PTAC, ACPS to host budget forum Feb. 9 as FY 2027 cycle kicks off
Interactive session will let families engage directly with district staff on school funding
Update - This has been rescheduled from February 3 to February 9.
The Alexandria PTA Council and Alexandria City Public Schools are inviting families to a budget education forum on February 3 at Douglas MacArthur Elementary School. As of Jan. 8, 180 people had rsvp’d on the website.
The event comes as budget season officially begins. Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt will unveil her proposed fiscal year 2027 Combined Funds Budget at Thursday’s School Board meeting, launching weeks of work sessions and public hearings before a final adoption vote.
The forum, titled “Partnering for Progress: Understanding the ACPS Budget,” will give parents a chance to dig into the details less than two weeks after the superintendent’s proposal goes public. The session runs from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the school cafeteria at 1101 Janney’s Lane, with pizza served starting at 6 p.m. Interpretation will be available in Amharic, Arabic, Dari, and Spanish.
Organizers emphasized that the forum will not be a traditional presentation. Instead, participants will rotate every 15 minutes through small-group conversations with ACPS staff on three key topics: instructional excellence, recruitment and retention, and mental health support.
“This is not a presentation, but an opportunity to engage directly with ACPS staff in small-group conversations,” the district wrote in a social media post promoting the event.
FY 2026 budget context
The School Board approved a $395.2 million FY 2026 Combined Funds Budget last year, with the operating budget totaling $366.2 million—a 4.6% increase from the previous fiscal year. Key investments included a step increase and 1% market rate adjustment for eligible employees, additional English Learner teacher positions, and increases in Student Support Team staffing, including school psychologists and social workers.
During city budget deliberations last spring, PTAC President Catie Brownback told City Council that while she acknowledged the difficult fiscal environment, “there’s a limit to how much more a school system can do with less when the enrollment is going up.”
Looking ahead to FY 2027
The School Board approved a 10-year Capital Improvement Program budget of $282,272,900 for fiscal years 2027-36 in December, including major projects like the modernization of Cora Kelly School and school conversions at Jefferson-Houston and Patrick Henry.
Kay-Wyatt’s proposal on Thursday will outline operating budget priorities for the year ahead.
If you go
What: PTAC Budget Forum – “Partnering for Progress: Understanding the ACPS Budget”
When: Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 6:30–8 p.m. (pizza at 6 p.m.)
Where: Douglas MacArthur Elementary School Cafeteria, 1101 Janney’s Lane
RSVP: By January 30 at www.acps.cc/ptacforum (indicate if interpretation services are needed)