ACPS 2030 Climate Survey Reveals Rising Perceptions of Safety and Excellence

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) has released the findings from its first ACPS 2030 Climate Survey, conducted between Feb. 2 and March 1, 2026. Aligned with the ACPS 2030 Strategic Plan: Nurture. Educate. Inspire., the survey helps describe how secondary students, staff and families experience ACPS as an organization every day. 

The results were initially shared at the May 21, 2026, Alexandria City School Board meeting. This year’s administration of the climate survey marked a historic milestone in community engagement, drawing an unprecedented 7,278 participants, which is an increase of 3,721 respondents over the 2025 survey, thanks in large part to a doubling of secondary student participation.

The data revealed widespread, positive growth, with respondents indicating consistently more favorable perceptions compared to prior years across all areas. The greatest rates of improvement were seen in secondary student opinions reporting much more positive perceptions than in past surveys.

Key strengths highlighted by the survey results include: 

• Academic Excellence: 82% of respondents agree that ACPS provides a high-quality education and 79% agree the school division sets high academic expectations for all students.
• Inclusive Climate: Respondents highlighted robust teacher-student relationships. 
• Positive Staff Relations: Staff reported high rates of positive connection with colleagues (95%) and supervisors (90%). 
• Rising Safety Perceptions: Perceptions of safety increased across all groups, with an overall 80% agreement rate up 15 percentage points. Student perceptions of safety saw the most improvement, increasing 22 percentage points from the previous year.
• Community Engagement and Communication: Family agreement on two key metrics –effective communication and feeling valued in decision-making– grew by double digits over the past two years. 

ACPS is tracking key areas for growth identified through the survey as well. Areas for growth included stakeholder perceptions of transparency in decision-making (58%), division-leaders understanding of school-level concerns (51%), and staff awareness of who to contact in Central Office when they need support (49%). With preparations for the 2026-27 school year already underway, school division leadership will leverage these findings to drive targeted improvements through strategic planning and school improvement planning processes. 

Through the fall, ACPS will share detailed results and specific improvement efforts. The school division will also continue inviting students, staff and families into deeper dialogue about the stories behind the numbers ensuring community feedback continues to inform division efforts.

The complete ACPS 2030 Climate Survey Results presentation from the School Board meeting is available online.