Welcome to the New ACPS School Board Website

Where We’ve Been and What Comes Next

By: Kelly Carmichael Booz (District B) and Alex Scioscia (District B)

Welcome to the Alexandria City Public Schools School Board website.

This space was created to help keep our community informed about what the School Board is working on, why it matters, and where things are headed.

The work of the School Board happens across meetings, work sessions, committees, and community conversations. We know that most people don’t have the time or desire to attend every meeting, watch hours of recordings, or read through full board packets. That’s why you elect us: to do the work on behalf of Alexandria and to be accountable for the decisions we make.

This site is one way we’re trying to make that work more visible and easier to follow.

Here, you’ll find context around how our policy, planning, and student-centered decisions are shaped, how we got to where we are, and what’s coming next.

How This Site Came to Be

This website grew out of feedback we received during the elementary school redistricting process.

During that work, some Board members shared plain-language updates on their personal websites to help explain complex maps, timelines, and policy decisions. Many community members told us those updates were helpful because they made a complicated process easier to follow and easier to understand.

That feedback made something clear: the value wasn’t in where the information lived, but in how it was shared.

Rather than continuing to rely on individual Board member websites, the School Board decided to create a Board-managed, centralized space where this kind of context and explanation could live consistently, regardless of who is serving on the Board at any given time.

This site is our effort to take what worked during redistricting and make it more accessible, more sustainable, and easier for the entire community to find.

What You’ll Find Here

This site focuses on the work and decision-making of the School Board as a governing body. Content may include:

Major Board Decisions

Plain-language explainers and updates on significant topics, including:

• Background and timelines

• Non-confidential materials the Board is reviewing

• Community feedback shared with the Board

• Relevant progress updates

• Vote results and next steps

Board Areas of Responsibility

Information about parts of the Board’s work that don’t always get much attention, such as:

• Board Advisory Committees

• Student Representatives to the Board

Celebrations & Spotlights

Recognition of ACPS students, staff, community members, and partners doing meaningful work in our schools and city.

Community Awareness (Non-ACPS Activities)

Information that may be helpful to families and residents, such as:

• Upcoming elections

• Civic engagement opportunities

• Community events related to public education

Committee Updates

Updates from Board committees on initiatives they are leading or monitoring.

Chair Statements

Official statements from the School Board Chair reflecting the position of the full Board on identified topics.

How We Communicate

Our goal is to share information that is:

• Clear and understandable

• Factual and reflective of Board actions

• Constructive and respectful

• Relevant and timely

• Helpful to the broader community, not just those who closely follow Board meetings

When we summarize complex issues, we aim to explain them in plain language and link back to the original materials whenever possible.

What You Won’t Find Here

To keep this site focused, transparent, and appropriate for a Board-managed platform, you will not find:

• Personal blogs or opinion pieces from individual Board members

• Individual perspectives presented as Board consensus

• Content supporting the campaigns of individual Board members or political parties

  • (General reminders, such as encouraging people to vote, are permitted.)

• Content that directly conflicts with or calls into question other official ACPS publications

• Disclosure of confidential information, including:

  • Personnel records

  • Identifiable student information without written permission

  • Information protected under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), such as legal advice, closed meeting discussions, safety and security plans, medical records, or personnel investigations

• False or misleading information

While healthy disagreement is part of public service, this site focuses on process and outcomes, not arguments.

During School Board Election Season

To ensure the site remains focused on Board work rather than individual campaigns, we will follow a clear approach during election season.

Once the June filing deadline passes and Board members are certified as candidates through the November election, personal statements by those members will pause.

During this period, the site will focus on:

• Committee updates

• Key votes and major topics

• Topic explainers

• Official statements from the Board Chair on behalf of the full Board

Have Feedback?

Have ideas for how this site could be more useful? Is there a topic you’d like us to explain or revisit?

We welcome your feedback and suggestions. This site exists to serve the Alexandria community, and your input helps us improve it.

A Note on Board Collaboration

To comply with Virginia’s open meeting and sunshine laws, the School Board Chair appoints two Board members as Site Co-Editors.

When a post reflects committee work, one member may draft it and invite co-signers. Posts are not written collaboratively by the full Board outside of public meetings.

This site is managed by the School Board Office and is governed by Policy BGA in BoardDocs.