ACPS School Boundary Redistricting
In June 2023, the Alexandria City School Board took steps to initiate a division-wide redistricting process by conducting a boundary analysis in accordance with retired School Board Policy JCE. The policy stated would conduct a boundary analysis every five years or with the opening of a new school. ACPS’ last redistricting process was in 2018 and the Douglas MacArthur Elementary School opened in the Fall of 2023. The summary of findings of the boundary analysis assisted the School Board with voting to go through the redistricting process. The Board subsequently retired Policy JCE to prepare for an updated version supporting the planned redistricting. The retired policy is available on Electronic School Board.
The findings of the boundary analysis revealed the following:
- More ACPS schools currently have live-in utilizations outside of the ideal range which will continue to exacerbate class-size discrepancies and increase capacity reassignments.
- ACPS has to be proactive in planning for future development across the City of Alexandria in boundaries that are already over capacity.
- Modernization of new schools will create capacity and ACPS should optimize this use.
- Demographic discrepancies exist in some schools that deviate from the division-wide demographics.
Overview
The redistricting process aims to update school boundaries to better serve our growing and changing community. This effort will help balance student enrollment across the school division, alleviate overcrowding, and ensure all students have access to equitable resources and opportunities. Through careful analysis and community input, ACPS will work to develop a fair and transparent plan that reflects our diverse community and meets the long-term needs of students and families. This process will strengthen our school system by fostering balanced, inclusive, and supportive learning environments for all students.
Guiding Principles
The following guiding principles will be used to guide the development of the boundary proposals, but the order of the principles does not specify their priority of the guiding principles.:
- Equitable School Utilization: Ensure optimal utilization of school spaces to support efficient use of facilities and maintain effective learning environments.
- Neighborhood Schools: Prioritize maintaining neighborhood schools to foster community engagement and ensure students have access to educational opportunities based on proximity, school utilization, and walkability/bikeability to further strengthen connections between schools and their surrounding neighborhoods.
- Demographic Alignment: Align school demographics with division-wide goals to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, ensuring all students have access to a supportive and representative learning environment.
- Capacity & Utilization Focus: Redistricting decisions will prioritize school utilization ratios, which consider class capacity, the number and size of classrooms, and class caps. These ratios will guide the distribution of students to ensure schools operate efficiently, avoiding both excessive enrollment and underutilization.
- Minimize Bus Dependency: Strive to reduce transportation needs by minimizing bus rides and encouraging alternative methods of transportation where possible.
School Boundaries
Timeline
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
|
December 2023 |
First redistricting meeting |
|
January 2024 - July 2024 (6 months) |
Select vendor through RFP to support scope of work |
|
March 18, 2025 |
Community Meeting #1 |
| April 22, 2025 | Community Meeting #2 |
| May 15, 2025 | School Board Work Session |
|
May 29, 2025 |
Recommendations for School Board Vote |
| June 12, 2025 | School Board Vote |
|
January 2026 - July 2026 (6 months) |
Families notified of impact on their student |
|
August 2026 - June 2027 |
New school boundaries for implementation during the 2026-27 school year |