Residents urge $1 million add for Alexandria City Public Schools; debate proposed cuts to Office of Climate Action

Dozens of residents urged the Alexandria City Council on April 8 to approve a $1,000,000 add to the Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) FY2026 budget, while climate activists, parents and nonprofit leaders asked the council not to cut $300,000 from the Office of Climate Action (OCA).

The hearing drew parents, school employees and community groups who said the money would fund student-facing positions and help with rising enrollment. "Strong schools make strong communities," said Katie Brownback, president of the Alexandria Council PTA, who told the council that ACPS enrollment is increasing and that the system needs additional counselors, social workers and teachers.

The proposed $1,000,000 add was framed by several speakers as necessary to help ACPS recruit and retain staff and to relieve acute caseloads. "These ad funds translate to more children getting to talk to an adult who cares every day and receiving counseling services," said Katie Golden, a school social worker at Patrick Henry K–8, who described a caseload of more than 1,000 students at that school.

Nut graf: The public hearing centered on trade-offs in a tight city budget. Advocates for ACPS framed the add as a one-time infusion that can protect student support roles and bolster classrooms during a year of rising enrollment and uncertain federal funding. Opponents of the climate-budget cut said the OCA is newly staffed and poised to implement programs that reduce emissions and help low-income households, and that one-time cuts can be difficult to reverse.

What speakers said - Education: Parents, PTA leaders and school staff repeatedly asked council to approve the $1,000,000 add to ACPS for student-facing positions, counselors and teacher pay. Julia Scylla, secretary of the Alexandria Council PTAs, said the funds are needed "to meet enrollment needs for 2025–26" and to retain teachers. Several speakers noted recent gains after last year’s increase to ACPS funding and said the new money would sustain that progress.

- Climate action: Marta Shantz, a local climate activist, opposed a proposed amendment by Councilman Chapman to delete $300,000 from the OCA’s FY26 operating budget. "Taking away funding from the city's climate action efforts to do so is just simply a non starter," she said, arguing that the OCA is now staffed to implement programs such as multifamily energy efficiency and contractor outreach.

- Transit and paratransit: Grassroots Alexandria and other commenters urged council to fund DASH Line 32 service increases so the route can operate every 30 minutes rather than every 60. Jim Durham and Jonathan Kroll said higher frequency would primarily benefit minority and low-income riders. Paratransit users stressed that door-to-door service is essential; David Weiss, a member of the Commission on Persons with Disabilities, described the rides as life-changing.

- Public safety staffing and retirement: Carlos Canas, president of the Alexandria Sheriff's Association, and Sheriff Sean Casey both asked council to approve a proposed add to align a city supplemental retirement benefit with the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) to improve recruitment and retention for the sheriff’s office.

- Housing and anti-displacement: Ingrid Moran, staff with Tenants and Workers United, urged the council to prioritize deeply affordable housing and to fund a local rental subsidy pilot, noting that many current programs target 60–80% of area median income and leave lower-income families with unmet needs.

Council process and next steps Council members closed the public hearing and scheduled a work session on add-deletes and final budget decisions for April 22. Multiple speakers said they plan to return for the work session.

Votes at a glance (actions recorded during the meeting) - Electronic participation resolution: Motion by Councilman John Taylor Chapman; second by Councilman Aaron Aguirre. Roll call vote: Chapman Aye; Aguirre Aye; Mayor Aliyah Gaskins Aye; Vice Mayor Bagley Aye; Councilman Al Newby Aye; Councilman McPike Aye; Councilwoman Green Aye. Outcome: approved. - Motion to close public hearing on the real and personal property tax rates: Motion by Councilman John Taylor Chapman; second by Councilman McPike. Outcome: approved (ayes have it). - Motion to close the FY2026 add/delete public hearing: Motion by Councilman McPike; second by Councilman Al Newby. Outcome: approved (ayes have it). - Consent items, minutes and proclamations: Multiple routine votes on consent calendar items, minutes and proclamations were approved during the meeting (see municipal record). Outcome: approved.

What the speakers did and did not ask the council to do Speakers asked council to: approve the $1,000,000 ACPS add; reject the $300,000 cut to the OCA; increase DASH frequency for Line 32; approve the sheriff’s retirement alignment add; and create or fund local rental subsidy programs. Some speakers explicitly noted the school add was proposed as one-time funding and raised concerns about using one-time funds for recurring salaries.

Clarifying details drawn from testimony - ACPS add: $1,000,000 (referred to in testimony as an "add"; some speakers noted it was proposed as one-time funding). - OCA proposed delete: $300,000 (Councilman Chapman amendment referenced in testimony as a 50% reduction of the office’s operating budget). - Housing programs: testimony referenced $30,000,000 in proposed housing investments in the FY2026 proposed budget and asked for a local rental subsidy pilot. - Paratransit: door-to-door rides were described by users as providing essential access and a lower-cost alternative to taxis or ride-hail services. - Patrick Henry social work caseload: testimony described a single social worker covering more than 1,000 students at Patrick Henry K–8.

Speakers (selected; full transcript available) - Katie Brownback, PTAC president/parent (first referenced 00:03:37) - Mike Rodriguez, resident/parent (00:07:49) - Marta Shantz, climate activist/parent (00:09:00) - Kathy Hoekstra, former chair, Environmental Policy Commission (00:12:51) - David Paladin Fernandez, resident (00:16:06) - Nicole Rapshaw, resident/parent (00:17:55) - Becky Hammer, climate advocate (00:20:09) - Carlos Canas, president, Alexandria Sheriff's Association (00:22:42) - Tiffany Dixon, parent/PTA board member (00:25:09) - Jim Durham, Grassroots Alexandria (00:27:49) - Jonathan Kroll, Grassroots Alexandria (00:33:13) - Ingrid Moran, Tenants and Workers United staff (00:33:54) - David Weiss, member, Commission on Persons with Disabilities (paratransit user) (00:37:09) - Maya McDougall, Grassroots Alexandria (00:41:29) - Sheriff Sean Casey, Alexandria Sheriff's Office (public comment) (00:42:44) - Marguerite Rippey, Alexandria City High School advocacy chair (00:45:50) - Julia Scylla, Alexandria Council PTAs (00:49:23) - Katie Golden, school social worker, Patrick Henry K–8 (00:59:21) - Kimberly Ball, parent (01:02:37) - Scott Barstow, climate advocate (01:04:46) - Donna Gold, Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions (FAX) co-coordinator (00:55:51)

Authorities referenced in testimony - Eco City Charter (policy) — referenced by climate advocates describing long-term city commitments. - City resolution declaring a climate emergency (resolution; adopted October 2019) — referenced by climate advocates. - Alexandria Transit Vision (policy/plan; cited as "2022 plan" by speakers) — referenced by speakers discussing DASH frequency and long-term transit goals. - Virginia Retirement System (VRS) retirement provisions (other/policy) — referenced by sheriff's office speakers regarding proposed retirement alignment.

Community relevance and impacts - Geographies: West End, Fort Williams Parkway, Seminary Hill, Old Town, citywide impacts on school populations. - Impact groups: public school students (including ~350 additional English language learners cited in testimony), families with low income, transit-dependent riders, paratransit users, sheriff's office deputies. - Funding sources: testimony noted uncertainty in federal funding and state-level school funding; speakers urged city support in the near term.

Searchable tags: ["ACPS","Office of Climate Action","budget","DASH","paratransit","sheriff retirement","housing","tenant advocacy","Alexandria"]

Provenance: topicintro block at meeting timestamp 176.08 — "Public hearing on the FY 2026 city council preliminary ad delete proposals..."; topfinish block at meeting timestamp 4191.33 — "All those in favor say aye... The ayes have it."