Kamras offered the same reasoning Wednesday. But despite releasing the budget after public outcry, he never acknowledged that continuing to keep it hidden could violate state public records law.

“The document does contain identifiable personnel information,” he said.

That argument for withholding an entire spending plan doesn’t hold water, according to state open records experts.

“I’ve never known of a budget that was entirely exempt,” said Alan Gernhardt, the executive director of the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council.

Kamras said he considered telling affected employees their jobs may be eliminated before the vote, but chose not to because of the uncertainty over whether the positions would actually be affected.

“That would be particularly inhumane to do that and have to change it,” he said.

The budget, which doesn’t contain a summary of the affected positions, had been made available to the School Board on Friday, three days before it voted in favor of the spending plan. The public had been given only a 31-page summary of the budget.