Changes to the online back-to-school packet, updated cellphone policies and planning for projects to support student well-being are coming to Arlington Public Schools this year.
School leaders hope that some of the changes will deliver a smoother process leading up to the first day of class, which begins one week from today on Monday, Aug. 25.
“We have made several upgrades over the summer to make it easier for families,” Superintendent Francisco Durán said in an Aug. 7 presentation to School Board members. “We’ve included clearer language, fewer steps through the process and even some visuals to help you navigate that system.”
The APS back-to-school packet is accessed through the school system’s ParentVUE network. Parents will be able to access the back-to-school portion of the system starting today (Monday) and continuing through Oct. 13.
Durán asked parents to begin accessing the network and providing information as soon as possible.
“It’s very important,” he said, stressing the need for updated emergency-contact information to be provided.
A full back-to-school report is expected when School Board members meet on Thursday (Aug. 21).
Other efforts being made by the school system as the 2025-26 year approaches include:
Cellphone use: School officials will be making changes to the student phone-use policy implemented at the start of the calendar year.
“We conducted surveys throughout the school year to gauge input from all schools,” school officials said.
All elementary, middle and high schools will continue to follow the policy requiring student personal devices to be off and away during the school day, with limited exceptions.
The new rules taking effect this school year impact students differently depending on the type of school they attend:
- Wakefield, Washington-Liberty and Yorktown high schools, the Arlington Career Center and H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program will fully implement phone-storage pouches in the new school year.
- Middle schools will not require students to store their devices in pouches but will maintain a limited supply of pouches to use on a case-by-case basis for individual students.
- Arlington Community High School and Langston High School Continuation Program will maintain a limited supply to use as needed, following the middle school model.
Chronic absenteeism: School officials plan to continue efforts combating chronic absenteeism, which occurs when a student is not in class more than 10% of the time.
Absenteeism spiked during the pandemic and continues to remain in double digits countywide. School leaders in recent years have rolled out a number of initiatives in efforts to bring the rate down.
Renovations: The summertime was used to support renovations at a number of schools, with efforts ranging from new kitchens to repaving projects.
Threat assessments: The school system has been hiring new threat-assessment personnel and updating policies to ensure a safe school environment, officials said.
Advisory committees: The school system continues to fill open positions on about 30 advisory committees.
“Some report to the School Board on an annual basis, while others work directly with Arlington Public Schools staff members on a particular project or subject,” the APS website notes. “In addition, ad-hoc groups may be formed for limited terms to focus on projects and issues of immediate concern. Terms are staggered so that vacancies occur regularly.”
Student well-being: The school system over the summer also kicked off a planning process to develop initiatives supporting student well-being. The effort, which began with community forums July 29-30, is being conducted in collaboration with the county government.
Administrators kick off the year: More than 250 administrators in early August took part in a kickoff program to prepare for the start of school. The theme for the coming year was announced as “Strength in Unity: Fostering Prosperous and Resilient Communities.”
“The energy was very positive,” Durán said. “We engaged in some great professional development and learning.”
Training for educators new to the county school system took place Aug. 13-15, and returning teachers were slated to report today.
Summertime training also was provided to bus drivers, who transport approximately 17,000 riders each day throughout the school year.
Efforts also are ongoing to have a full roster of substitute teachers available. School officials have set a goal of a 90% fill rate to start the school year.
At the Aug. 7 Board meeting, staff reported “grow-your-own” efforts to provide support for substitutes and instructional assistants seeking to obtain teacher licensing continue to grow at 10% per year.
The 2024-25 school year ended in June with 27,983 students in pre-kindergarten through high school. That was up slightly from the 27,900 students counted in September 2024, when official enrollment figures were transmitted to the Virginia Department of Education.
For the 2025-26 school year, officials will announce a first-day-of-school enrollment count in early September, then make the official count on Sept. 30 to meet state requirements.
