A new policy limiting state and federal law enforcement’s access to Arlington Public Schools facilities is going into effect.
The Arlington School Board has approved a policy revision that restricts access for law enforcement agencies other than the Arlington County Police Department.
Advocates are speaking out against potential cuts to programs and personnel as Arlington Public Schools staff finalize a budget draft.
“[Stop] all the wasteful spending. We’ve got to cut stuff, not staff,” said Melissa Hyatt, an instructional technology coordinator (ITC) at Innovation Elementary School, during the Thursday night (Feb. 27) School Board meeting.
Pre-K students attending Arlington’s Integration Station program could be moved to neighborhood-based classrooms next year.
Last week, parents were informed that Arlington Public Schools’ new budget proposal will include moving students currently attending Integration Station — at 4770 Langston Blvd — “closer to their home schools” within the district.
No tax-rate rise for property owners, but increases in the meals tax and charges for some county services, are part of the $1.69 billion draft fiscal 2026 budget unveiled Saturday (Feb. 22) by Arlington County Manager Mark Schwartz.
The proposal represents an increase of 2.2% from the current spending package. Schwartz said it aims for a balance between meeting core needs, addressing concerns from homeowners about tax burdens, and contingency planning for uncertainty in federal spending and the economy.
Arlington Public Schools is abandoning X for Bluesky.
The school system announced Wednesday that it will no longer post updates on X — formerly Twitter — although its account will “remain open.”
An LGBTQ+ advocacy group is calling for Arlington Public Schools to take a more aggressive stance in support of transgender students.
Equality Arlington released a letter this week urging the school system to “stand up for the rights of transgender athletes and oppose all discriminatory policies from whatever source they come.”
Arlington school leaders are making strides in reducing chronic student absenteeism, but the results have been uneven.
Twenty-eight county schools showed year-over-year declines in chronic-absentee rates in the second quarter of 2024-25. But 11 posted an increase, Superintendent Francisco Durán told School Board members last week.
The U.S. Department of Education has opened an investigation into Arlington Public Schools’ policies around transgender students.
The federal department announced this week that it is investigating five Northern Virginia school districts, including APS, following a complaint from America First Legal.
A major policy shift by the Virginia High School League (VHSL) could impact how Arlington Public Schools approaches transgender athletes.
VHSL announced this week that it will follow an executive order from President Donald Trump that attempts to ban students born male from competing on girls teams, threatening financial sanctions if schools don’t comply.
Arlington School Board members for six months have promised a new approach to tackling the school system’s budget-development process.
Those assurances are about to be put to the test.
In case there was any doubt, Wednesday will be a snow day for local students.
Arlington Public Schools and Falls Church City Public Schools both announced that schools will be closed tomorrow due to the ongoing winter storm. They join Alexandria, Fairfax County and other D.C. area districts in making that call.
Arlington Public Schools students will go home two hours early Tuesday, as a winter storm gets underway.
The early dismissal was announced Monday evening, after a Winter Storm Warning was issued for the area, calling for 4-8 inches of snow from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning.
