The Alexandria School Board is asking City Council to use emergency funds to help preserve a $350,000 program that supports high-needs students.
In a joint letter to City Council, Chair Michelle Rief said the School Board is navigating difficult choices between staff and programming cuts. The request comes after City Council approved its Fiscal Year 2027 Budget, leaving a $5.6 million gap for the school system’s proposed $12.7 million collective bargaining agreement. Proposed budget cuts to fill the gap include reducing the partnership with Communities In Schools of Northern Virginia (CIS NOVA), which provides 10 bilingual staffers at Alexandria City High School, Francis Hammond Middle School, Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 School and Samuel Tucker, John Adams and William Ramsay Elementary Schools.
“Importantly, these staff members are hired, trained, and managed entirely by CIS NOVA, resulting in no additional administrative costs to ACPS. The impact on students and families has been substantial,” Rief’s letter said. “We understand that City Council’s adopted FY 2027 Budget includes an additional $329,056 allocated to contingent reserves for future use. We respectfully request that the Council consider providing these funds to ACPS to preserve our partnership with CIS NOVA and sustain these critical wraparound services for Alexandria students.”
The School Board letter noted the $350,000 serves as a local matching contribution that has brought an additional $814,500 in grant funding from the Ballmer Foundation, United Way, the ACT Foundation, and the Comfort Family Foundation. ACPS has been working with CIS NOVA since 2014.
“In practical terms, a $350,000 ACPS investment has generated more than $1.3 million in direct resources and support for Alexandria students,” Rief wrote.
City Councilman John Taylor Chapman said City Council will evaluate how to distribute the reserve funds, and ACPS could potentially receive some.
“I don’t think anybody can guarantee that they’re going to get all of it,” Chapman said. “In my conversations with CIS folks, I made them aware of that, that there may be other entities that they may reach out regarding that. Some of this is going to require ACPS to reprioritize cuts and what they’re doing so that they can take full advantage of this.”
On supporting CIS NOVA, Chapman added: “I think it is an amazing opportunity if they can pull together $300,000 to unlock an additional $800,000 in support and staffing.”
According to the School Board letter, CIS NOVA has this school year:
- Served more than 8,700 ACPS students through critical wraparound services
- Provided $176,950 in direct basic-needs support to students and families
- Generated 492 volunteer service hours
- Ensured that 118 students received free vision exams and glasses
