Students from around the Washington region have poured into Alexandria City Public Schools this fall, causing the system to undergo a faster rate of growth than any other Virginia district.
The higher-than-expected numbers in Alexandria, as well as in neighboring Arlington County, are straining their tight school budgets at the same time as they reflect suburbs that are more economically attractive to families than others in the region.
As of November, nearly 700 new students have showed up in Alexandria’s classrooms, a 7 percent increase from last year and the fifth-highest increase in the state, despite the district’s relatively small status.
As a result, 10 new teachers have been hired since September, and more will be needed as the numbers continue to rise, said Superintendent Morton Sherman.
More than half of the increase is attributable to a growth in the number of Hispanic students, compared with an approximate 20 percent swell in white students and about 13 percent for black students.
“We’re seeing the same trends districts around the nation are seeing,” Sherman said. “Our African-American population is shrinking slightly, while our Hispanic population is growing.”
Neighboring Arlington County witnessed a nearly 5 percent uptick in enrollment to about 19,500 compared with about 18,700 last year. About 500 more students than expected enrolled in the fall, according to schools spokesman Frank Bellavia.
Terry Holzheimer, director of Arlington Economic Development, attributed much of the area’s growth to its aggressive residential construction over the past few years, including 4,300 units in multifamily buildings since 2007, and 2,700 units currently under construction.
“Many of the buildings under construction now started a year or 18 months ago,” Holzheimer said. “If the economy softens when you’re building the third floor, you can’t just stop building.”
Holzheimer said the housing markets have remained strong in Arlington and Alexandria, often seen as recession-proof because of their proximity to the District of Columbia, the hub of federal government. He added that few vacancies exist in rental properties, and more families than expected have moved in to places formerly without children.
“Most families are moving in because our [local] economy is good,” Sherman said. He added, however, that downturns in the state and national economies will cut into the money the district needs to serve the new students.
