As Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) considers a new middle school redistricting proposal, a local parent has voiced significant concerns regarding its potential impact on students and established neighborhood cohesion.
The following letter to the editor from Kate Hennigan, a mother of two Douglas MacArthur Elementary students and a long-time Alexandria resident, articulates anxieties about the plan’s effects on school communities and student stability, particularly in the wake of recent educational disruptions.
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Letter to The Editor
As a mother of two children at Douglas MacArthur Elementary and a resident of Alexandria for the past 15 years, I am deeply concerned about the proposed middle school redistricting plan under consideration by Alexandria City Public Schools.
This plan threatens to divide long-standing school communities and separate students who have grown up learning side-by-side. At a time when our kids need consistency, belonging, and peer support, ACPS is considering a plan that does the opposite—sending friends to different schools and fragmenting trusted parent networks.
These children have already endured tremendous instability—remote learning during COVID, a temporary relocation to Patrick Henry, and now a return to the rebuilt Douglas MacArthur. For many families, this would be their fourth major transition in as many years.
And for what? The proposed plan won’t even solve the overcrowding issues it’s intended to address. It simply moves the problem around while disrupting the very communities that make our schools strong.
Douglas MacArthur is more than a school—it’s a close-knit community where families support one another and children thrive. That community continuity should be protected, not disrupted by arbitrary zoning changes.
I urge ACPS to listen to families and prioritize stability. Our kids deserve to move forward with their classmates and community intact.
Sincerely,
Kate Hennigan
Mother of Two Douglas MacArthur Students
Alexandria Resident for 15 Years
