There may be some major changes to coming to how the Alexandria City Public Schools board is elected.
The school board is seeking public input on plans to stagger election terms and potentially reduce the number of school board members from the current nine to seven.
In addition, items under discussion this spring include when elections should occur.
Residents can learn more and weigh in here.
Currently there are nine school board members -- three from each of three zones in the city. Terms are for three years and start on January 1 following a November election. Elections for all three zones take place every three years.
The last school board election was in 2021, an "off-year" for federal elections, which typically draw a higher number of voters. The next election is scheduled for 2024.
Statewide, it is much more common for school board members to serve four-year terms on a staggered basis, according to a presentation from the most recent school board meeting.
In addition, the presentation seems to bring up concerns that superintendent turnover is higher when the majority of the school board changes. Staggering elections could prevent more than half of a school board turning over in any single election. The presentation noted:
- Since 1994, four of the five superintendents left when the School Board turnover was five or more members.
- On average, the tenure of a Superintendent since 1994 when Alexandria switched to elected School Boards is 5 years (range = 3-7 years). This is a 2.75 year decline from the tenure of ACPS Superintendents from 1963-1994 (range 3-14 years).
The presentation included many benefits to staggered terms, including continuity of operations and the preservation of institutional knowledge, but drawbacks included potentially slower changes to policies and priorities and making it "easier for organized groups to oppose individual candidates."
The following is the complete release from ACPS:
The Alexandria City School Board is asking all stakeholders to participate in a survey about key issues affecting the structure of the School Board serving our community. This survey, available online in multiple languages, is open through 11:59 p.m. on April 26, 2023.
In recent months, the Board has embarked on a journey to reshape the School Board structure to better serve the needs of the school community. It has considered changes to Board member elections, including staggered terms, the length of terms and the number of Board members.
One major component that is under consideration, that will be different from what the community is accustomed to, is “staggered terms.” This is defined as an arrangement in which School Board members are elected in different years, starting and ending their terms of School Board service at different times, rather than all at the same time. Currently, all nine School Board members are elected during the same election in the same year, with their terms ending at the same time. Staggered terms would allow for members to be elected in different years, ensuring that the Board retains some of its members who have already been serving; this supports continuity and institutional knowledge. Additionally, it is easier to keep the division’s work intact while orienting new Board members to the division’s work.
The survey is available in five languages (English, Spanish, Amharic, Arabic and Dari.)
