Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School, 1501 Cameron St.: pre-K to grade 8, 493 students in fall 2025, Meets Expectations. Office: 703-706-4400.

Last checked Oct. 19, 2026. Sources: Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School, Alexandria City Public Schools, the Virginia Department of Education’s School Quality Profile and the federal NCES school directory.

Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School is one of two Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) schools that run from the early grades through eighth grade. It sits on Cameron Street beside the Uptown-Parker-Gray Historic District and serves pre-K to grade 8. Its eighth graders go on to Alexandria City High School.

Who to call

  • Front office: 703-706-4400
  • Registrar (new students): Miciah Washington-Thompson, per the registrars list
  • ACPS central office: 703-619-8000, 1340 Braddock Place; questions to ask@acps.k12.va.us
  • Buses: ACPS Office of Pupil Transportation, 703-461-4169
Address 1501 Cameron St., Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone 703-706-4400
Grades Pre-K to 8
School hours 8 a.m. to 2:35 p.m.
Website jh.acps.k12.va.us
Division Alexandria City Public Schools

Principal

Principal Adaarema Kelly, according to the school’s website, which says she became principal June 16, 2025, after serving as principal of Samuel W. Tucker Elementary. Tiffany Young is the academic principal.

Enrollment and teachers

  • State count: 493 students in fall 2025, down from 510 in 2024 and 591 in 2023, in the School Quality Profile. Fall 2025 included 41 pre-K students, 316 in kindergarten through fifth grade and 136 in grades 6 to 8.
  • Federal count: 587 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 56 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That works out to about 10 students per teacher.

State report card

Virginia rates each school two ways on its School Quality Profile. Accreditation shows whether the school has submitted, and the state has approved, the evidence the Standards of Accreditation require. The School Performance and Support Framework gives each school a score and one of four performance levels: Distinguished, Meets Expectations, Approaching Expectations or Needs Intensive Support.

  • Accreditation, 2025-26: Fully Accredited
  • Framework score: 80.27, rated Meets Expectations, in the division summary. It is one of three ACPS schools at Meets Expectations or above.

Standards of Learning pass rates (share of tested students who passed, grades 3 to 8):

Subject 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26
English reading 54% 56% 53%
Math 41% 47% 51%
Science 39% 45% 45%

Math pass rates have risen 10 points in two years. The full profile also reports attendance, spending and teacher data.

Attendance zone and transfers

Look up an address in the ACPS Attendance Zone Locator, which shows its elementary, middle and high school for 2026-27 and whether a student qualifies for a bus. Students within one mile of the school are expected to walk; see the Jefferson-Houston walk zone map.

Under the ACPS program transfer rules, families may not opt out of Jefferson-Houston for kindergarten through fifth grade but may opt out for grades 6 to 8. Jefferson-Houston kindergartners may apply to join the Spanish-English dual language program at Mount Vernon Community School, if there is room.

Rezoning: the boundaries the School Board approved June 12, 2025, took effect this school year. Jefferson-Houston students whose neighborhoods were moved to George Mason Elementary are scheduled to start there in the 2027-28 school year, because of the size of George Mason’s temporary building, according to the boundaries page. Our Alexandria schools guide covers the change.

After eighth grade, students go to Alexandria City High School, starting at its Minnie Howard campus.

Calendar and bell times

From the ACPS 2026-27 traditional calendar:

  • Friday, Oct. 30: end of first quarter
  • Monday, Nov. 2, and Tuesday, Nov. 3: no school (teacher work day, then Election Day)
  • Wednesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day, no school
  • Nov. 25-27: Thanksgiving break
  • Dec. 21 to Jan. 1: winter break
  • Thursday, June 17, 2027: last day of school

School hours are 8 a.m. to 2:35 p.m., according to the school’s schedules page. Middle school grades start with an advisory period at 8 a.m.; the page says elementary bell times vary by grade and the main office has them.

More on Alexandria schools

Frequently asked questions

What grades does Jefferson-Houston serve?

Pre-K through eighth grade. ACPS lists it as Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School.

How is Jefferson-Houston rated by the state?

It is fully accredited for 2025-26. In Virginia’s School Performance and Support Framework it scored 80.27 and is rated Meets Expectations.

What time does Jefferson-Houston start?

School hours are 8 a.m. to 2:35 p.m., according to the school’s schedules page.

Can families opt out of Jefferson-Houston?

Not for kindergarten through fifth grade. ACPS says families may opt out of Jefferson-Houston for grades 6 to 8 through a program transfer.

Which high school does Jefferson-Houston feed into?

Alexandria City High School, the city’s only public high school.