When school boundaries are changed, the biggest concern of most parents is that their child will be forced away from the friends and teachers they’ve grown up with. As Alexandria begins its redistricting process, the School Board took action on Jan. 19 to try and mitigate the pain of redistricting.
Students in fourth or fifth grade and their siblings can remain in their pre-redistricting elementary school for up to two years or until the older child transitions into middle school. Any family who wishes for their fourth or fifth grade student to remain at their school must submit a notice of intent to ACPS by Jan. 15, 2018.
Special exceptions can be granted to other students for a variety of reasons. Students in a K-8 program, dual language, or modified calendar will be allowed to continue in their school until those programs are completed. Students with previously approved administrative transfers can either remain at the school they transferred into or will be allowed to move into whichever school they were redistricted into.
The School Board will vote on the new boundaries at its Jan 26 meeting. The current recommendation will require 474 students to transfer schools.