Alexandria City Public Schools held its first public hearing on proposed redistricting changes on Monday (May 12).
The school board is considering three different plans to address capacity issues across the district.
The hearing drew dozens of speakers who shared concerns about potential disruptions to student communities, persistent overcrowding, and equity considerations in the proposed maps.
ACPS is considering three different redistricting plans – Square, Circle, and Triangle – each taking a slightly different approach. The redistricting process is set to be fully implemented by August 2026.
Many parents from Douglas MacArthur Elementary expressed concerns about the middle school redistricting component, which would split their school community between two middle schools.
“It’s been the long-standing policy of ACPS to keep elementary school kids together when they go to middle school. That’s good policy,” said Jacqueline Moyer, parent of a sixth-grader at George Washington Middle School and a second-grader at Douglas MacArthur. “Middle school is a hard enough transition as it is. We don’t need to make it harder by separating just one group of kids from the friends they’ve known for six years.”
Several MacArthur parents highlighted the multiple transitions their children have already experienced, moving from the original MacArthur building to remote learning during COVID-19, then to a swing space, and finally to the new MacArthur building.
Jason Osborne, parent of a sixth-grader at George Washington Middle School, emphasized this point: “In a number of years, we’ve been in three different learning environments in three different buildings, four different learning environments in three different buildings.”
Parents from Patrick Henry Elementary raised concerns about persistent overcrowding issues and questioned whether the proposed maps would adequately address the problem.
“We at Patrick Henry have felt stuck for years in an overcrowded and overutilized space, and year after year we come with the same concerns, but it feels like there has been no way out,” said Christy Myers, a Patrick Henry parent.
Jenica Patterson, who said she was speaking on behalf of the Patrick Henry community, expressed concerns about the boundaries drawn around their school in the most recent maps.
“The lines drawn around Patrick Henry appear to be gerrymandered to an extreme,” Patterson said. “In an effort to appease complaints from other schools, our attendance zone has been twisted and narrowed to the point that it no longer reflects a coherent or connected community.”
Several speakers urged the board to aim for lower utilization rates in the final redistricting plan.
“I would urge you to ask the consultant to give you maps that actually balance utilization, because none of them have done it,” said Jennifer Schneider, a Polk Elementary parent. “The vote and the choice that you’re given to make is which schools am I okay with overcrowding? Is it Polk, is it MacArthur?”
Kirsten Phelps, a Patrick Henry parent, raised concerns about the accessibility of the redistricting process for immigrant families and English language learners.
“45%, nearly half of the ACPS student population are English language learners. The ACPS redistricting website was finally translated less than a month ago, but the translations have never been an option for those accessing the site on a mobile device. And the maps themselves have been made available in English only,” Phelps said.
Several speakers also requested that the board consider deferrals for students who would be disrupted mid-way through their middle school experience.
Ellen Albers, parent of a sixth-grader at George Washington Middle School, advocated for allowing current GW students to remain through eighth grade. She noted her daughter, who has bilateral hearing loss and receives special education services, has “finally built a stable and supportive network of trusted teachers, therapists and specialists who understand her needs and help her thrive.”
According to ACPS, each of the proposed maps takes a different approach to redistricting:
– Square emphasizes balancing utilization, especially in highly overutilized schools like Patrick Henry, Tucker, and Polk.
– Circle tries to reduce transportation needs while still addressing enrollment imbalances.
– Triangle focuses on keeping students as close to home as possible, adjusting boundaries only where nearby capacity exists.
Maps presented as of April 22, 2025
The second and final public hearing on redistricting is scheduled for June 5. The board is expected to make its final decision on June 12.
For more of our coverage on redistricting at ACPS, visit redistricting.
