Masks have been an ever-present feature of schools since students returned to in-person learning last year, but new state legislation is forcing Alexandria City Public Schools to prepare for mask-less students and faculty.
A new meeting announced via email indicates the Alexandria City School Board will be taking up the discussion of the current mask requirement.
“At its upcoming special called school board meeting on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022, the Alexandria City School Board will discuss the current mask requirement, which is one of several mitigation measures put in place to help reduce the transmission of COVID-19,” ACPS announced in an email. “The staff has been actively planning for when masks will become optional. Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our students and staff in our school division.”
The announcement comes after Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed new legislation requiring that masks be optional in public schools. The bill is effective immediately but schools have until March 1 to comply. Covid figures are also on the decline in Alexandria.
“We are working on a transition plan for when we get to the point that masks are, in fact, optional for our families,” Julie Crawford, ACPS chief of student services and equity, said in a School Board meeting last week. “We want to make sure we have a clear plan laid out and we thought through all the different scenarios.”
James Cullum contributed to this story
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If you had a chance to enhance a child’s future with a time commitment of less than 2 hours a week, how would you respond? You have that opportunity right now to join over 200 Alexandrians as a reading tutor volunteer with the Alexandria Tutoring Consortium (ATC).
ATC tutors work with one child in kindergarten, first, or second grade in Alexandria public schools who need extra help with reading. Tutors meet with their Book Buddy 1-2 times each week for 30 minutes October-May at school, during school hours. Many struggling readers only receive one-on-one instruction through this program, and it makes all the difference. Last year, ATC served 195 children, of whom 82% ended the year reading on grade level and 96% made substantial reading gains. But the need is great, and we are still seeing learning lags from the pandemic.
This year, ATC plans to significantly increase the size of the program to reach over 250 students and to serve every elementary school in Alexandria. This is very exciting news, but we will only succeed if we can recruit more tutors. ATC trains you, matches you with a child, and provides ongoing lesson materials and support.
If you have been thinking about buying your first home or haven’t owned one in the last three years, THIS IS FOR YOU!
In the DMV area, it can be difficult to save the downpayment necessary for you to get into your own home. We have a solution. The Funder’s Summit!
We have assembled a summit with different municipalities to tell you how to access their funds for your home purchase.
2023 Alexandria Fall Festival
Food trucks, bounce houses, pony rides, magic shows and more at the 2023 Alexandria Fall Festival, an Alexandria Living event presented by The Patterson Group. Join us at River Farm on Sunday, Nov. 5 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
