Alexandria City Public Schools will reopen with a two-hour delay for in-person learning tomorrow (Tuesday), according to an announcement this afternoon.
Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt said ACPS remains “mindful of student safety during school arrival and dismissal, particularly for those who walk to school or wait at bus stops,” according to the announcement. Students and staff are encouraged to dress warmly amid the cold weather.
“Despite ongoing clearing efforts, sidewalks in some areas may remain slippery, and snowbanks may still be present,” Kay-Wyatt said. “These snowbanks can limit visibility for both pedestrians and drivers, creating additional hazards near crossings and intersections. Our decisions continue to prioritize ensuring students can travel to and from school safely while conditions continue to improve across the community.”
All students are instructed to report to school tomorrow, “including high school students as WIDA testing has been rescheduled to February 10 and 11.” Alexandria City High School will send a separate email with instructions for those days, she said.
“Students in grades PreK-12 should report to school two hours later than regular opening time,” Kay-Wyatt said. “Students who ride the bus to school should report to their bus stop in the morning two hours later than their regularly scheduled pickup time.”
The Virginia Preschool Initiative will operate on the same delayed opening schedule with ACPS, and Morning Early Childhood Special Education programs are canceled for tomorrow. Afternoon ECSE will report and dismiss at regularly scheduled times, according to the announcement.
ACPS noted “we will keep everyone informed in case evening activities need to be cancelled on Tuesday and the status of school on Wednesday,” in the event that the area receives more snow Tuesday night.
An update from Kay-Wyatt on schools reopening is available, below.
We have worked diligently to clear snow and ice from school buildings and grounds since last week to allow students to safely return to in-person instruction.
During the past week, students have participated in virtual learning. While we would have preferred to welcome students back in person sooner, the ongoing weather-related challenges made virtual instruction the safest option, allowing students to remain connected to their teachers and classmates while conditions improved.
I want to extend sincere thanks to our instructional staff, who quickly pivoted to virtual learning to support students during this time. Their flexibility and dedication ensured continuity of learning despite the circumstances.
We are also deeply grateful to the many teams who have worked behind the scenes to prepare for reopening—our Facilities and Operations staff for clearing buildings and walkways, our School Nutrition Services team for continuing to provide meals to students while schools were closed, and our Transportation team for preparing buses and running routes to safely return to service.
Finally, we extend our appreciation to the City of Alexandria for their continued partnership and support as we worked together to ensure schools could safely reopen for in-person instruction.
There is snow in the forecast for Tuesday evening, so we will keep everyone informed in case evening activities need to be cancelled on Tuesday and the status of school on Wednesday.
More information is available on the ACPS website.
Photo via ACPS/Facebook.
