[Archived] City School Board Voting Districts to Be Adjusted ­­

For Immediate Release: February 11, 2022

The City of Alexandria invites the public to provide input on an Alexandria City School Board redistricting proposal. This proposal is scheduled to be considered by the Alexandria City Council on March 8, and then set for public hearing on March 12 or a later date. 

The Alexandria City School Board is a nine-member elected body that adopts policy for the daily operation of schools and sees that school laws are properly explained, enforced and observed. The City is divided into three voting districts, with three Board Members elected from each district to serve a three-year term.

Because the Alexandria City School Board members are elected in three districts, the City is required to review and consider school board district changes based on the 2020 Census results. School board districts must be substantially equal in population, compact and contiguous, with clearly observable boundaries; and must not be drawn to discriminate on race. 

The 2020 Census results showed that School Board District A has 56,160 voters, which is too many to provide equal representation. School Board District B has 49,507 voters, which is too small of a representation. Moving the AlexRenew precinct from District A to District B would balance the districts and comply with all other legal requirements. 

To provide input on this proposal, please submit comments by February 24. City Council will receive the comments at their March 8 Legislative meeting when the proposal to update City Code is to be considered. 

Additionally, on February 8, City Council heard the first reading of an ordinance to adjust precinct boundaries to correspond to new state districts and eliminate split precincts, as required by law. Virginia Code §24.2-304 requires that precincts are wholly contained within school board, congressional, delegate and senate districts, and that they continue to comply with overarching Constitutional requirements. Based upon the state redistricting changes, Alexandria will have one senate district covering the entire city, rather than the existing three districts, and three House of Delegate districts that each cover portions of Alexandria, rather than the two existing districts. Second reading and final passage of the ordinance is scheduled for February 12, to adjust four Alexandria precincts to align with the new House of Delegates district lines. 

Visit alexandriava.gov/126074 for more information about redistricting.

For inquiries from the news media only, contact Andrea Blackford, Editorial Communications Manager, at andrea.blackford@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.3959.