Alexandria School Board Makes Final Redistricting Decision For Elementary, Middle Schools

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Last Thursday, the Alexandria City School Board approved new school boundary changes.

The selected boundary options were Elementary School Triangle Map Plan 3 and Middle School Option E. The new boundaries will take effect in the 2026-2027 school year.

Alexandria City Public Schools started the redistricting process in 2023 with a boundary analysis. That bound imbalances in enrollment and school utilization. ACPS has been working with MGT Consulting on the redistricting effort. Dr. Marcia Jackson, chief of student services and equity, told the school board that there were 20 draft maps created, and that was narrowed down to the two final options.

According to ACPS, the selected Triangle Plan 3 seeks to provide more demographic balance and better utilize the expanded George Mason Elementary, which will begin construction in fall 2025 and be completed in summer 2027. However, this plan would exceed the capacity of the swing space at 1703 N. Beauregard St. being used during construction. ACPS says a phased redistricting is needed with this option.

The Option E for the middle schools redraws the Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School grades 6 to 8 boundaries. School Board members Abdulahi Abdalla and Donna Kenley were opposed to this option in the vote.

"Redistricting isn't going to solve all the challenges at the middle school level. It helps mitigate some of that and spreads out some of the overutilization across the division," said Isaac Johnson of MGT Consulting. "This is just one step in the division's plan to help provide options for that relief. Additional capacity is needed, and I know the division is going to do its due diligence and seeing what other solutions can be added to help solve for this."

The planning acknowledges the anticipated plan to reconfigure grades, turning Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School into a middle school and Patrick Henry K-8 School into an elementary school.

"If the division were to move forward, as it is currently planning to do with great configurations, Cora Kelly [School] will be instrumental in absorbing the Jefferson Houston attendance area so that space that is going to be added there," said Johnson.

Reconfiguration plans are accounted for in the ACPS capital budget. For Jefferson-Houston, design, project management and other funds are earmarked in fiscal year 2030, followed by construction funds in fiscal year 2032. At Patrick Henry School, design and project management funds are scheduled for fiscal year 2031, and construction funds are scheduled for 2032.

The board also approved several policies related to implementing the new boundaries. The relocation of study areas 40 and 170 from Charles Barrett Elementary to George Mason Elementary will be, and study areas 35 and 172 from Jefferson-Houston to George Mason Elementary will be delayed until the 2027-28 school year.

Deferrals of the boundary adjustments will be allowed for select students who would be redistricted in the 2026-2027 school year. Fifth graders and their siblings would get a one-year deferral, seventh graders get a two-year deferral, and eighth graders get a one-year deferral.

An exception will be provided for Douglas MacArthur Elementary fourth graders. The school board approved a two-year deferral for MacArthur fourth graders regardless of where they attended school in kindergarten. Families had raised concerns about the redistricting plan splitting MacArthur Elementary's attendance zone between Francis C. Hammond and George Washington Middle Schools. The exception for MacArthur received support from all school board members but Tim Beaty, Christopher Harris and Alexander Crider Scioscia.

A motion to allow siblings of students in dual language programs to attend the older sibling's school failed. The motion only received support from school board members Kelly Carmichael Booz, Donna Kenley and Ashley Simpson Baird.

Notifications to families affected by boundary changes will begin in the coming months. ACPS plans to share additional updates over the summer as it prepares for the redistricting.

More information and the maps are available on the ACPS redistricting website.