Residents from the local citizen group Open ACPS! are planning to rally outside Central Office of Alexandria City Public Schools on Monday.

The rally will coincide with the joint City Council/School Board Subcommittee Meeting.

“After more than a year, Alexandria City Public Schools still does not have a plan for bringing our students back five days a week, addressing capacity, staffing, transportation, health and safety and environmental quality,” Open ACPS! said in a statement. “Our ACPS community, teachers and students deserve better.”

Alexandria City Public Schools announced Thursday that the school system will open for four days a week for in-person instruction for special needs students in early May, while remaining at two days a week for the rest of the year for all other students. Addtionally, ACPS announced the creation of a Virtual Academy, which this fall will cater to online students only — putting an end to the hybrid learning model.

ACPS is currently working on transitioning from six feet to three feet of distancing in classrooms, in addition to opening up the school system to thousands of additional students starting in May — a little more than a month before the end of the school year on June 19.

The rally is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.

Image via ACPS