What's new at D.C.-area schools for the 2026-27 school year
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Phones are getting sidelined as the DMV's new school year brings new rules, schools and security measures.
Why it matters: Families across Washington have plenty of changes to navigate this fall.
The big picture: Virginia tightened its in-school restrictions on personal devices earlier this year, banning their use throughout the school day.
- Maryland recently greenlit a similar law requiring all public schools to have phone bans in place by the 2027-2028 school year.
State of play: Axios D.C. asked DMV school systems what's new for the 2026-2027 school year:
D.C.
Former Chief of Schools Kim Jackson will serve as the interim chancellor of D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) following the departure of former head Lewis Ferebee.
- DCPS's newest addition, MacArthur High School, has been expanded and renamed John R. Thompson Jr. High School.
- And four schools reopened after getting upgrades, DCPS tells Axios: J.O. Wilson Elementary School, Tubman Elementary School, Malcolm X Elementary School, and Thomas Elementary School.
Fairfax County
Students who ride Fairfax County school buses now tap their IDs when getting on and off.
- A new app coming this fall will let parents see where their kids boarded and exited and then track their bus.
- FCPS high school varsity football games will now have security screenings, including bag checks and weapons detection.
- And middle schoolers now have access to the district's virtual mental health services.
Plus: FCPS opened its first new high school in 20 years: Skyview High, which offers classes in robotics, technology and aerospace science.
Alexandria
New school boundaries are in effect for Alexandria City Public Schools' elementary and middle schools, impacting 1,400 students.
- ACPS also updated its school walk zones — areas where kids don't get bus access — to account for the new boundaries.
Plus: No phones!
Montgomery County
Ahead of the state's no-phone mandate for the 2027-2028 school year, Montgomery County schools implemented a "No Cell, Bell to Bell" policy.
Prince George's County
The county has two new schools: Margaret Brent Elementary School in New Carrollton and Templeton Elementary School in Riverdale Park.
- Plus: seven new school-based health centers via a Children's National Hospital investment.
School days will be five minutes longer, and the county is piloting a new AI-powered weapons detection system.