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ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Alexandria City Public Schools students, families, and staff reported significantly more positive views of the division across nearly every measure on its annual climate survey this year, with one stubborn exception: transparency about how decisions get made.
The 2025-26 ACPS 2030 Climate Survey — the first administered under the division's new five-year strategic plan — drew 7,278 respondents, more than any previous version of the survey and more than double the high school student participation of any prior year. The results will be presented to the School Board on Thursday as a monitoring item.
Safety and welcoming up sharply
The most striking year-over-year shift came on the question of whether students feel safe at school. Among secondary students, agreement jumped from 54% last year to 76% — a 22 percentage point increase. Overall agreement that students or staff feel safe at school or work rose to 80%, up from 65% the prior year.
A grade-band gap remains: 90-92% of elementary families and staff agree their students feel safe, compared to 73-77% in middle school and 72-78% in high school. The pattern suggests safety perceptions track grade level more than stakeholder group, staff noted.
Agreement that respondents feel welcome at school hit what the division called an all-time high, reaching 89% overall, including 87% of students, 88% of families and 91% of staff. Ninety-one percent of all respondents agreed that adults at school respect students from diverse backgrounds.
Academic perceptions improve, engagement lags
Eighty-two percent of respondents agreed that students are receiving a high-quality education, up from 66-68% the previous year for families and secondary students. Agreement that ACPS sets high academic expectations for all students rose to 79% from 66-69%.
Daily engagement remains a softer spot. Only 73% of respondents agreed that students feel engaged every day, with secondary students reporting the lowest level at 70%. Seventy-seven percent agreed students are challenged academically on a daily basis — a pattern staff said suggests the work is rigorous but not always consistently engaging.
Staff relationships strong, central office support weak
Staff reported their strongest results on questions about workplace relationships. Ninety-five percent said they have positive relationships with colleagues in their building, and 90% reported positive relationships with their direct supervisor. Agreement that ACPS offers opportunities for professional growth rose to 76% from 62% two years ago.
But the picture darkens further up the org chart. Just 51% of staff agreed that division leaders are well-informed about school-level issues and concerns. Only 49% said they know who to contact in the Central Office when they need support, and 64% said ACPS does a good job of recognizing exceptional service.
Transparency the lowest-rated measure
Transparency about decision-making was the lowest-rated item on the survey. Fifty-eight percent of families and staff combined agreed that the division is transparent, but the gap between the two groups was significant: 68% of families agreed compared to just 48% of staff.
Effective communication scored better, with 70% overall agreement — including 76% of families, up from 64% two years ago. Among families specifically, agreement that ACPS ensures family feedback is included and valued in decision-making rose to 73%, a 17 percentage point increase from 2023-24.
Postsecondary preparation
On preparation for life after high school, 80% of all respondents agreed ACPS is doing the work — but students themselves were the most optimistic at 84%, compared to 77% of families and just 70% of staff. The share of students who feel positive about their futures rose to 84% from 62% two years ago.
Next steps
Staff said next steps include communicating the results more broadly, digging into the root causes of the continued focus areas through deeper dialogue with stakeholders, and incorporating findings into strategic and school-improvement planning for the 2026-27 school year.
The School Board meets at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 21, in the School Board Meeting Room at 1340 Braddock Place. The agenda and supporting documents are posted on BoardDocs. Residents can sign up to speak during the meeting or watch live on Alexandria cable channel 71 or via Zoom.
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