It took months of community meetings and work sessions, and on Thursday (June 12), the Alexandria School Board approved redistricting maps for its elementary and middle schools.
The Board whittled down its choices to the Triangle 3 map for elementary schools and Option E for middle schools. Here’s what that means:
- Triangle 3 sends elementary students from study areas 165 (near Douglas MacArthur Elementary), 95, and 162 (both near Fort Ward Park) to George Mason Elementary School. George Mason, which is undergoing a renovation, is expected to boost its capacity from 420 to 670 students once it reopens in two years.
- The middle school Option E redraws attendance for the recently converted Jefferson Houston Middle School in Old Town, balancing overcrowding at nearby George Washington Middle School in Del Ray.
- Option E also shifts zones for Patrick Henry K-8 School in the West End
The Board voted unanimously on the elementary school plan, while voting 7-2 on the middle school plan, with Members Donna Kenley and Abdulahi Abdalla voting in opposition.
Since George Mason Elementary School will undergo renovations for two years, students in newly redistricted areas will attend school in a temporary swing space located at 1703 N. Beauregard Street.
“I understand that this then puts the 26-27 school year in a bit of a squeeze,” Board Member Ashley Simpson Baird said. “I also think the reality is, especially in the lower grades, there might be parents who choose not to send their kid to the swing space in kindergarten or enroll later.”
ACPS is required by law to conduct a boundary analysis every five years or upon the opening of a new school. The most recent analysis was sparked by the 2023 opening of the rebuilt Douglas MacArthur Elementary School, which now accommodates 540 students and has a capacity of 840 students (65% utilization). The analysis revealed over-utilization in the city’s West End schools, with Patrick Henry K8 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.
“This is one of the most complex and difficult decisions any school board can make,” School Board Vice Chair Kelly Carmichael Booz said. “We are redistricting because we need to realign our boundaries to reflect where students actually live, relieve the overcrowding, prepare for new buildings, and ensure that each school is well utilized and well supported.”
The School Board also voted to make its redistricting steering committee (made up of Booz and Board Members Chris Harris and Ryan Reyna) the “redistricting implementation team.”
The redistricting effort was met with controversy, with more than 100 parents signing a letter in protest.
“Yes, it was messy at times,” Booz said of the process. “When you do the work out loud, when you let the community in and when you adjust course based on the feedback, it’s not always smooth, but it’s real.”
The Board also voted to extend deferrals for Douglas MacArthur students and to allow students in Study Area 167 to opt for Francis C. Hammond Middle School. Additionally, it allowed middle school students in Study Area 167 to opt for Francis C. Hammond Middle School. A vote to allow siblings of students in dual language programs to attend the same school regardless of utilization targets was debated but failed 3-3-1.
