Alexandria City Public Schools

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Alexandria, Virginia - 18 schools

An equity score of 55/100 ranks Alexandria City Public Schools #54 of 131 districts in Virginia (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $20,887 per pupil, Alexandria City Public Schools ranks #8 of 131 Virginia districts by per-pupil spending (Virginia districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

16,040
Total Enrollment
18
Schools
$20,887
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Alexandria City Public Schools operates 18 public schools serving 16,040 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Virginia. The school portfolio breaks down into 15 combined, 2 middle, 1 high schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Alexandria City.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $20,887 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 14 of 131 Virginia districts by per-pupil spending. See how Virginia compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 70.8% local, 17.5% state, and 11.7% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 55/100, ranked #54 of 131 in Virginia against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 18 schools offering Advanced Placement (34 AP courses district-wide), a 282.4:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 17.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 35.2% Hispanic or Latino, 28.8% White, 23.7% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Samuel W. Tucker Elementary, with a diversity index of 77.5/100.

Its largest campus is Alexandria City High School, enrolling 4,655 students (28% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Early Childhood Center, at 198 students, a 24x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Alexandria City High School accounts for 28.1% of all Alexandria City Public Schools student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Alexandria City Public Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Alexandria City Public Schools school enrollment varies 24× across entities

Alexandria City Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 198 students (lowest) to 4,655 students (highest), a spread of 4,457 students. That spread is wider than typical and predicts noticeable gaps in service quality between the highest and lowest areas. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Alexandria City Public Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 59.1% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Alexandria City Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 282:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Variation between sub-units within Alexandria City Public Schools is typically wider than the Alexandria City Public Schools-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Alexandria City Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 17.9% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Alexandria City Public Schools is typically wider than the Alexandria City Public Schools-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

11.7%
Federal
17.5%
State
70.8%
Local

Funding Equity

55
Equity Score
54 / 131
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 18 schools in Alexandria City Public Schools.

White 28.8%
Hispanic or Latino 35.2%
African American 23.7%
Asian 6.5%
Multiracial 5.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 68.1/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Alexandria City Public Schools's schools, above the Virginia average of 53.7.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Samuel W. Tucker Elementary 77.5
  2. 2 Patrick Henry K-8 School 76.1
  3. 3 James K. Polk Elementary 75.6
  4. 4 Francis C. Hammond Middle 72.3
  5. 5 John Adams Elementary 72.0

Programs & Resources

1 / 18
Schools with AP
34 AP courses total
282.4:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
17.9%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Alexandria City Public Schools

School Enrollment
Alexandria City High School
4,655
Francis C. Hammond Middle
1,597
George Washington Middle
1,458
Patrick Henry K-8 School
1,075
Mount Vernon Elementary
933
James K. Polk Elementary
804
John Adams Elementary
743
Samuel W. Tucker Elementary
735
William Ramsay Elementary
689
Douglas Macarthur Elementary
680
Ferdinand T. Day Elementary
589
Charles Barrett Elementary
547
Jefferson-Houston Pk-8 School
506
Lyles-Crouch Elementary
378
Cora Kelly School for Math Science and Technology
337
George Mason Elementary
332
Naomi L. Brooks Elementary
319
Early Childhood Center
198

How Alexandria City Public Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Virginia districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Hanover County Public Schools Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Suffolk City Public Schools Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Frederick County Public Schools Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Albemarle County Public Schools Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Roanoke County Public Schools Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Alexandria City Public Schools's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Virginia

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Compare Alexandria City Public Schools

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Fairfax County Public Schools →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Alexandria City Public Schools?

Alexandria City Public Schools has 18 schools, including 1 high, 2 middle, 15 combined. Total enrollment is 16,040 students.

How much does Alexandria City Public Schools spend per student?

Alexandria City Public Schools spends $20,887 per student. The district has an equity score of 55/100, ranking #54 in Virginia.

What is the demographic composition of Alexandria City Public Schools?

Alexandria City Public Schools students are 35.2% Hispanic or Latino, 28.8% White, 23.7% African American, 6.5% Asian, averaged across 18 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Alexandria City Public Schools?

Alexandria City Public Schools has an equity score of 55/100, ranking #54 out of 131 districts in Virginia.