The Alexandria City School Board approved April 21 as a student holiday as election officials anticipate high turnout for the special election at school-based polling sites. While students will be off, ACPS staff will have a work day.
Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt presented the School Board with the proposal last Thursday (March 26) after a discussion with Alexandria’s election officials. April 21 is the date of the special elections to decide a statewide mid-decade redistricting amendment for Virginia’s congressional districts and fill former Councilman R. Kirk McPike’s City Council seat following his election to Virginia’s 5th House District.
Election officials said they expect turnout to be similar to the gubernatorial election, which was 55% in the Nov. 4, 2025 election. Kay-Wyatt said the lack of a West End satellite early voting location in the special election could shift more voters to Election Day voting. Lyles Crouch School and Samuel W. Tucker School are hosting multiple precincts, which will prompt officials to utilize the cafeteria and gymnasium at each school.
The superintendent acknowledged it was an “inconvenience for our parents” but stressed safety as a reason for her recommendation.
“It’s going to be more like the gubernatorial volume, and that’s about 19,000 voters who could potentially come out and be on our school sites, so that that’s a little bit different than what we just experienced [in February’s special election],” Kay-Wyatt said.
Other ACPS sites serving as polling locations include Alexandria City High School, George Washington Middle School, Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School, James K. Polk Elementary School, Douglas MacArthur Elementary School, Ferdinand T. Day School and John Adams Elementary School. George Mason Elementary School’s precinct was relocated to Trinity Church during the school’s modernization project.
The superintendent said the city’s last special election on Feb. 10 was smaller, “and even that that was a lot to manage” keeping voters away from areas where students were present. The Nov. 4, 2025 election was also a student holiday and teacher work day.
“I just can’t imagine how we would try to make sure we keep the fidelity of all of our processes and safety posture with that amount of turnover, and then morning arrival, recess, gym, the transitions in the hall, as well as dismissal and evening activities,” Kay-Wyatt said.
School Board member Ryan Reyna expressed concern about families needing to find child care on the student holiday, noting that some child care options and after-school programs are located at recreation centers also serving as polling places.
“What I would maybe recommend is a conversation, potentially with some of the outside providers that might do day camps and see … if there are ways that we can try to help connect that and get the information out to families about options,” Reyna said.
Kay-Wyatt said the April 21 student holiday will not require a makeup day. ACPS will make up the instructional hours with advisory time focused on core subjects and social-emotional learning.
Neighboring Arlington Public Schools and Fairfax County Public Schools have also made April 21 a student holiday due to the redistricting election.
