News

NEW: ACPS tentatively announcing new superintendent on Oct. 22

By James Cullum
Panel of diverse officials seated along a curved wooden dais in a formal meeting room, microphones and laptops in front of them; a screen on the wall shows a blue logo.
The Alexandria School Board at its meeting on Aug. 27, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Alexandria City School Board will tentatively announce the city school system’s new superintendent at its upcoming meeting Thursday, Oct. 22.

School Board Chair Chris Harris told the Alexandria City Public Schools community in an email today (Oct. 1) that the board has completed its interviews with candidates and has “moved into the contract negotiation process” with the selected candidate.

“This represents an important step toward completing the search and identifying the next leader of our school division,” Harris said. “The School Board plans to tentatively announce the selected candidate at the October 22, 2026, School Board meeting. Should there be any changes to this timeline, we will communicate those updates with the ACPS community.”

The School Board appointed Grace Taylor, the school system’s chief of staff since 2023, as acting superintendent in August after former Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt took an unexpected leave of absence. Taylor indicated to the Alexandria Times she was not seeking the permanent position.

ACPS contracted with executive search firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates to find permanent superintendent candidates. The application deadline was Aug. 12, and the board conducted interviews in September.

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.