As options are whittled down, the public has its last chance on Thursday night (June 5) to weigh in on proposed redistricting changes for Alexandria City Public Schools.
Months of discussion have led to this point, and the School Board is conducting its second public hearing on the proposed maps. The School Board will make its final decision on redistricting at its meeting on June 12. The new boundaries will go into effect in August 2026.
School Board Vice Chair Kelly Carmichael Booz provided an update on the latest developments from the Board’s Strategy and Accountability Committee on June 3. On May 29, the committee decided to eliminate the Circle Plan, leaving two redistricting options — Triangle 2 and Triangle 3.
Booz said that the remaining options aren’t perfect.
“Concerns about demographic balance, overutilization in the West End, and neighborhood cohesion ultimately led to the decision,” Booz said.
Booz writes that Triangle 2 offers a “strong balance across demographics, utilization, and walkability; carefully sized to fit George Mason students in the swing space when construction begins,” and that, while similar, Triangle 3 “extends the George Mason boundary slightly further to increase long-term utilization of the new building, which opens in 2027.”
The last shift of elementary school boundaries occurred six years ago, affecting approximately 1,351 students, according to ACPS. The school system is required by law to conduct a formal boundary analysis every five years or after a school opening. The current boundary shift is the result of the 2023 opening of the rebuilt Douglas MacArthur Elementary School, which has a capacity of 840 students and currently accommodates 540 students (65% utilization).
A 2023 ACPS boundary analysis revealed overutilization in the city’s West End schools, with Patrick Henry K-8 School at 152% utilization, Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School at 122%, Charles Barrett Elementary School at 109%, and Ferdinand T. Day Elementary School at 106% utilization.
Middle Schools
The elementary school boundaries will have a ripple effect on the city’s middle schools. Below are the remaining middle school boundary shift proposals up for consideration.
Option B: Keep current middle school boundaries in place (status quo), except for aligning newly zoned K–8 students.
Option C: Redraw the middle school line near Quaker Lane to balance enrollment between GW and Hammond. Reduces bus eligibility but creates more disruption to current patterns.
Option E: Similar to Option B, but with additional tweaks to Jefferson-Houston and Patrick Henry’s middle school zones to better distribute enrollment.
Booz said that no option will fully alleviate middle school overcrowding.
“Even the most balanced plans would still leave both GW (George Washington) and Hammond hovering around 120% utilization,” Booz said. “However, redistricting can help alleviate strain while we collaborate with the City Council on long-term solutions, such as adding additional middle school seats.”
