Members of Alexandria City Council and the Alexandria City School Board appointed to a special committee found some common ground as they met for the first time Tuesday (Aug. 25) to discuss School Board election reforms.
On Tuesday, the committee shared some agreement on increasing term lengths from three to four years. While there wasn’t any initial consensus on staggering terms, members will continue discussions at the next meeting and will also start dialogue on board size.
The Alexandria City School Board gave the green light to its $401.18 million combined funds budget on Thursday night, capping months of public meetings and conversations during what Board Chair Michelle Rief described as “an extraordinarily difficult budget year.”
“This year’s budget development process occurred amid significant uncertainty,” Rief said before the budget’s passage, “including federal workforce reductions that disproportionately affect Alexandria, slowing City revenue growth, continued inflationary pressures, the complexity of negotiating our first collective bargaining agreement and the delayed adoption of the state budget.”
Alexandria City Council took a step Tuesday (May 26) to consider changes to the School Board’s terms and the size of the nine-member board. The council is also considering using potential contingent funds that will be available in the new fiscal year to fund Community in Schools of Northern Virginia at Alexandria City Public Schools.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins received support from a majority of City Council members on the proposal to form an ad hoc committee on election reform. City Council’s request will direct City Manager Jim Parajon to prepare a resolution to create the committee that two City Council members would be in. Gaskins said the committee’s scope would allow it to look at staggered terms and other election reform items such as board size, timing of terms or representation. The two City Council members would work with two School Board members to bring forward election reform recommendations.
Alexandria City School Board members are asking the public to help push for reforms to the nine-member board, including staggered elections, higher salaries and more.
The clock is ticking, School Board Members Ashley Simpson Baird and Kelly Carmichael Booz wrote in a recent blog post. The pair wrote that City Council must act this year by beginning a process to amend the City Charter — a change that would need to go to the Virginia General Assembly’s 2027 session for approval.
City Council ignored a plea from the School Board Tuesday night, unanimously approving a resolution to change how the city appropriates funding to Alexandria City Public Schools.
City Council’s resolution directs ACPS, in preparation for the Fiscal Year 2028 budget, to submit estimates for funds needed through major classifications instead of a lump sum. The School Board asked that the move, which was introduced at a March 4 joint work session with City Council, be postponed as it restricts the school system from redirecting budgeted funds to pay for programs and services.
The Alexandria City School Board is asking City Council to postpone voting on a resolution this week that would change how the city appropriates funding to the school system.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins introduced the proposal at City Council’s joint work session with the School Board on March 4. The new system would authorize Council to approve funding allocations by major classification, instead of an annual lump sum. School Board Chair Michelle Rief says that more discussion is needed.
Alexandria City School Board member Kelly Carmichael Booz visited Minnesota last week as part of a project to inform educators on how to respond to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity.
Booz, who is from Minneapolis, visited the Twin Cities from Feb. 9-13, in the wake of the fatal ICE shootings of U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good and the widely reported drawdown of ICE agents there. Her project, a report for the American Federation of Teachers, aims to offer “resources and trainings” for school districts and unions on what to do when ICE enters their communities, she told ALXnow.
A proposal to create a new City Council/School Board subcommittee focused on Alexandria City Public Schools’ capacity challenges has won the support of a local advocacy group.
Save Jefferson-Houston (Save JH), which opposes the Alexandria City School Board’s plans to convert two K-8 schools into a middle school and elementary school, has voiced support for the proposal, which was offered by ACSB members Ryan Reyna and Kelly Carmichael Booz during a Capital Improvement Program work session last week.
On Thursday (July 10), the Alexandria School Board will elect its chair and vice chair for the 2025-2026 school year.
Last month, current Vice Chair Kelly Carmichael Booz announced that she would not seek the vice chair or chair positions, leaving the question of her succession open. Rief is currently supported by several Board Members for reelection to a third term, according to sources.
Alexandria School Board members sternly responded to recent criticism leveled at the Board and school system staff.
Without singling out the offending School Board member by name, Board Chair Michelle Rief, Vice Chair Kelly Carmichael Booz and Member Christopher Harris on Thursday night admonished Board Member Abdel Elnoubi for his comments at a City Council candidate debate on Oct. 16.
There’s 138 days until the Nov. 5 election, and there are just enough candidates running for an uncontested School Board election.
There are two vacancies in this election cycle after School Board Members Abdel Elnoubi and Jacinta Greene won their Democratic nominations for City Council on June 18. Additionally, two Board Members are not running for reelection, former Board Chair Meagan Alderton in District C, and Tammy Ignacio in District B.
