Re “Grim: State accreditation and dropout data, recent audits reveal problems that have long plagued Richmond Public Schools,” Free Press Oct. 4-6 edition:

For about the last 40 years, we have been throwing money at our school “problem” with the same failing result.

Richmond now spends more than twice the state average on a per student basis with the same failing results year after year.

Maybe we have not been addressing the “problem” but only the symptoms of the “problem.” That would indicate that we haven’t known the “problem.”

The Free Press article seems to have identified the real problem. Those schools that require parental involvement are the successful, accredited schools.

We can imply from that the other schools do not have adequate parental involvement or that a family structure is not there to support the students.

Northern Virginia schools have found the answer to that situation is to use restorative justice in the school system. Armstrong High School had the restorative justice program for a year and a half, according to state statistics, with amazing results.

Why isn’t the Richmond School Board using a proven, successful system to restore our failing schools to accredited status?

ERIC W. JOHNSON

Richmond