This post is part of an ongoing effort to help our community understand how Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) plans for the future—particularly when it comes to our budget. Since our January post, Funding Our Future: FY27 Budget, part 2, which highlighted the Capital Improvement Program (CIP), we have had several sessions to discuss the ACPS Operating budget, and on February 19th adopted it by unanimous vote.

Meeting with Delegate and Leader Charniele Herring On Friday January, 23rd 2026, School Board Chair Michelle Rief, Board Members Abdulahi Abdalla and Alexander Crider Scioscia and Student Representative Darwin Salazar joined ACPS parents and students attending Virginia PTA Capitol Day. We visited the State Capitol in Richmond and met with legislators to advocate for increased funding for our schools, including: Changing Virginia’s K-12 funding formula from a staffing-based mo

Virginia’s school funding formula plays a major role in class sizes, staffing, and student supports in Alexandria City Public Schools. This explainer breaks down how the Standards of Quality (SOQ) and Local Composite Index work, what the state’s own research found, and why Alexandria funds a significantly larger share of its schools than most Virginia localities.