Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School at 1501 Cameron Street (via Jefferson-Houston/Facebook)
Amid declining student enrollment numbers, an Alexandria city councilman is wondering whether Alexandria City Public Schools should shelve a costly conversion project to handle middle school capacity.
ACPS recently reported that its student population has fallen about 4% since the 2025-26 school year, descending from 15,928 to 15,295 students as of Sept. 30, 2026. The data follows Acting Superintendent Grace Taylor’s unveiling of a proposed $370.6 million Capital Improvement Program budget that exceeds the city’s budget guidance by more than $186 million.
N. Beauregard Street near Roanoke Avenue in Alexandria West (via Google Maps)
Three additional Opportunity Zones have been added in Alexandria’s West End to support revitalization, Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) announced Friday (Nov. 6).
The U.S. Department of the Treasury approved all 153 new Opportunity Zones the Spanberger administration requested in Virginia. The zones are intended to promote long-term private investment in low-income urban, suburban and rural census tracts through federal tax benefits such as deferral of previous capital gains, step-up of previously earned capital gains and exclusion of taxable income on new capital gains in Opportunity Zones. The program was created by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
Alexandria already feels like home. It’s the trails you walk, the restaurants you return to, and the easy reach of D.C. that make it all work. The question is whether your home feels as right as the city around it. For those who love Alexandria but want more space, more privacy, and more choice, Van Metre at Banner Heights offers a new opportunity to have it all, just minutes from I-495, I-95, and Old Town Alexandria.
Every Van Metre homesite at Banner Heights has a backyard that doesn’t face into another homesite, so the space behind your home is entirely yours, and a deck or covered terrace makes it the spot for a quiet morning or a long evening with friends. Four levels offer up to five bedrooms and an optional elevator. From there, 20+ personalization options let you decide the rest: add a bedroom on the lower or fourth levels, a great room fireplace with ceramic detailing, or a wet or dry bar, plus upgraded flooring and packages for electrical, tech, and comfort.
With more than 70 years of building across Northern Virginia, Van Metre designs homes around the way people live. At Banner Heights, that means the T-27 townhome plan with 3-5 bedrooms, 3-4 full and 1-2 half baths, 3,014+ square feet, a 2-car garage, and 20+ personalization options, starting from the $1.25Ms.*
Van Metre at Banner Heights is now open for Early Access, giving interested buyers the chance to purchase before our grand opening, when initial homesites deliver.
*Pricing, offers, and availability are subject to change without notice. Some images and renderings may represent a similar home or may have been created or edited using artificial intelligence (AI), and may depict design elements, furnishings, finishes, landscaping, views, or other features that are not included in the home or may not be available. Please see a Van Metre New Home Advisor for details.
Revolutionary Fitness, the strength and longevity training studio for people over 50 at 215 N. Payne St., is opening 5 spots in its members-only year-end challenge.
Every year, the stretch between Thanksgiving and New Year’s knocks people off track. Workouts get skipped, schedules fill up, and the plan becomes “I’ll start in January.”
Cora Kelly Elementary School, 3600 Commonwealth Avenue, on Jan. 6, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)
As winter gets closer, Alexandria City Public Schools officials indicated there will be four traditional snow days this school year and changes to how snow day decisions will be shared.
Julia Burgos, the ACPS chief of school and community relations, said the decision-making process isn’t changing, but communications will.
Traditional Renovated Brick Houses in Old Town Alexandria (licensed via Adobe Stock)
On This Day in Alexandria History — “On November 9, 1949, the Alexandria officials formally dedicated the new Theodore Ficklin School. The elementary school was located on Second Street between North Pitt and North Royal streets and was named for longtime Alexandria principal who also was also a Confederate officer in the Civil War. The new school cost just over a half million dollars and featured modern amenities, like a water fountain in every classroom.” [Historic Alexandria]
Temporary Library Branch Closure — “The James M. Duncan Branch Library (2501 Commonwealth Ave.) will temporarily close from Saturday, November 7, to Monday, November 16, for repairs due to a roof leak. The library is anticipated to reopen Tuesday, November 17. During the closure, the City will clean the affected areas, repair the roof, and replace damaged building materials.” [Alexandria Library]
Status of Leaf Collection — “🍂Leaf collection is underway in Alexandria! Starting Monday, November 9, crews will begin collecting leaves in Zone 3 and Zone 5B. Check the schedule to see when crews are expected in your neighborhood and get your leaves ready for collection at: alexandriava.gov/leafcollection.” [Alexandria T&ES/Bluesky]
City Council/School Board Subcommittee Meets This Evening — The subcommittee will discuss policy and state legislative goals from 5-6 p.m. Monday at the ACPS Central Office. [Alexandria City School Board]
New Affordable Housing Units Available — “Twelve income-restricted apartments are opening at Newport Village on West Braddock Road, the City of Alexandria announced Tuesday. The garden-style community at 4757 W. Braddock Road is offering two- and three-bedroom apartments for households earning between 40% and 50% of the area median income. The City says eight apartments will be available in November and four in December.” [The Zebra]
Concerns Raised at Dominion-NextEra Merger Hearing — “The final in-person public testimony hearing highlighted Dominion ratepayers’ key gripes ahead of the proposed merger’s litigation process, chiefly spiking electricity bills. In recent years Dominion’s base rates have increased and riders have been added to bills to cover the costs of several energy generation projects. Opponents fear the merger will only worsen their utility costs as demand grows.” [Virginia Mercury]
Two-Way I-95 Express Lanes in Study Phase — “The express lanes currently operate in one direction at a time, with the direction changing based on established weekday and weekend schedules; drivers traveling in the opposite direction cannot access the express lanes. The proposed bi-directional configuration would allow express lane travel in both directions at all times.” [Inside NoVA]
Pumpkin Composting Offered — “Your jack-o’-lanterns, pumpkins, squash, and gourds can get a fresh start with the 2026 Pumpkin Rescue – just bring your unpainted, unvarnished items to a Farmers’ Market compost station and we’ll handle the rest. Learn more at alexandriava.gov/go/4299.” [Alexandria T&ES/Bluesky]
November Snowstorm Not Likely Next Weekend — “According to [NBC4 meteorologist Doug] Kammerer, several major weather models have significantly reduced their snowfall projections. The European model continues to show some potential snow in mountainous areas, including the Blue Ridge, while the European AI model, which previously indicated snow for the region, now shows virtually none. The American GFS model, which suggested a major snowstorm just a day earlier, has also backed off considerably.” [MoCo Show]
It’s Monday — Mostly sunny and breezy, with a high near 62 and west winds at 15 to 24 mph, gusting up to 34 mph. Monday night will be mostly clear, with a low around 40 and lighter northwest winds at 3 to 7 mph. [NWS]
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Acting Superintendent Grace Taylor at the Alexandria School Board meeting on Aug. 27, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)
Alexandria City Public Schools has vastly exceeded a recommendation by the city to keep its 10-year capital improvement program budget capped at $184.4 million.
On Thursday, Acting Superintendent Grace Taylor unveiled her proposed $370.6 million Fiscal Year 2028-37 Capital Improvement Program budget, going over the city’s recommendation by $186.2 million. Taylor told the School Board that the funding is “essential to preventing furtherdeterioration,addresscapacitychallenges,anddeliverlearningenvironmentsthattrulyserveourstudentsandcommunity.”
A previously submerged scooter at the Old Town waterfront (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Amid regional safety concerns about youth riding electric scooters and bicycles, Alexandria City Council will consider expanding the city’s helmet requirement for young riders.
According to city code, bicycle riders 14 and under are already required to wear a helmet. The city code update would apply the same rule to electric power-assisted bicycles, electric personal assistive mobility devices, motorized skateboards and motorized scooters as well.
This week, ALXnow invites readers to weigh in on Alexandria’s top family physicians. Trusted primary care providers play an essential role in keeping local families healthy and guiding patients through life’s various health decisions.
