September 4, 2025 School Board Meeting
Summary of September 4, 2025 School Board Meeting
Meeting Open:
Chair Zecher Sutton welcomed students, families, and staff to the new school year.
Consent Agenda: Unanimously Adopted
Consent items consisted of minutes, personnel actions, and membership appointments and changes to School Board Advisory Committees.
Board Announcements:
September 10 – Policy Subcommittee Meeting, 8:30 a.m., Board Conference Room
September 12 – Arlington Community High School Unveiling,10:30 a.m., Amazon HQ2
September 18 – Closed Meeting, 5:30 p.m., Board Conference Room
September 18 – School Board Meeting, 7 p.m., Board Room
Superintendent’s Announcements and Updates:
Dr. Durán thanked everyone for a good start to the school year.
Dr. Durán provided an update on recent litigation related to APS’s non-discrimination policies. The prior week, APS asked a federal court to direct the US Dept of Education to reverse its designation of APS as a high-risk status. Dr. Durán said thishigh-risk designation has effectively frozen $23 million in federal funding that APS relies on to provide services to APS students and families. APS was in court the prior Wednesday for an initial hearing. APS’s legal counsel argued that the Dept. of Education’s funding freeze violates Title IX, the Administrative Procedure Act and the spending clause of the US Constitution. APS disagrees with the US Dept of Education’s assertion that APS policies violate Title IX, believing its policy is consistent with state and federal law, including the Virginia Values Act,and is supported by recent court decisions affirming protections for transgender students. Given the urgent nature of the matter, APS is hopeful that the court will announce its decision quickly; it will keep the community apprised of developments.
There are several recognitions this month including raising awareness around attendance, Hispanic Heritage month, and Suicide Prevention Awareness month.
APS will honor all federally-recognized heritage months with student-produced video tributes.
APS showed its First Day video.
Zecher Sutton thanked APS for its work on the pending legal case and thanked School Board members for their consideration of the issues surrounding this case. Zecher Sutton is grateful forAPS community feedback and said that the School Board remains steadfast in its commitment to provide a safe and inclusive learning environments for APS students.
Public Comment:
A parent said that APS denied a black disabled student access to specialized instruction in a private placement school because of her race; the reason given was that there were too many students of color already in private placement schools.
A retired APS teacher and school principal spoke about health care benefits for APS retirees, providing recommendations for policy.
An APS parent and teacher spoke about 1) difficulties with current planning factors, 2) the need for more ERP funding to ensure smooth operation, and 3) his gratitude for APS’s legal action against the Dept. of Education.
An APS parent criticized APS for not adhering to Title IX, saying that young girls need to feel safe in bathrooms and that current APS policy jeopardizes the safety and security of young girls.
An APS parent spoke on the roll-out of cell phone pouches and its impact on the special education community. She said that APS needs to provide more accommodations (like Velcro pouches) for students with special needs.
An Arlington resident thanked APS for its support of the trans community.
Monitoring Item (1) – Beginning of School Update:
Dr. Durán said he is proud of how APS has begun SY 2025-26, while acknowledging APS always has room to grow.
Enrollment
Dr. Durán noted that enrollment as of September 4 is 27,603 students (PK-12th Grade), which is 255 fewer students than last year’s official September 30, 2024 count. Official enrollment will be recorded on September 30, 2025. APS is currently about 819 students below APS’s spring projection. However, numbers could rise slightly coming into September 30.
Elementary enrollment is 619 students below APS’s spring projection; middle school enrollment is about 102 students below projection; high school enrollment is about 98 below projection. Some schools are near or above their designed capacity and others are at various levels. APS is monitoring and will adjust classes where needed through the end of September to ensure efficient use of resources and meeting student needs.
APS already made some adjustments prior to the school year by reducing some positions where enrollment was down and will evaluate where things stand after the first ten days of school to see if further adjustments are needed. APS is in contact with principals at schools which may experience further class rebalancing due to enrollment shifts. Dr. Durán will provide an update on those final adjustments at the first School Board meeting in October.
Staffing
APS was 99.3% fully staffed on the first day of school. There were 23 teacher (T-Scale) vacancies, of which 17 were Full Time (0 at Elementary Level, 17 at Secondary Level) and 6 Part-Time (2 Elementary, 4 Secondary). APS recognizes that there are still key positions to fill, especially with regards to special education. School-based substitutes and long-term substitutes have been assigned to classes with vacancies. Recruitment efforts continue.
Five Focus Areas for SY 2025-26
APS will focus on five areas for SY 2025-26 that are aligned with APS’s Strategic Plan:
- Partnerships (community & family)
- Operations (improved building conditions and safety)
- Workforce (seek to implement audit recommendations, improve customer service, operations, and professional development)
- Student well-being (chronic absenteeism, SEL, mental health, after-school programming)
- Student success (strengthen core instruction and reduce gaps, strengthen co-teaching model, develop career pathways). APS will present a Monitoring Report about Student Achievement at the next School Board meeting.
Transportation
There were 137 routes running the first week. There were 15,940 General Education eligible riders and 865 Special Education eligible riders.
First-Week Attendance
APS is committed to reducing chronic absenteeism. APS daily attendance for the first week of school was between 96-98%. The first week was strong but the challenge is to maintain that. APS will continue to target schools which have chronic absenteeism >= 15% for both excused and unexcused absences.
Meals and Food Services
Families must reapply every school year to receive Free/Reduced meals. Students at Abingdon, Barrett, Barcroft, Campbell, Carlin Springs, Drew, Jefferson, Randolph, Kenmore, and Wakefield will receive meals at no cost through the Community Eligibility Provision, so students at these schools do not need to apply.
Implementing Cell Phone Pouch Procedures
High schools and programs will be implementing new cell phone pouch procedures this school year. Students will secure phones in Yondr pouches upon arrival. Pouches will remain locked during the instructional day with unlocking stations available at dismissal. Middle School students are asked to keep phones away as well but will not be issued pouches unless there is a particular need. Accommodations will be available for students who meet established criteria and there will be procedures for emergency access through the main office. The new policy is designed to reduce classroom distractions, promote positive student engagement and is aligned with Virginia’s “bell-to-bell” cellphone restrictions.
Information Services
Information services will focus on increased business efficiencies (STARS+ Modernization) and parent and community engagement. All APS staff now have access to AI (Copilot and Gemini) and schools and staff have access to SchoolAI for instructional use.
AI
APS is launching the year of empowered AI learning. SchoolAI has been adopted for all staff to support instructional planning, writing guidance, and professional learning. Use is aligned with APS policies and designed to enhance, not replace, educator expertise. APS will teach students how to interact with AI technology. There will be a virtual parent townhall on October 8 on SchoolAI.
ParentSquare & Let’s Talk Platform
APS believes ParentSquare & Let’s Talk have been an effective way to foster APS-family communication.
APS’s Additional 2025-26 Priorities and Projects
APS will also focus this year on: the 2027-36 Capital Improvement Plan; PreK Program Evaluation; Student Devices Working Group; High School Scheduling Review; Healthcare RFP Review; Assessment of AI; Budget; HR Transformation; Non-Traditional Secondary Programs; Alternatives to Exclusionary Discipline; two new buildings (Grace Hopper Center and Arlington Community High School).
Kadera noted that APS had estimated some sizeable cost savings in its FY26 budget if APS responds adroitly to enrollment declines. Post-Sept 30, she asked for information on how actual savings from optimizing class sizes compares with budget assumptions and how many general education class sections at the secondary level are under-enrolled (e.g., <15 students). Noting lower-than-expected enrollment, she also asked how much APS is currently below program capacity at the elementary level.
Dr. Durán said that he will present information at the first School Board meeting in October that addresses Ms. Kadera’s first two points and he will forward information on her last question.
Kadera asked about hub stops for program schools and how families could find information about how to switch hub stops. APS said families should contact Transportation for that information.
Clark thanked Dr. Durán for listing APS’s projects and priorities for this school year which helps with community engagement. She also thanked him for including the AI forum.
Tapia-Hadley asked if APS has information about click and open rates for ParentSquare. APS said they would provide that information. She asked if the most frequent topics raised on the Let’s Talk Platform are the same year-to-year or if they vary. APS said these are generally the same.
Turner asked how class rebalancing efforts and quarterly updates on chronic absenteeism would be communicated to families.
Dr. Durán said APS would continue the same type of communication (including texts and letters) about attendance as they did last year and may incorporate home visits in some schools. Regarding class rebalancing efforts, once class adjustments are known, affected families will be notified. Turner asked if this issue could be flagged at Back-to-School nights; APS said yes, but the goal is to make those notifications before Back-to-School nights.
Zecher Sutton said maximizing class sizes and rebalancing classes was a deliberate budget decision made in the spring and was Board approved. The Board recognizes this may result in some disruptions but this policy change was needed to avoid across-the-board cuts in the 2026 Budget that would have had a more pervasive impact. She noted other districts have similarrebalancing policies at the beginning of the school year but APS had not done this until now.
Zecher Sutton asked how parents who can’t make the AI Townhall could get more information on AI use in schools. Dr. Durán said they could ask school personnel and/or check out the FAQs on the website.
Turner said APS should follow-up on any issues reported by families regarding the use of Yondr cell phone pouches; the goal is to follow APS policy and provide for student needs. Dr. Duránagreed.
Kadera asked about APS’s review of high school scheduling and whether that would include examining the merits of block scheduling versus traditional every-day class scheduling. Dr. Durán said that the working group will look at a range of issues, including those Ms. Kadera raised, and that any potential changes, if any, would not be implemented until SY 2027-28.
Zecher Sutton thanked APS for their efforts in launching the new school year.
Action Item (1) - ERP Update and Funding Needs: Approved 5-0
Dr. Durán said this item was first presented to the Board in August but there have been significant changes since then.
APS Presentation:
In August, APS had requested additional funding of $2 million for the completion of the STARS modernization project. However, APS undertook renegotiations with stakeholders and has reduced the additional funding request to $1.15 million. This includes a pool of support hours for APS staff.
Turner referenced the pool of support hours and asked if APS will only spend money on the hours it actually uses. APS agreed and said that funding for any unused hours will go back to the capital reserve.
Tapia-Hadley asked for updates from Dr. Durán and APS on this project going forward.
Zecher Sutton thanked APS for scaling back the cost of this item given Board concerns with the original cost. In the current fiscal environment, Zecher Sutton urged APS to exercise caution with all contracts, projects, and expenditures, even those that have already been approved. The Board recognizes that APS is in a tumultuous time regarding potential revenue losses; making prudent spending decisions throughout the year minimizes therisk of having to suddenly slow down spending in the spring.
Information Item (1) - Internal Audit, Annual Plan 2025-2026 FY
APS Presentation:
Audits are risk based and identify financial, reputational, and regulatory/compliance risk, as well as safety risks. The proposed plan for FY2025-26 includes consulting contracts, emergency preparedness, and student conduct. Traditionally, there have been four audits, but in discussion with the Chair of the Audit Committee, Ms. Turner, other potential areas of focus could include risk assessment, implementation of a waste, fraud, and abuse hotline, and audit follow-up.
Audit 1: Consulting Contracts
APS uses independent contractors for various projects. There are risks with using third-party vendors, including conflict of interest, confidentiality, monitoring deliverables, and intellectual property rights. The proposed audit will obtain a sample of contracts for 2023-25 and review standards for approval, determine if contract agreements address any potential scenarios for conflicts of interest (including former employees, retirees, and relatives) and evaluate business practices for contract administration.
Audit 2: Emergency Preparedness
This audit will also focus on evaluating controls over APS’semergency preparedness program and business protocols. This includes review of training, practice drills, emergency contact lists, and potentially looking at business continuity.
Audit 3: Student Conduct
There are three sections: i) policy awareness and communication, ii) incident reporting and actions taken protocols, including disciplinary standards, and iii) follow-up protocols after incident reporting.
There are additional potential areas of focus, as noted above.
Turner thanked APS for their work and reiterated that the purpose of internal audit is to ensure that APS is responsibly managing funds in a transparent way and ensuring that identified issues are addressed. She noted that the follow-up is as important as the initial report. Turner said that a common thread across audit areas is the lack of standard operating procedures and consistent business practices.
Kadera stressed that monthly audit committee meetings areopen to the public and reports are available on the website. She suggested that APS needs to be clear as to what constitutes an emergency. Kadera also was interested in whether APS is implementing its student conduct reporting with fidelity, whether there is consistency across schools about reporting, whether there are disparate impacts for different populations, and whether APS is dealing with bullying enough and consistently.
Clark had two questions regarding scope of the audit. With emergency preparedness, will APS be looking at issues affecting students with disabilities. APS said yes. With the risk assessment portion, will APS be covering third party risks? APS said yes.
Tapia-Hardley asked if the emergency preparedness audit will cover the hardware that should be in every school. APS said yes.
Zecher Sutton asked whether APS’s contracting is centralized or whether schools can undertake their own contracts. APS’s auditor said contracts are originating in different sources and are not listed in one place; she is investigating that now. Zecher Sutton said that if there are contracts originating in schools, those should be included in the audit. APS agreed.
Zecher Sutton stressed that the Student Conduct investigation should be handled with appropriate sensitivity. She is also interested in what belongs in Board/district-level policy versus what belongs in the Code of Conduct; policy supersedes and it is worth considering if items are in the right places.
The School Board will vote at the next meeting on approving the Audit Plan for the year.
New Business
None.
Meeting ended.
