Alexandria City Council voted Tuesday to create an ad hoc committee to discuss possible Alexandria City School Board election reforms such as terms and the size of the nine-member board.
City Council’s approval allows the committee to discuss term lengths, staggered term elections and overall board size and composition. The action comes after School Board Chair Michelle Rief requested the joint committee to seek city charter amendments on School Board terms. Specifically, the School Board is requesting moving members from three-year terms to four-year staggered terms, with one member from each of the three School Board districts being elected each year.
The School Board is seeking the city charter amendment by fall 2026 so the Virginia General Assembly can consider it during its 2027 session. Vice Mayor Bagley, who made the motion to approve the committee, said it doesn’t bind the city charter process to the 2027 General Assembly session.
“I think it is entirely possible that a committee reports back in the form of a report and it becomes part of a longer dialogue that could be General Assembly FY 28, FY 29,” Bagley said.
Council Member John Taylor Chapman, the only member voting against the committee, warned that pushing for a charter amendment on that timeline may be challenging — and state legislators could make changes.
“Once that charter is opened up in Richmond there are many things that can happen with it,” Chapman said. “I’ve had a couple conversations with former delegates as well as former senators about the history of localities opening up their charter, and they’re not always good stories.”
Mayor Alyia Gaskins agreed with Chapman about the risk of opening the city charter.
“If we are going to take on that risk, what are we doing to take that on for the needs of the council and the specific charter changes?” Gaskins said. “While that is not mentioned in the resolution, I think we need to be clear if we get to this point, an evaluation of that risk but also what else the council needs should we go down this path.”
Chapman also challenged the push for staggered terms, saying it would prompt elections beyond the local election schedule currently in place.
“This body is choosing to step out of alignment with the City Council as well when it comes to election, and I think that to me is one of the most disrespectful things I’ve seen this board do for quite some time,” Chapman said. “You are now going to have voters voting in a totally separate schedule from regular local elections just because a couple of folks want to do staggered terms.”
Council Member Canek Aguirre agreed with Chapman on the school board term changes not having a direct effect on student outcomes.
“But if it’s something that they feel will help with the stability of their board, I’m willing to have that conversation as long as we’re also having the conversation about the reduction in size,” Aguirre said.” Because I do believe that the reduction will help with the stability of that body.”
Gaskins said the city’s general registrar has also noted timing concerns with changes approved by the 2027 General Assembly and in-progress elections. The School Board’s next election is in November 2027.
“At that point, even if they approved it, we would be so far into the start of campaigns that you couldn’t then create a new set of rules,” Gaskins said.
Aguirre disagreed, noting that 2027 School Board candidates would have time to announce campaigns after the General Assembly’s work in January and February.
The committee will be made up of two mayor-appointed City Council members and one alternate as well as two School Board members and one alternate. The committee’s City Council representatives will be Council Members Aguirre and Sandy Marks, with Council Member Abdel Elnoubi serving as an alternate.
Elnoubi noted the representation per School Board member is higher compared to regional counterparts. He said Arlington County has five School Board members and approximately 28,000 students, while ACPS has nine members and about 16,000 students.
“I’m going to be very clear — if I support this resolution, any recommendation that comes from the subcommittee that does not include reducing the size, I will not support,” Elnoubi said.
Marks said she would like to have face-to-face conversations on the election reforms.
“Who and why does this help, to what end? I’m really interested because I don’t have clear answers on that and I would like to know those,” Marks said. “I would also like to discuss the timing and why now, and those are conversations I think we can have better if we are sitting across the table from one other.”
The committee will hold work sessions from July to Oct. 30 and produce final recommendations by Nov. 10.
