Dawn Page, Richmond School Board representative for the 8th District, is now chair of the school board following Stephanie Rizzi’s decision to step down as chair.

Page, was elected in 2016 and again in 2020, is not seeking re-election. She will lead the board for the rest of the year.

At the start of Monday night’s meeting, Rizzi, who represents the 5th District, announced her resignation as board chair. She will remain a member of the board.

“It appears that the consensus of my colleagues is that I no longer serve as chair. And because of that, and because I do not want to be a distraction to this district, or to the work of the district, I'm deciding to resign,” Rizzi said at the meeting. “I want you all to know that I have been extremely proud of my work and that I have loved deeply getting to know each and every one of you.”

“But again, as I say, it is the will of the board to do this. And I certainly will not fight and I will do what is best for the continuation of this board. And I want to thank everyone — everyone who has supported, everyone who hasn't. We need to hear all of your voices.”

She said she will return at the next meeting in August.

Two of the other eight board members thanked Rizzi for her service.

“Heavy is the head that wears the crown... A perfect world we do not live in,” said 7th District representative Cheryl Burke. “At the end of the day, we know your heart is with every child in Richmond Public Schools and beyond. You've accomplished much. ... The decision that you've made, I don’t like it, but I know the choice. May you continue to move on and excel because our children and our city need you.”

Vice Chair Liz Doerr, who represents the 1st District, also thanked Rizzi for her service and said she has “put in a ton of high-quality and unpaid work.”

Rizzi hugged Burke left the meeting with her family.

The remaining board members then unanimously appointed Page to serve as board chair.

Page thanked her colleagues for entrusting her to lead the board for the remainder of the year.

“We all make contributions equally and make chair decisions,” Page said. “Leaders who embrace a collaborative leadership style actively encourage team members to share information openly. … That's what we will continue to do.”

Rizzi's resignation

Rizzi’s resignation as board chair comes after colleagues criticized her for what they termed a lack of transparency.

Tensions among board members regarding Rizzi’s leadership began to develop in late January when board members learned about a complaint against then-4th District School Board representative Jonathan Young. A 15-year-old girl accused him of acting inappropriately toward her on a December field trip. According to the report, obtained by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the attorney concluded: “Young’s behavior toward (the student), although awkward, did not violate (the School Board’s harassment policy).”

Rizzi emailed board members Jan. 30 to inform them that an outside attorney would investigate the allegations.

Other board members questioned why Rizzi made the decision to order an investigation without consulting the rest of the board. Young resigned from the board on April 12.

At an April 22 School Board meeting, board members began discussing potential changes to policies that dictate the board chair’s authority. There was confusion among board members about the policies that dictated the proper chain of command on the Young complaint because it involved a board member, and not a School Board employee. Rizzi said she did not violate policy.

“No one person should be making a decision in isolation because we are a board,” Page, now the board chair, said at the April 22 meeting.

“This responsibility should never fall on one board member,” said 6th District representative Shonda Harris-Muhammed.

According to Rizzi, Harris-Mohammed made the phone call last week to inform Rizzi that the board intended to remove her as board chair.

Rizzi was first elected to the School Board in 2020. Her colleagues unanimously appointed her as board chair in January 2023 and again this year.

Rizzi is running for reelection this November for the 5th District seat on the School Board. Her opponent is Mamie Taylor, who served on the School Board in the same district from 2013 to 2016. Taylor attended Monday night’s meeting.