Alexandria City Public Schools has started the process of selecting a new principal for its high school in time for the next school year.
Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt announced a hiring process and timeline for the next principal of Alexandria City High School. A job posting was released on Monday, and a community survey to gather input will open today (Wednesday) through March 23.
ACPS is seeking a candidate with a master’s degree in educational leadership or related field, a teaching license for master’s or doctorate degree holders, and at least five years of principal or lead administrator experience. The salary range for the position is $120,672 to $180,518, according to the job listing.
Former Executive Principal Alexander Duncan III had left ACHS at the end of June 2025 to become principal at Arlington’s Washington-Liberty High School. Duncan’s predecessor, Peter Balas, had also departed to take a principal job with Arlington Public Schools in 2023.
With the hiring for a new principal underway, Kay-Wyatt said the high school principal positions would be restructured. The executive principal role will be renamed principal. The principal’s role will no longer have central office duties and will focus on leading the high school’s four campuses (King Street, Minnie Howard, Satellite and Chance for Change).
Campus administrators are being restructured as campus principals. Lance Harrell, who was appointed as the acting executive principal upon Duncan’s departure, is the Minnie Howard Campus principal. Other campus principals are Ashley Carter Sinclair at the King Street Campus and Fredericka Smith at the Satellite and Chance for Change Campus.
Applications for prospective candidates will be reviewed in April, leading to first and second-round interviews. ACPS will schedule virtual meet-and-greet sessions with the community and a superintendent interview in May. The Alexandria City School Board will vote on a final principal selection on May 28. The new principal would assume the role on July 1, 2026, the start of the next fiscal year.
Here is Kay-Wyatt’s full letter:
Dear Alexandria City High School Community,
As Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) begins the process of selecting the principal for Alexandria City High School (ACHS), we would like to share an overview of the hiring process and timeline. Our goal is to conduct a thorough and inclusive nationwide search to identify a strong instructional leader who will continue to advance the success of ACHS and its Academies at Alexandria City model, and support the needs of our students, staff, and families.
Based on a review of the organizational structure, the executive principal role has been retitled to principal. Previously, the executive principal supported a variety of Central Office responsibilities, in addition to overseeing the high school. Moving forward, the high school principal will focus exclusively on leading and supporting the four Alexandria City High School campuses: King Street, Minnie Howard, Satellite, and Chance for Change.
To further clarify the leadership structure and streamline understanding of the organizational chart, campus-level administrators will be retitled as campus principals.
The updated leadership structure is as follows:
- High School Principal: Vacant
- King Street Campus Principal: Ashley Carter Sinclair
- Minnie Howard Campus Principal: Lance Harrell
- Satellite/Chance for Change Campus Principal: Fredericka Smith
All other titles and roles within the organizational structure will remain unchanged.
Community engagement will be an essential component of the selection process. We look forward to partnering with staff, students, families, and members of the broader community as we identify the next principal. Your perspectives will help inform the qualities and leadership characteristics most important for the future of ACHS.
As an initial step in the process, members of the ACHS community will be invited to participate in an online survey to share their perspectives about the school and the qualities they would like to see in the next principal. The survey opens on March 18, 2026, and the link will be provided then. The survey will close on March 23, 2026. Feedback from students, families, and staff will be used by the Human Resources team to develop a Principal Leadership Profile, which will guide candidate recruitment, screening, and the interview process. The leadership profile will be posted publicly on March 27, 2026.
Selected candidates will participate in an interview process. In the final stages of the process, the community will have an opportunity to meet the finalists during engagement sessions and provide feedback to the school division prior to the selection of the next principal.
The hiring timeline is detailed below:
- March 16, 2026 – Job description posted.
- March 18, 2026 – Stakeholder survey opens.
- March 23, 2026 – Survey closes.
- March 27, 2026 – Leadership profile posted.
- April 2026 – Application review; First and Second Round Interviews.
- May 2026 – Virtual Community Meet and Greet Sessions, Superintendent Interview.
- May 28, 2026 – School Board meeting: Final Candidate Approval.
- July 1, 2026 – Start Date.
A dedicated section of the ACHS website will provide information about the search process, including the job description, timeline, leadership profile, and updates. We encourage community members to check the webpage regularly for important information. Questions may also be submitted to [email protected] as the process moves forward.
We appreciate your partnership and engagement as we work together to select the next leader of Alexandria City High School and continue building on the school’s strong foundation in support of our students.
Sincerely,
Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt
Superintendent
Alexandria City Public Schools
