A new budget proposal at Alexandria City Public Schools includes nearly $150 million in funding to address the district’s growing student population over the next decade.
In total, the proposed Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget allocates over $340 million for capital projects from 2027 through 2036, including $149 million for projects intended to increase ACPS’ capacity, according to a presentation from the Alexandria City School Board meeting yesterday (Thursday).
The greatest undertaking is a planned $105 million overhaul of the 1950s-era Cora Kelly School for Math, Science and Technology that would expand the elementary school’s capacity to 720 seats.
The design phase is slated for 2028, with construction set to begin the following year. Other major capacity-related projects are as follows.
- Converting Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School into an 850-seat middle school, increasing ACPS’ capacity by 400 students ($30.2 million)
- Renovating Patrick Henry K-8 School into a K-5 school ($9.4 million)
- Leased space renovations to accommodate growth at Alexandria City High School’s Chance for Change program ($5 million)
These capacity projects have an expected lifespan of 30 to 50 years, according to the presentation.
The district expects enrollment to increase through 2028 “and then decrease slightly,” according to the proposal. However, this projection was impacted by a prior drop in enrollment during the coronavirus pandemic, the district noted.
“Enrollment already exceeds capacity in many of ACPS’s facilities and growth may increase in the future close to pre-pandemic levels,” the district wrote.
Elsewhere in the budget, the district proposes $190 million toward “non-capacity” projects, which consist of expenses like repairs, maintenance, student transportation and security systems. In Fiscal Year 2027, this includes HVAC repairs, textbooks, curriculum materials and $2 million in funding for “technology modernization,” including SmartBoards.
Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt presented the budget during the Alexandria City School Board’s meeting last night.
“Our aging school buildings are being transformed into safe, welcoming and modern learning environments,” Kay-Wyatt said in a release. “Investing in our facilities extends beyond the school day, creating spaces the Alexandria City community can share, enjoy and take pride in together.”
This year’s CIP proposal comes in at $51 million more than the City Council-approved budget for 2026 through 2035, according to the presentation, and is released during a time of expected citywide budget cuts.
In the presentation, the district maintains its proposal “reflects ACPS’s commitment to its partnership with the City in being fiscally responsible.”
“However, middle school capacity continues to be a challenge for ACPS,” the district wrote.
The School Board will accept public comment on the proposed budget during a public hearing at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13. Interested commenters have until noon this Sunday, Nov. 9 to register.
The CIP proposal will head to the School Board for a final vote Dec. 18.
