ACPS seeks 1% sales tax for school construction, end to School Board chair salary cap

Alexandria City Public Schools supports a 1% local sales tax increase for school construction, in addition to several other legislative priorities that will be discussed at a School Board work session this week.

The Board will discuss its legislative priorities at a work session on Thursday, Oct. 16, at 6 p.m. Those priorities include the 1% sales tax increase, which would require voter approval after City Council action, as well as access to education support regardless of student immigration status, and eliminating the cap on compensation for the chair of the school board.

The School Board chair currently earns $17,000, while Board members earn $15,000. Last year, City Council approved salary increases for the mayor, from $41,500 to $72,000, and for the City Council, from $37,500 to $68,000.

“We hold ourselves to a standard of excellence, where safe, welcoming, and inclusive schools are the foundation for student learning and growth,” ACPS said. “Success is the only option for the future of ACPS. No matter what other priorities we have going forward, our young people will always be the center of our work, decision-making, and mission.”

ACPS is seeking legislative support for the following:

• Authorize a 1% Local Sales Tax for School Construction Support granting all Virginia localities the authority to adopt a 1% local sales tax, subject to voter approval, dedicated to public school construction and modernization.
• Implement Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission (JLARC) K–12 Education Funding Recommendations Support continued implementation of the 2023 JLARC K–12 Education Funding Report recommendations, including reversing recession-era funding practices by aligning support position ratios to prevailing practice as part of the re-benchmarking process and reinstating the non-personal support category.
• Modernize Assessments and Accreditation Support reducing Virginia’s over reliance on standardized testing by adopting a more balanced, growth-focused, and performance-based assessment system that better reflects real student learning and progress.
• Advance a Balanced Accountability System Support a statewide accountability framework that prioritizes school improvement, allows for local flexibility, and includes evidence-based models that recognize English learner progress, student growth, and locally adopted assessments such as NWEA.
• Align Funding with True Labor Costs Support replacing the current Cost of Competing Adjustment (COCA) with a Virginia Cost of Labor Index that more accurately reflects real labor costs in divisions like ACPS.
• Compensation for School Board Chairs Support eliminating the arbitrary cap on additional salary for school board chairs to recognize the added responsibilities of this leadership role.
• Promote Safe Firearm Storage Support requiring adults to securely store firearms, with measures ensuring guns are unloaded, locked, and stored separately from ammunition to protect children and communities.
• Protect Access to Education Support ensuring public schools remain open and accessible to every child, regardless of actual or perceived immigration status, so that all students have the opportunity to learn in a safe and supportive environment.

On Wednesday, Oct. 15, the school system will also conduct a public forum on the upcoming budget. According to an ACPS presentation, the upcoming budget could cost the school system:

• $8.9 million to provide step increases for employees
• $2.9 million for a 1% market rate adjustment
• $3.01 million in increased health care costs for employees
• $1.5 million in non-personnel-related costs