Joint City-ACPS Capital Planning Initiatives and Implementation

The City and Alexandria City Public Schools collaborate on long range capital planning relative to school facilities and community services. This page provides information on joint planning efforts and implementation.
Page updated on May 21, 2025 at 12:46 PM
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ACPS Modernization Projects

Alexandria City Public Schools and the City collaborate on the planning and development of school modernization projects.

George Mason Elementary School

Planning for this modernization project is currently underway and anticipated for City Council Public Hearing in May 2025. Learn more about the project by visiting the ACPS project website.

ACPS High School Project

ACPS and the City collaborated on the planning and development of a second campus for the Alexandria City High School at the former Minnie Howard school site. The project provides a range of public benefits including new Net Zero, LEED Gold public school facility with increased student capacity and modern amenities; a new indoor, regulation sized pool and training pool for school and community use; outdoor recreation amenities including a multi-purpose field, tennis courts, a basketball court and outdoor space for community and school use; improved stormwater management through the use of bio-retention areas, planted swales and below grade retention areas; dedicated space for Department of Community and Human Services, a Teen Wellness Center, and early childhood learning center; and enhanced pedestrian and bicycle facilities throughout the site.

 

Douglas MacArthur Elementary School

ACPS and the City collaborated on the planning and development of a replacement school with additional space for use by the City’s Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities (RPCA). The new school was designed for a capacity of 850 students in grades Pre-K through 5th grade, and includes a cafeteria, media center, gymnasium and art classrooms. RPCA continues to provide activities at the school with over 3,000 square feet of dedicated space. Other site improvements include a new synthetic turf field, a hard surface flex court, three new playgrounds, and landscaped natural open space. Several walking paths and sidewalks provide on-site loops for walking as well as two pedestrian walkways that provide public access to Forest Park. These recreational amenities will be available for use by RPCA and the public outside of school hours.

Ferdinand T. Day Elementary School

ACPS and the City collaborated on the conversion of a vacant office building into an elementary school for approximately 650 students in grades kindergarten through fifth. The school includes multiple innovative design characteristics, including the conversion of the upper floor of a parking garage into a playground. In 2021, ACPS completed construction of a new 8,709 square foot elevated gymnasium, innovatively constructed above the existing driveway. The gymnasium connects the existing building to the parking structure, providing enclosed access from the third floor of the school to the outdoor playground area located on the top level of the parking garage. The new structure consists of a gym, platform stage, music room, offices and storage, and achieves a LEED Silver rating.

In 2019, City and ACPS staff gave a joint presentation during the Virginia American Planning Association’s conference on the adaptive reuse of this former office building, which included discussion on lessons learned and recommended best practices for others going forward.

Patrick Henry K-8 School and Recreation Center

ACPS and the City worked on the planning and construction of a replacement school and recreation center to accommodate approximately 900 students in grades Pre-K-8th grade. A new athletic field and other features on the site were constructed following the demolition of the then existing elementary school building.

 

Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 School

ACPS and the City worked on the planning and construction of a replacement school and athletic field on the site of the former Jefferson Houston elementary school. The site includes play spaces, a basketball court and walking/biking pathways accessible to the users of the building as well as by the general public. 

Joint City-ACPS Facilities Master Plan

Background

The City and Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) work together to find solutions that solve for multiple needs within our community. Existing buildings require major investments and new recreation spaces, schools, libraries and public safety improvements are needed to maintain appropriate levels of service.  Alexandria is only 15.3 square miles with limited options in terms of land and the efficient use of public sites and facilities is key.

Following the recommendations of the Ad Hoc Joint City-Schools Facility Investment Task Force, City Council and the Alexandria City School Board participated in two Visioning Sessions resulting in the development of joint guiding principles and prioritized decision criteria providing a common framework for future decision making. This framework was used by both bodies to discuss, evaluate and prioritize Task Force recommendations. One of the priorities resulting from the Visioning Sessions was the development of a Joint City-ACPS Facilities Master Plan to guide informed decision making by creating a roadmap for future investment in City and ACPS facilities based on identified existing and projected needs. 

The JFMP delivers a long-range, integrated, citywide blueprint for public facilities to benefit Alexandria residents. It includes a framework that informs ongoing capital investment decisions, a baseline assessment of needs and future goals, and a roadmap to implement future investments over time. The JFMP helps City and ACPS leaders work together to plan for community facility needs and services, explore co-located and shared uses, and make informed budget spending decisions so that limited resources are used efficiently.

Meetings and Events

Resources and Information

Ad Hoc Joint City-Schools Facility Investment Task Force

Mission and Membership

On Thursday, May 4, 2017, City Council adopted Resolution 2775 establishing the Ad Hoc Joint City-Schools Facility Investment Task Force to oversee the development of a Joint City-Schools Facility Capital Improvement Plan and provide recommendations related to further capital project implementation. This work provided guidance to City Council and the School Board to help frame the City and ACPS Facilities Capital Improvement Program for FY 2019 - FY 2028 and beyond.  

A citywide call for nominations to the Task Force was issued for highly-qualified individuals who would provide expertise in fields related to the Task Force mission including Architecture, Engineering, Urban Planning Education, Facilities Planning, Asset Management, Construction, Finance, Business, Real Estate Development, and Legal. The City Manager conducted the review of submissions as specified in the Resolution, and with input from ACPS, appointed the following members: 

  • Lynn Hampton (Chair), Consultant; former CEO, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority

    Mignon Anthony*, Executive Director, 21st Century Buildings Program, Baltimore City Public Schools

    Elliott Branch, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Acquisition and Procurement

    Micheline Castan-Smith, Senior Project Manager, Paradigm Development Company

    Marshall Cook*, Former President, Education Association of Alexandria

    Dwight Dunton, Founder and President, Bonaventure Realty Group, LLC

    Amy Liu*, Vice President and Director of the Metropolitan Policy Program and Adeline M. and Alfred I. Johnson Chair of Urban and Metropolitan Policy, The Brookings Institution

    Dave Millard, Principal, Avison Young

    Eric Wagner, Executive Vice President for Insurance and Diversified Operations, MedStar Health; former Chair, Alexandria Planning Commission

  • Mignon Anthony*, Former Executive Director, 21st Century Buildings Program, Baltimore City Public Schools (Served on Task Force from June - November 2017)

*ACPS appointees

Final Reports

Implementation

Meetings and Materials

Related Plans, Studies and Information

Community Input

Joint ACPS-City Long Range Educational Facilities Plan

The City of Alexandria and the Alexandria City Public School System (ACPS) jointly developed the Long Range Educational Facilities Plan to improve facilities planning, accommodate the growing student population, and enhance educational programs and services. 

Phase 2 Overview

Phase 2 of the Long Range Educational Facilities Plan (LREFP) began in spring 2016 to address citywide high school and pre-K capacity needs, and was led by ACPS with support from City departments. As a result of this work, two additional chapters were drafted by the LREFP Work Group to include in the 2015 LREFP document created in Phase 1. 

Further information can be found on the  ACPS Long Range Educational Facilities Plan web page.

Phase 1 Overview

Phase 1 Work Group Meetings and Materials

Phase 1 Enrollment Forecasts/Demographics Subcommittee Meetings

Phase 1 Facility Capacity Needs Analysis Subcommittee Meetings

This subcommittee worked to ascertain existing conditions within ACPS educational facilities in terms of their appropriateness and viability as educational environments. It examined the factors necessary to develop a more robust capacity analysis methodology. Facility Capacity Needs Analysis Subcommittee Workplan - Phase I  

Phase 1 Educational Specifications/School of the Future Subcommittee Meetings

This subcommittee reviewed and updated educational specifications for elementary and middle schools and determined the upgrades necessary to bring all ACPS buildings and programs in line with the new benchmarks. Educational Specifications/School of the Future Subcommittee Workplan - Phase I  

ACPS ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL SPECIFICATIONS

The ACPS Elementary and Middle School Educational Specifications developed during this planning process were adopted by the ACPS School Board on January 29, 2015. 

SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS

Phase 1 Student Assignment Subcommittee

After discussing the student assignment component of the Long Range Educational Facilities Plan, the consensus of the ACPS School Board was to undertake this effort in a work session model with participation from all nine School Board members. 

Alexandria City Public Schools - Student Generation Rates

Initiated during the Long Range Educational Facilities Plan process, ACPS and City staff regularly update a joint analysis of the number of students “generated” by different housing types in the City. Among other insights, the analysis sheds light on how many students can be expected to be living in new development projects in the city.

Questions?

  • Katherine Carraway, Principal Planner, Department of Planning and Zoning, 703.746.3855
  • Sophie Huemer, Director, Capital Programs, Planning & Design, Alexandria City Public Schools, 703.201.4365 

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