Alexandria City Public Schools is advancing its school boundary redistricting process with three proposed plans aimed at balancing student enrollment and improving school capacity utilization across the district.
The Redistricting Steering Committee will review the “Green,” “Blue,” and “Purple” plans during its March 12 meeting, which is scheduled for 3 p.m. in the School Board Meeting Room.
Each scenario offers different approaches to addressing capacity challenges while considering neighborhood school priorities.
One presentation slide explaining the redistricting overview states, “Serve our growing and changing community by addressing school capacity and utilization. “Balance student enrollment, address overutilization, and ensure all students have access to equitable resources and opportunities.”
According to the presentation, the redistricting process focuses on realigning elementary and middle school boundaries to better balance enrollment and improve facility utilization. The School Board will make a final vote on the proposed changes on June 12, and the new boundaries will take effect at the start of the 2026-27 school year.
According to the presentation, current data shows significant imbalances in school utilization rates. Patrick Henry K8 currently operates at 152% capacity for its elementary grades, while Cora Kelly is at just 67% capacity. Similarly, George Washington Middle School operates at 126% capacity.
The committee is working with five guiding principles adopted by the School Board in December 2024: equitable school utilization, neighborhood schools, demographic alignment, capacity and utilization focus, and minimizing bus dependency.
“Criteria may conflict with one another,” notes the presentation. “Criteria is not ranked.”
The three proposed plans each take different approaches to solving the utilization challenges:
A draft of The Green Plan emphasizes neighborhood schools while addressing utilization issues.
A draft of The Blue Plan solves utilization challenges but moves students further from neighborhood schools.
The Purple Plan addresses utilization issues at Naomi L. Brooks Elementary, while considering future grade configuration changes at Jefferson Houston.
The presentation notes that simply redistricting based on proximity to schools would not balance utilization, with some schools like Samuel W. Tucker potentially reaching 230% capacity. Conversely, redistricting solely based on capacity utilization would likely increase transportation needs and undermine neighborhood school priorities.
“Acceptable scenarios will require compromise of all the guiding principles,” the presentation states.
The Redistricting Advisory Committee (RAC), formerly called the Community Review Committee, plays a key role in the process by sharing information with the community and gathering feedback.
“Inform, Not Influence – Your role is to share factual information with your community, not advocate for specific boundary changes,” the presentation reminds RAC members. “Gather, Not Guide – Your job is to relay community questions and concerns, not to shape or sway decisions.”
The School Board’s final decision will be based on student enrollment projections, capacity and facility utilization, geographic and transportation considerations, legal and policy guidelines, and equity and community impact.
The redistricting process timeline shows that after the boundary options and policies are developed between February and May 2025, the School Board will adopt boundaries and policies in June 2025. Families will be notified of adjusted boundaries between July 2025 and August 2026, with implementation occurring in August 2026.
A hybrid community meeting is scheduled for March 18 from 6-7:30 p.m. at Alexandria City High School’s King Street Campus, with virtual participation available via Zoom. An additional RAC meeting is set for March 19, and another community engagement meeting is planned for April 22.
“Keep families and the community informed about the process,” the presentation advises RAC members. “Present the data being used for creating boundary scenarios. Remain transparent about how the guiding principles are being used to make decisions.”
Community members can stay informed by visiting the ACPS School Boundary Redistricting webpage and can direct questions to [email protected].
The redistricting process is led by Dr. Marcia Jackson, Chief of Student Services and Equity, under the direction of Superintendent Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt and the School Board.
