Being able to see some of these issues in person will help us as we try to help them When I go to advocate for our schools in the state legislature, I'll be able to do it from experience." The tour was one of at least six she'll make across Virginia. She was joined by VSBA Executive Director Gina G. Patterson and Gregory K.

McCammon, a Dinwiddie School Board member who is the VSBA's regional chairman for this part of the state. Richmond Superintendent Dana T. Bedden played host, but let principals at each school lead. "We wanted to show schools that have some challenges, but also schools that have some successes," he said. At MLK, he said, a change in leadership made a difference.

Tackling segregation, gentrification Crime and Police News TWo sought in aimed robbery near VOJ RICHMOND Richmond police are investigatmg an armed robbery late Sunday in the 1200 block of West Franklin Street, near Virginia Commonwealth University, according to VCU police. The male victim was struck in the head by one of two men he had just passed while walking. They took his wallet, keys and cellphone, VCU said in an alert posted on its website. Police said the victim was not injured. The assault took place at 10:52 p.m.

after one of the men asked the victim if they could talk to him. One of the robbers displayed a handgun, and the other hit him in the head, police said. The suspects were described as black males, one about 6 feet tall and 180 pounds in his mid-20s. Police said he was wearing a dark knit crew sweater. The second was described as being about 5 feet 9 inches and 130 pounds, with short curly hair.

Police said he was wearing a dark jacket with a vertical stripe on the sleeves, light-colored blue jeans, and was armed with a black compact Glock-style handgun. Police said they have increased patrols in the area. Gas leak near Cary, 7th prompts evacuations RICHMOND A gas leak caused building evacuations near Cary and Seventh streets in Richmond on Monday afternoon. About 3:30 p.m., Richmond fire Lt. Robbie Hagaman said the gas leak had been stopped and the evacuated buildings were being reoccupied.

Details about the cause of the leak were not immediately available. Officials blocked off a portion of Cary Street during the evacuation. Va. man sentenced in upstate NY. murder MAYVTLLE, NY.

A former Marine from Virginia was sentenced Monday to 25 years to life in prison for killing a New York school superintendent over a long-distance, online relationship between the school official and the man's wife. A jury in November convicted Anthony Taglianetti, 43, of second-degree murder in the 2012 death of Keith Reed, who headed the 440-student Clym-er Central School District. Taglianetti, who drove 350 miles to shoot Reed in the back and chest, did not speak before receiving the maximum prison sentence. An oral historian at the Marine Corps Museum in Quanti-co, Taglianetti was arrested eight days after the shooting near a campsite in Virginia. The handgun used to kill Reed was wrapped in a printout of an explicit August 2012 email.

Town seeks dismissal of wrongful-death suit HARRISONBURG The town of Elkton is asking a judge to dismiss a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the estate of a woman who disappeared in 2003. A hearing on the town's motion is set for Thursday in Rockingham County Circuit Court The estate of Rachel Good and Good's father, Cary Good, filed the $5 million lawsuit in October 2012 after a judge declared Rachel Good dead. The defendants are the Elkton Police Department, former Police Chief Richard Pullen and former police officer Adam Williams. Good, 20, was last seen Oct. 18, 2003, outside the Elkton Volunteer Fire Department From staff and wire reports Andrew Flrda, lyra D.

Robinson and Thomas E. Nowtki In "Clybourna Company production In partnership with Virginia Rap, BY JUUNDA LEWIS Special correspondent The time is 1959, and Bev and Russ' neighbor Karl is concerned that the new family moving into their house might lower property values. Bev, Russ and Karl are white, and the new neighbors are black. Fast-forward 50 years: It's 2009, and Lena and Kevin are concerned that the new family moving into Bev and Russ' former home may ruin the historical value of their neighborhood. Lena and Kevin are black, descendants of the first black family to move into the neighborhood 50 years ago, but this new couple, Lindsey and Steve, are white.

In the first act, the audience must consider the weight of segregation, and in the second act, weigh the effects of gentrification. Under the skillful direction of Keri Wormald, a dynamic ensemble consisting of David Bridgewater, Katie McCall, Tyra D. Robinson, Steve Perigard, Thomas E. Nowlin, McLean Jesse, Andrew Firda and, in a brief but poignant final scene, Daniel Allen masterfully guide the audience through Bruce Nor-ris' intense yet humorous journey a journey that boldly tackles some of the uncomfortable questions of race that many, if not most, people studiously avoid. More importantly, Norris asks questions that, outside the safe environment of the theater, might not be asked, or if asked, would, at best, be Trinity BY ZACHARY RSD Richmond Tlmes-Dlspatch Trinity Episcopal School Headmaster Thomas G.

Aycock will retire after next school year, he announced Monday. He'll be leaving 20 years behind schedule. "When (we) arrived in June of 1990, we thought we would be here for five years," he wrote in a letter to Phillip P. Tarsovich, chairman of the school's board of directors. "Then something unexpected happened our family fell in love with Trinity." fJYBOURNE PARK' Theater review At: Cadence Theatre Company (In partnership with Virginia Rep) at Theatre Gym, 114 W.

Broad St Whan: Through March 15 Tickets: $28 Into: (804) 282-2620 or considered insensitive. Set in a Chicago neighborhood, the play takes place over two one-hour periods 50 years apart. This is not a play to see if you are looking for light, thoughtless entertainment, but if you want to be challenged and to pick up some points on how to start a JASON COLLI PC Thaatra Put," a seat during intermission to watch the transformation of the set, so authentically designed by Phil Hayes, whose vision was completed with the artistry of Joel Ernst (construction), Sarah Stepahin (properties) and Irene Ziegler (set dressing). "Clybourne Park" is Cadence's offering for the 2014 Acts of Faith Festival, and there will be talk-backs after the shows on Sunday and March 9, and due to its strong language, may be most suitable for audiences 16 and older. Jullnda Lewis can be contacted at JdWancesyahooxom.

to retire written by contributing authors," Tarsovich said in a letter sent to the Trinity community. "Although Tom was not the original author, the chapters he wrote for the Trinity story are simply spectacular." In a statement released by the school, Tarsovich said, "Tom has created an outstanding academic environment with strong and diverse programs supported by exceptional teachers and administrative staff." ZlcKltgUlliWuKpaaCnJOIli (804)775-8179 dialogue on racism in America, then this is the place. The strength of the play is in Norris' dialogue-driven script under Wormald' sharp direction, but individual performances do stand out. Bridgewater' metamorphosis from the grief-stricken Russ of Act 1 to the brash and socially naive construction worker in Act 2 is amusing and brilliant. Nowlin and Robinson appear to be subservient blacks in Act 1, but re-emerge as world-traveling property owners in Act 2 while McCall's nervous housewife is reincarnated as a sarcastic female attorney.

It is worth staying in your er, head of middle and upper school admissions at another Episcopal school, St. Christopher's. At Trinity, Aycock' tenure was marked by huge growth. Enrollment doubled, to nearly 500 students in grades eight through 12. The campus added buildings to meet demand.

Additions have included a Science Discovery Center, an athletic center and a new stadium, and an overhaul of the Perkinson Arts Center. "Looking back on our history is like reading a great novel Episcopal headmaster But with his family now including grandchildren and having a full-time home at Lake Gaston, Aycock said it was finally time to move on. The school will appoint a 12-person search committee to find its next headmaster. Aycock is the second area longtime Episcopal school headmaster to announce an imminent departure since Friday. St.

Michael's headmaster, Edgar O. Hubbard is also leaving after next school year, ending a tenure that started in 1968. He will be replaced by Michael G. Turn.