Alexandria city government and its public school system are embarking on a six-month collaboration to develop recommendations for increased funding from the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The team-up comes as the Virginia Department of Education is slated to start a two-year study on revamping the state’s formula for funding local K-12 public schools. VDOE will soon select a consultant and the project will begin in January.
Alexandria officials have long contended that the state formula has left the city footing most of its education funding.
“The [Local Composite Index] relies heavily on property values, income, and sales tax revenue,” then-School Board Chair Michelle Rief and School Board Member Ashley Simpson Baird wrote in a January blog post. “Localities with a high LCI are expected to fund most school costs locally; localities with a low LCI receive more state support.”
The members continued, “Alexandria has the maximum Local Composite Index (0.8000). That means the state assumes the City can fund roughly 80% of school costs locally.”
ACPS received $3,731 per student in state Standards of Quality funding in FY 2025, the lowest amount of any school division in Virginia. The statewide average that year was $6,978 per student, according to a report from Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission.
The city’s legislative director Fatimah Dandashi said that the city and ACPS will work together to develop a shared understanding of education costs, funding responsibilities and priorities.
“Our overarching goal is to move beyond our general concerns about state education funding and build a clear, specific, data-driven case for reforms that would make a meaningful impact for Alexandria specifically,” Dandashi said. “Through this effort, our goal would be to also strengthen working relationships and understanding of Alexandria’s unique funding challenges among the City Council.”
The collaboration comes as the city and school system are contending with multimillion-dollar shortfalls as they start their Fiscal Year 2028 budget talks.
VDOE is expected to start working on the study in January after selecting a consultant.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) is planning to incorporate recommendations from the study in her biennial budget presentation in December 2027, and has pledged to adjust the state’s K-12 funding formula before the end of her term.
Dandashi said the results of the city’s recommendations will be shared with Alexandria’s delegation to the General Assembly.
“Alexandria has an opportunity to help shape reforms that better reflect the actual costs of educating our students,” Dandashi said. “Under this work plan, the city and ACPS will work together to develop a shared understanding of education costs, funding responsibilities and priorities.”
Timing for the city/ACPS K-12 funding reform work plan:
- Days 1-45: City and ACPS staff would establish a shared funding baseline and begin discussions with the General Assembly delegation
- Days 1-90 (concurrent): City and ACPS should have a clearer understanding of the state’s formula-development process, opportunities for engagement and key questions to address through modeling
- Days 45-180 (concurrent): Evaluate potential reforms, establish shared priorities, and develop actionable recommendations
- Day 180: City and ACPS will present their findings and proposed advocacy priorities to the Joint City Council/School Board Subcommittee and the General Assembly delegation
Dandashi said that city and ACPS staff will now draft a letter to the city’s members in the General Assembly to outline their intent to work to find a “shared funding baseline.”
