Arlington Traditional School, 1030 N. McKinley Road: pre-K to grade 5, 603 K-5 students on Sept. 30, 2026, framework score 96.7. Office: 703-228-6290.

Last checked Oct. 19, 2026. Sources: Arlington Traditional, Arlington Public Schools, the Virginia Department of Education’s School Quality Profile and the federal NCES school directory.

Arlington Traditional School is an Arlington Public Schools (APS) countywide option school. It sits at 1030 N. McKinley Road and serves pre-K through fifth grade. It is a countywide option school: it has no attendance zone, and families apply through the APS lottery.

Who to call

  • Main office: 703-228-6290 (fax 703-538-4982)
  • Applications, the lottery and registration: APS Welcome Center, 703-228-8000, option 1; 2110 Washington Blvd., first floor
  • Buses and general questions: APS main line, 703-228-8000
  • Which school serves an address: School and Community Relations, 703-228-6005
Address 1030 N. McKinley Road, Arlington, VA 22205
Grades Pre-K to 5
School day 7:50 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. (early release 12:20 p.m.)
Website ats.apsva.us
Division Arlington Public Schools

Principal

Principal Sam Podbelski, according to the school’s website.

Enrollment and teachers

  • APS count: 603 students in kindergarten through fifth grade on Sept. 30, 2026, plus 32 in preschool programs, in APS’s official membership summary (PDF).
  • State count: 624 students in fall 2025, including 31 in pre-K, after 624 in 2024 and 663 in 2023, in the School Quality Profile.
  • Federal count: 663 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 37 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That works out to about 18 students per teacher.

The program and admission

APS describes the school’s approach as “a traditional approach to education focused on the ABCs of Success: Academics, Behavior, Character,” on its schools and programs page. Kindergarten through fifth grade are open to applicants from anywhere in the county, and APS gives no preference for living close to the school. Pre-K families applying for the Virginia Preschool Initiative can list ATS as one of their choices.

For the 2027-28 school year, lottery applications open Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, on SchoolMint and close at 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22, 2027. The live lottery is Friday, Feb. 12, 2027, and families have until 8 p.m. Feb. 26 to accept a first-round seat, according to APS’s option schools page. There is no paper application; the APS Welcome Center helps families who need it.

State report card

Virginia’s School Performance and Support Framework scores each school on mastery on state tests, growth, readiness and graduation, according to APS’s framework page. Schools scoring 90 or more are Distinguished, 80 to 89 Meets Expectations, 65 to 79 Approaching Expectations and below 65 Needs Intensive Support.

  • 2026-27 framework score: 96.7, rated Distinguished, with no federal identification, in the division summary (PDF).
  • Accreditation: Fully Accredited

Standards of Learning pass rates (grades 3 to 5, share of tested students who passed), from the School Quality Profile:

Subject 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26
English reading 95% 94% 91%
Math 97% 96% 93%
Science 88% 93% 77%

Attendance zone

Arlington Traditional has no attendance zone. After fifth grade, students go on to the neighborhood middle school for their home address, which every Arlington student is guaranteed. Check it in the APS boundary locator.

Calendar and bell times

From the APS 2026-27 calendar:

  • Wednesday, Oct. 28: early release, all schools
  • Monday, Nov. 2: end of first quarter
  • Tuesday, Nov. 3: no school for students (Election Day)
  • Wednesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day, no school
  • Nov. 25-27: Thanksgiving break
  • Dec. 23 to Jan. 1: winter break
  • Thursday, March 18, 2027: early release; Friday, March 19: no school (parent-teacher conferences)
  • March 22-26, 2027: spring break
  • Thursday, June 17, 2027: last day of school, early release

The school day runs 7:50 a.m. to 2:40 p.m., with early release at 12:20 p.m., according to APS. Each elementary school holds a family information session between November and January; see the schedule.

More on Arlington schools

Frequently asked questions

What grades does Arlington Traditional serve?

Pre-K through fifth grade. APS counted 603 students in kindergarten through fifth grade on Sept. 30, 2026, plus 32 in preschool programs.

How is Arlington Traditional rated by the state?

It is fully accredited. In Virginia’s 2026-27 School Performance and Support Framework it scored 96.7 and is rated Distinguished, with no federal identification.

How do you get into Arlington Traditional?

Through the APS option-school lottery. Applications for 2027-28 open Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, and close at 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22, 2027, on APS’s SchoolMint portal.

Which middle and high school does Arlington Traditional feed into?

ATS has no zone. Students move on to the neighborhood middle school for their home address, which every Arlington student is guaranteed.

What time does Arlington Traditional start?

7:50 a.m. to 2:40 p.m., with early release at 12:20 p.m., according to Arlington Public Schools.