Navigating ACPS Redistricting: Where We've Been, Where We Are, and Where We're Going
- Kelly Carmichael Booz
- Mar 16
- 7 min read
Updated: Mar 16
By: Kelly Carmichael Booz (District B), Christopher Harris (District C), and Ryan Reyna (District A)
As the three School Board members serving on the ACPS Redistricting Steering Committee, we want to provide clarity on where we are in the process, how we got here, and what comes next.
Redistricting is never easy, but it is necessary to ensure that all of our students have access to educational resources and that our schools can operate efficiently for years to come. The School Board has heard for years about the challenges of over-utilized schools in certain parts of our community, and redistricting is a path to addressing these issues. While redistricting alone won’t solve all building utilization challenges, particularly in our middle schools, it is a necessary part of building a stronger, more sustainable system. This process will be difficult, but by supporting each other, we can work toward a solution that benefits all students.
Where We’ve Been: Building a Transparent and Inclusive Process
The last redistricting process began in 2015 and concluded in 2018—the first time in many years that ACPS underwent a boundary adjustment. Since then, our policy has been updated to require a boundary line review every five years to ensure that school assignments remain aligned with student population trends and facility capacity. Additionally, we are currently reviewing policies that could allow for more frequent reviews to account for schools adding capacity and demographic shifts.
In June 2023, the ACPS School Board launched this division-wide redistricting process to establish new school boundaries for the 2026-2027 school year.
From the start, we committed to a transparent and community-driven process, and over the past several months, we have:
Gathered and analyzed data on school enrollment, capacity, and geographic distribution.
Developed guiding principles (approved by the School Board in December 2024) to ensure decisions are fair, data-driven, and student-centered.
Established key committees and community meetings to guide the process:
Community Meetings & Public Hearings – Opportunities for families and stakeholders to engage directly, review maps, and provide feedback on the process.
Redistricting Advisory Committee (RAC) – A diverse group of community representatives providing feedback to the Steering Committee and sharing updates with their school communities.
Redistricting Steering Committee – A leadership group composed of ACPS staff, MGT consultants, and three School Board members who guide the redistricting process and review data-driven proposals.
Strategy & Accountability Subcommittee – A School Board subcommittee focusing on redistricting policy, strategic planning, and budget alignment.
Board Work Sessions – These meetings are dedicated to redistricting policies, offering deeper discussions on how redistricting aligns with ACPS goals and policies.
School Board Meetings – These meetings include regular updates on redistricting, and members of the public can sign up to provide input. The School Board will make the final recommendation.
Guiding Principles: What They Mean for Redistricting
The School Board adopted the following guiding principles on December 19, 2024, to ensure that redistricting decisions are made with a clear and fair approach that prioritizes student needs. These principles will guide all decisions related to school boundary changes:
Equitable School Utilization – Ensure optimal utilization of school spaces to support efficient use of facilities and maintain effective learning environments.
Neighborhood Schools – Prioritize maintaining neighborhood schools to foster community engagement and ensure students have access to educational opportunities based on proximity, school utilization, and walkability/bikeability to further strengthen connections between schools and their surrounding neighborhoods.
Demographic Alignment – Align school demographics with division-wide goals to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, ensuring all students have access to a supportive and representative learning environment.
Capacity and Utilization Focus – Redistricting decisions will prioritize school utilization ratios, which consider class capacity, the number and size of classrooms, and class caps. These ratios will guide the distribution of students to ensure schools operate efficiently, avoiding both excessive enrollment and underutilization.
Minimize Bus Dependency – Strive to reduce transportation needs by minimizing bus rides and encouraging alternative methods of transportation where possible.
These guiding principles provide a framework for decision-making, but they also present trade-offs.
Redistricting requires balancing priorities, and sometimes these principles conflict. For example, keeping neighborhoods together may not always align with balancing school utilization, and efforts to align demographics may increase transportation needs. No single principle takes precedence, and trade-offs are inevitable as we work toward the best plan for all students.
Also, we recognize that defining 'neighborhood schools' can be complex, especially in areas where multiple schools exist within the same neighborhood. Our priority is to create attendance zones that balance utilization, demographics, and strengthen school communities by establishing clear, sustainable boundaries.
As we move forward, future iterations of the maps will outline the tradeoffs on how each decision aligns with the guiding principles.
Where We Are Now, Part 1: Reviewing Draft Maps and Gathering Feedback
At our March 12 Steering Committee meeting, we presented draft redistricting maps to the public. These maps are NOT final decisions; instead, they serve as starting points for discussion initially focused on the over-utilized schools on the west end of Alexandria. We are actively seeking community input to refine these proposals. Moving ahead, we will continue refining these maps and making adjustments that align with our guiding principles to ensure that the final boundaries best serve all ACPS students and schools.
We recognize that many community members are just now tuning in because maps have been introduced. This is a natural part of the process, and we welcome your engagement at this stage and any stage in the process. All meetings are recorded and available online, so if you are just joining the discussion, you can catch up on previous meetings and the factors that have guided our discussions so far.
The presentation slides provide key points, but they don’t tell the whole story. The discussions during the meetings offer essential background, explanations, and context. If you have questions or concerns, we encourage you to watch the full meeting before drawing conclusions.
Where We Are Now, Part 2: Policy Considerations for Redistricting
In addition to adjusting attendance boundaries, the School Board is considering several policy decisions that could impact student school assignments. For example, these policy considerations include, but are not limited to:
Programmatic Transfers – Should programmatic transfers be adjusted to consider projected building utilization, and should “set-asides” be created for specific programs?
K-8 Transfers – Should transfers into K-8 programs be eliminated, and should students in grades 6-8 be required to stay within newly created middle school boundaries?
Grandfathering Policies – Should the School Board allow grandfathering so a rising 5th grader, Dual Language student, or K-8 student can finish at their current school? Should sibling preferences apply only while the grandfathered student remains enrolled?
Enrollment Management – Should class caps be replaced with class size targets, capacity transfers be eliminated, and data-driven triggers be established for future redistricting?
Policy Consistency – Should K-8 transfer policies be aligned, sibling rules be clarified for elementary schools, and enforcement of school assignments be strengthened?
Transportation – Should the walking distance be increased? Should it be clarified as “door to door,” and should students in walk zones be allowed to ride buses if space is available?
These discussions will help ensure a thoughtful and sustainable redistricting process. We will continue discussion related to policy at our March 20, 2025 School Board Meeting and Work Session.
Where We’re Going: The Path to a Final Decision
Between now and June 12, we have a series of meetings and engagement opportunities to ensure that all voices are heard before any decisions are made. There are ten meetings where the community can provide in-person feedback before our final decision. Additionally, the public may email ask@acps.k12.va.us at any point in the process. We are also willing to join PTA meetings and civic association meetings to speak on the topic of redistricting. Every meeting is recorded and available for public viewing.
Here’s what’s ahead:
March 18 – First Hybrid Community Meeting @ ACHS King Street
March 19 – Redistricting Advisory Committee (RAC) Meeting
March 20 – School Board Meeting, Redistricting Update (Public Comment Available)
March 20 – Board Work Session (Redistricting Policies Discussion)
April 3 - Strategy & Accountability Committee Meeting
April 3 – School Board Meeting, Redistricting Update (Public Comment Available)
April 8 – Redistricting Advisory Committee (RAC) Meeting
April 9 – Redistricting Steering Committee Meeting
April 10 – Board Work Session (Redistricting Policies Discussion)
April 22 – Second Hybrid Community Meeting @ ACHS King Street
April 24 – School Board Meeting, Redistricting Update (Public Comment Available)
May 1 – Board Work Session (Redistricting Policies Discussion)
May 2 - Strategy & Accountability Comittee Meeting
May 8 – School Board Meeting, Redistricting Update (Public Comment Available)
May 12 – First Public Hearing on Redistricting
May 14 – Redistricting Steering Committee & RAC Joint Meeting
May 15 – Board Work Session (Redistricting Policies Discussion)
May 29 – School Board Meeting: Final recommendations on boundary lines and policies related to redistricting (Public Comment Available)
June 5 – Second Public Hearing on Redistricting
June 11 - Redistricting Steering Committee Meeting
June 12 – School Board Vote on New Boundaries (Public Comment Available)
Fall 2026 – New boundaries take effect
Moving Forward Together
Redistricting is a challenging process because it impacts families, communities, and schools in different ways. We acknowledge that no plan will be perfect for everyone, and individual concerns are understandable. However, our responsibility is to make decisions that serve the needs of all ACPS students, both now and into the future.
We encourage everyone to continue engaging in this process by:
Attending and/or speaking at public meetings and hearings
Providing feedback via email at ask@acps.k12.va.us
Staying informed through the ACPS Redistricting Website and reviewing the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page
Speaking with RAC members to share perspectives
Inviting us to speak at your PTA meetings, or civic associations
We appreciate your involvement and commitment to making ACPS a stronger school system that works for every student.
Kelly Carmichael Booz, District B Chair, ACPS Redistricting Steering Committee Vice Chair, ACPS School Board
Chris Harris, District C Vice Chair, ACPS Redistricting Steering Committee ACPS School Board Member
Ryan Reyna, District A
ACPS Redistricting Steering Committee Member
ACPS School Board Member
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