New School Boundaries for SY 2026-27

ACPS will send individualized notifications to families in their preferred communication language via ParentSquare and U.S. postal service the week of November 10, 2025. These notifications will detail each student’s 2026-27 zoned school, deferral eligibility and special program placement.

Check your email or log into ParentSquare to view the notification

The majority of students will attend their boundary schools at the start of the 2026-27 school year. Deferrals, or delays, for certain students are outlined in the updated redistricting policy and regulation. These delays allow students to remain enrolled at their current school for a specific time period. 

The following students are eligible for a one-year deferral: 

• Currently enrolled seventh grade students
• Currently enrolled fourth grade students
• Siblings of currently enrolled fourth grade students who have requested a deferral.

The following students are eligible for a two-year deferral: 

• Currently enrolled sixth grade students
• Currently enrolled Douglas MacArthur third grade students
• Siblings of currently enrolled Douglas MacArthur third grade students who have requested a deferral.

Additionally, students who are experiencing homelessness or whose school placement has been determined by a programmatic transfer or Individualized Education Plan (IEP) may remain enrolled at their current school.

The specific eligibility criteria, application process and deadlines for submitting a deferral request are outlined in the November 10, 2025 notifications sent to families. 

Read the Redistricting Implementation Regulation

We ask all families with a student eligible for a deferral to complete the Redistricting Deferral Form in order to confirm their school placement choice. The redistricting notification letter – sent to families via ParentSquare and U.S. postal service – states whether your student is eligible for a deferral. 

Any deferral-eligible family that does not complete the Redistricting Deferral Form by January 15, 2026 will attend the school assignment listed in their notification letter. 

Implementation of the new school boundaries is organized into five main phases: 

Phase 1: Initial Planning (June - August 2025)

• Develop the overall project plan.
• Identify critical focus areas for implementation.

Phase 2: Placement and Deferral Eligibility Notifications (September - December 2025)

•  November 10, 2025: Individualized notifications to families
• November 10, 2025: Deferral request process opens for eligible families

Phase 3: Finalize 2026-27 Placement (January - March 2026)

• January 15, 2026: Deferral request process for eligible students closes
• February 2026: Confirmation of 2026-27 school year placement

Phase 4: Operational and Logistics Preparation (February - June 2026)

• Coordinate logistics: Update bus routes, move materials, procure furnishings, and adjust security/nutrition plans.
• Manage resources: Reassign staff, finalize budget and funding allocations, and ensure resources for specialty programs..

Phase 5: Transition Supports (July - September 2026)

• Host open houses, school tours and welcome activities
• Collaborate across schools to ensure tiered supports and academic records transfer smoothly. 

View October 9, 2025 Redistricting Implementation Update

You must contact your school registrar directly. The school registrar is the key staff member who is responsible for managing official student records, including verifying and updating your official address and family and sibling information.

Contact Your School Registrar

The ACPS School Board voted to allow the elementary-aged siblings of currently enrolled fourth grade students a deferral to remain at their school for one year in 2026-27 with their 5th-grade sibling.

Additionally, elementary-aged siblings of current third grade Douglas MacArthur students who live in areas redistricted to George Mason Elementary may also be eligible for a two-year deferral due to the construction at George Mason.

A Redistricting Deferral Form must be completed for each eligible student by January 15, 2026 to confirm placement.

Most middle school students are not impacted by the new school boundaries.

Current Patrick Henry sixth grade and seventh grade students who live in areas redistricted to Francis C. Hammond in 2026-27 are eligible for a deferral to remain at their current school.

• Patrick Henry sixth grade students are eligible for a two-year deferral.
• Patrick Henry seventh grade students are eligible for a one-year deferral.

A Redistricting Deferral Form must be completed for each eligible student by January 15, 2026 to confirm placement.

George Mason is currently under renovations through the 2026-27 school year.

• Current kindergarten - second grade (K-2) students attending MacArthur whose neighborhoods are redistricted to George Mason will move to the swing space in the 2026-27 school year.
• Current third and fourth grade students at MacArthur whose neighborhoods are redistricted to George Mason are eligible for a deferral.
• Due to the capacity of the swing space, students currently attending Charles Barrett or Jefferson-Houston whose neighborhoods are redistricted to George Mason are scheduled to attend George Mason at the start of the 2027-28 school year. 

Yes. The ACPS School Board voted to allow currently enrolled fourth grade students a deferral to remain at their school for one year. 

A Redistricting Deferral Form must be completed by January 15, 2026 for each eligible student to confirm placement.

No. Students who are attending a school via a Programmatic Transfer are exempt from the mandatory return and may continue at their current school if desired.

Beginning in June 2023, ACPS engaged in careful analysis and community input to develop a fair and transparent plan that reflects our diverse community and meets the long-term needs of students and families. This redistricting decision-making process aimed to help balance student enrollment across the school division, alleviate overcrowding, and ensure all students have access to equitable resources and opportunities. That process is documented on the ACPS School Boundary Redistricting Process webpage. 

Review the Decision-Making Process 

One of the guiding principles of our redistricting process was to create neighborhood schools where more students could walk to school instead of relying on bus transportation. As more students are returning to their neighborhood school, they are now able to walk to school as they live within 1 mile of their elementary or middle school.

In collaboration with our City of Alexandria partners at the Department of Transportation & Environmental Services (T&ES), ACPS has updated our walk zone maps. These revised maps reflect the new school attendance boundaries established through the redistricting process and also incorporate extensive traffic and safety infrastructure improvements implemented throughout the city since 2018. 

The established policy itself has not changed: students are designated as walkers if they live 1.0 mile or less of their school for grades K-8, or 1.5 miles or less for grades 9-12, unless an unusual walking hazard has been identified or an approved exception has been granted.

With the new walk zone maps in place, we are consistently applying our existing transportation policies division-wide to support our focus on neighborhood schools. As a result of these boundary changes and this uniform approach, some students who previously rode the bus may now be designated as walkers.

No. While George Mason Elementary School undergoes renovation, all George Mason students will continue to receive bus transportation to and from their temporary swing space on N. Beauregard Street for the 2026–27 school year.

Walk zone boundaries are reviewed periodically and may change to align with School Board Policy EEA, school boundary adjustments, enrollment changes, roadway conditions and City infrastructure updates, as necessary.

Walk zones are determined in accordance with School Board Policy EEA and School Board Regulations EEA-R / EEAB-R. Under these policies and regulations, students are expected to walk to school if they live within these distances unless an unusual walking hazard has been identified or an approved exception has been granted:

• Elementary and Middle school: Within one (1) mile of their assigned school.
• High school: Within one and one-half (1.5) miles of their assigned school. 

After the new school attendance boundaries were finalized, ACPS worked closely with the City of Alexandria's Department of Transportation and Environmental Services (T&ES) over a seven-month period to carefully evaluate walking routes throughout the city using the most current data from T&ES.

This comprehensive review included an assessment of the following:

• Sidewalks and pedestrian pathways;
• Crosswalks and traffic signals;
• Traffic patterns;
• Crash and safety data;
• Locations with a history of pedestrian concerns;
• Recent infrastructure improvements; and
• Individual neighborhoods throughout Alexandria.

As part of this collaborative review, areas identified as presenting unusual walking hazards were evaluated and, where appropriate, adjustments were made to the designated walk zones.