Kimberly Gray, who represents the 2nd District on the School Board, said it was fortunate that the 5-pound piece of tile did not cause serious injury and “it could have been a lot more serious considering the weight of the tile and the height that it fell from.”

She said there are other “scary spots” like this in the building.

“It’s pretty much a result of 20 years of deferred maintenance,” said Gray, whose district includes Carver. “This is exactly why we’re trying to make the case for the facilities funding. We’ve got so many huge liabilities out there with the conditions of these buildings.”

“We need money to fix these things,” she said. “And we need it fast.”

Earlier this week, Richmond’s School Board voted 5-1 to move ahead with plans to overhaul the system’s outdated facilities despite concerns about how those fixes will be funded.

The revised plan calls for about $105 million more than a request that the board sent to Mayor Dwight C. Jones last week. The revised plan allows for new and expanded schools in the district’s increasingly populous South Side.