The Alexandria City School Board will discuss a proposal on Thursday, Sept. 11, to transition Alexandria City High School students from school buses to the city’s DASH public transit system.
City Manager James F. Parajon recommends a phased approach starting in the 2026-27 school year, according to a June 20, 2025 memo to the City Council and School Board. The proposal comes after City Council members Abdel Elnoubi and Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley directed staff in January to study using Alexandria’s public transit system for high school transportation.
The recommendation will be discussed at Thursday’s School Board work session beginning at 6 p.m.
Alexandria first explored this concept in January, when Elnoubi and Bagley asked staff to study the feasibility of using DASH for high school student transportation.
The three-phase plan
Parajon’s memo outlines three phases:
Phase 1 would transition approximately 30% of current Alexandria City High School bus riders to existing DASH Lines 31 and 36A/B. These routes provide direct service to both the King Street and Minnie Howard campuses. ACPS would eliminate an estimated 10-12 of the existing 50 high school bus routes. DASH would add some supplemental trips.
Phase 2, anticipated for the 2027-28 school year, would add more trips to DASH Line 35 and other West End services. The West End has the highest density of current school bus riders. Some students would require transfers between buses.
Phase 3 would expand DASH service so that any student within a quarter-mile of a DASH stop could use public transit instead of school buses. This could cover more than 86% of current riders. It would require service expansions, new bus purchases, and increased operating subsidies.
Current student transportation data
Based on data collected by ACPS bus operators in March 2025, approximately 1,700 ACHS students currently rely on school bus transportation each day, according to the city manager’s memo. The analysis shows that roughly 86% of these students live within walking distance (quarter-mile) of a DASH bus stop, and more than 60% are within walking distance of Lines 31, 35, or 36A/B that would allow them to reach the ACHS campuses within 30 minutes.
Staff estimate that 31% of current ACHS school bus riders could walk to DASH Lines 31 or 36A/B, which provide direct service to ACHS without requiring a transfer. DASH estimates that ACHS students already account for approximately 2,200 boardings on a typical school day, translating to roughly 1,100 students per day who currently use the public transit system.
Background
A 2025 ACPS Transportation Study conducted by TransPar Group identified shortages of school bus drivers and found that less than 60% of the system’s overall bus capacity is utilized, according to Parajon’s memo. The memo states the city currently pays for transportation services through both ACPS and DASH, which could be provided by DASH alone.
The memo notes that the proposal aligns with environmental goals and could save approximately $1 million annually.
In January 2025, Elnoubi and Bagley wrote in a memo to the mayor and City Council that “We propose that ACPS collaborate with the City and DASH to evaluate the opportunities available in transitioning high school student transportation to DASH where feasible and beneficial.”
The concept has been discussed at City Council meetings throughout the year as officials explored the feasibility. In June, City Council received a detailed update on the proposal’s development.
Safety and services
DASH operates 19 field supervisors, 8-10 cameras per bus (14 on articulated buses), and coordinates with the Alexandria Police Department for incident response, according to the memo. DASH recorded one student-involved incident in fiscal year 2024 with nearly 400,000 estimated annual student boardings.
ACPS would continue providing yellow bus service for students requiring accommodations, those experiencing homelessness under federal provisions, and elementary and middle school students. Students not served by DASH would continue receiving school bus transportation.
The proposal includes integrating communication protocols with ACPS’s ParentSquare notification system and establishing procedures for delays, incidents, and emergency closures.
Implementation timeline
The proposal requires approval from both the City Council and the School Board. Implementation would begin no earlier than fall 2026.
Summer 2025: Complete route capacity analysis, detailed financial analysis, and safety compliance review.
Fall 2025: Conduct community engagement, including student and parent surveys, listening sessions, and pop-up events.
Winter 2025-26: Integrate DASH updates with ACPS communication systems and finalize implementation timeline. The City Manager would submit a proposed budget, including Phase 1.
The proposal must account for changes from ACPS’s ongoing school rezoning study.
City Council received an update on the proposal in June, when City Manager Parajon told council members “the initiative’s primary goal is first and foremost to make sure that, as a community, we provide safe student transportation. It’s reliable, effective, efficient. But most importantly, it’s safe,” according to ALXnow’s coverage.
Thursday’s meeting
Thursday’s School Board work session includes a discussion of the DASH proposal as part of a budget-focused meeting. The work session begins at 6 p.m. and is scheduled until 10 p.m. in the School Board Meeting Room at 1340 Braddock Place.
The agenda lists “DASH Discussion” as one of the two main topics, alongside the FY 2027 budget process resolution and the rules of engagement.
The meeting can be attended in person or viewed via Zoom through the ACPS website, on cable channel 71 in Alexandria, or on the School Board meetings page. Questions about the meeting can be directed to the Clerk of the Board at [email protected] or 571-329-7351.
Community members can share feedback about the transportation proposal by emailing [email protected].
