Alexandria City Public Schools presented an implementation update Thursday during the school board meeting for redistricting changes approved in June, detailing how students will transition to newly assigned schools beginning with the 2026-27 academic year.
The redistricting implementation update was listed as a monitoring item on the Sept. 18 school board meeting agenda, providing information on the initial implementation of boundary changes the board voted to approve on June 12.
The redistricting affects students at multiple elementary schools who live in specific study areas being reassigned to different schools. Most students in kindergarten through fourth grade and new students to ACPS will attend their newly zoned schools starting in 2026-27.
However, fifth-grade students who have been enrolled in ACPS since the start of the fourth quarter of the current school year may apply for a one-year deferral to remain at their current school, along with their younger siblings. All students will attend their newly zoned schools by 2027-28, including those who received deferrals.
Dr. Marya Runkle, director of education and business applications, told the school board families can determine their status using the district’s online attendance zone locator.
“The best way for anyone to know whether or not they are part of redistricting is to go to our attendance locator,” Runkle said during the Sept. 18 school board meeting.
The plan includes significant accommodations for students affected by construction disruptions, particularly those moving between Douglas MacArthur and George Mason elementary schools. Students from Douglas MacArthur Elementary who are being redistricted to George Mason will receive enhanced deferral options due to disruption both schools have experienced from construction projects.
“Douglas MacArthur was in a swing space in prior years as their gorgeous new building was built,” Runkle said. Fourth-grade students at Douglas MacArthur who are redistricted to George Mason will receive a two-year deferral, allowing them to complete both fourth and fifth grades at Douglas MacArthur before transitioning to middle school.
Students from Charles Barrett Elementary and Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 School who are redistricted to George Mason will remain at their current schools for the entire 2026-27 year due to capacity constraints at George Mason’s temporary location during construction. These students will follow the standard redistricting timeline beginning in 2027-28.
The redistricting primarily affects elementary boundaries, though some students in grades six through eight at K-8 schools may find themselves assigned to different middle schools as a result of the boundary changes. Middle school students currently enrolled will be eligible for deferrals to complete their education at their current schools. Students in sixth or seventh grade will be granted deferrals to finish their middle school years at their current location if they were enrolled by the fourth quarter deadline. Unlike elementary schools, the sibling deferral rule does not apply at the middle school level.
Families affected by redistricting will receive individualized notifications through ParentSquare and regular mail during the week of Nov. 10. These communications will detail each family’s specific situation and available deferral options. Deferral applications must be submitted by Jan. 15, 2026.
The district plans to create more accessible versions of the implementation information, including visual aids and translations in multiple languages. School board members specifically requested that the attendance zone locator be made available in multiple languages to serve the district’s diverse population.
Dr. Marcia Jackson, who is overseeing the redistricting implementation, said the district will update its frequently asked questions document based on community feedback. The Strategy and Accountability Committee will provide ongoing oversight, with their next meeting scheduled for Oct. 13. The school board will receive a more detailed update on Oct. 9, following the Sept. 30 enrollment count.
Schools impacted by the boundary changes include Naomi L. Brooks, Ferdinand T. Day, Patrick Henry, Cora Kelly, James K. Polk, Samuel Tucker, Mount Vernon, Douglas MacArthur, Charles Barrett and specific study areas within Jefferson-Houston.
The redistricting was designed to address capacity utilization and enrollment imbalances across the district’s elementary schools. The affected schools include several that have experienced overcrowding or underutilization in recent years. The implementation represents the culmination of a multi-year redistricting process that involved extensive community input and analysis of enrollment projections.
Families seeking information about their specific situation are encouraged to use the attendance zone locator on the ACPS website, which shows both current and future school assignments based on the approved boundary changes. Questions can be submitted to [email protected].
The full redistricting implementation presentation and deferral eligibility information chart are available on the school board website.
