~ Long-term issues to be addressed as work continues ~ The Mayor’s Schools Accountability and Efficiency Review Task Force today completed the first phase of its review of the Richmond Public Schools’ budget gap of $23.8 million, and closed the gap with recommendations that exempted teacher layoffs and focused on non-instructional efficiencies. In its report the Task Force prioritized efficiencies in non-instructional programs and recommended several areas for managed competition. Some managed competition initiatives could take more than a year to implement, but will provide for long-term savings. The recommendations include, in part:  -  Immediate hiring freeze to place the decision of filling each position subject to the review and approval by the Superintendent; -   Reduction of 50 non-teacher positions across the school system, of which up to 27 are vacant;   -  Immediate in-house reform of transportation to reduce the number of rou...