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Alexandria Budget and Fiscal Affairs Advisory Committee members resign after criticizing ACPS superintendent

By James Cullum
ACPS Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt speaks at the ribbon cutting for Douglas MacArthur Elementary School, Aug. 18, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Two longtime members of the city’s Budget and Fiscal Affairs Advisory Committee (BFAAC) resigned earlier this month after severely criticizing the leadership of Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt during a meeting.

BFAAC Vice Chair Kathy Stenzel resigned on Dec. 14 and Board Member Karen Graf resigned on Dec. 16 without providing a reason, according to the city. Graf was chair of the Alexandria School Board in 2013 and 2014, and was a School Board member for six years.

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Decades-long theater collaboration at Alexandria City High School coming to an end

By James Cullum
Hope Bachman (on left) and Lesley Jones have led the Alexandria City High School theatre department for 20 years (staff photo by James Cullum)

It’s the end of an era for Alexandria City High School’s drama program. After 20 years directing and producing dozens of theatrical performances, the partnership between co-teachers Hope Bachman and Leslie Jones will come to a close at the end of this school year.

Known informally as “Bach and Jones” to students, parents and staff, the pair were honored in a gala at ACHS last week. Bachman says that deciding to partner with Jones was one of the best decisions she ever made.

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Alexandria City Public Schools unveils two logo redesigns and gets skewered on social media

By James Cullum
The two options for the new ACPS logo (via ACPS)

Alexandria City Public Schools has unveiled two new logos, both of which are getting skewered by parents on social media.

ACPS is asking students, families and staff to weigh in on the two options for “consideration in the superintendent’s final recommendation” by Dec. 18. Last year’s effort to redesign the logo were denied 7-2 by the School Board.

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Afghan students to premier documentary on evacuation to Alexandria

By James Cullum
Zahra Rahimi (staff photo by James Cullum)

Afghan students living in Alexandria will premiere an eight-minute documentary this Friday on their experiences during the 2021 evacuation from Afghanistan.

The eight-minute documentary “Desperate” was produced and directed by Zahra Rahimi, an Alexandria City High School senior who has gained notoriety over the past six months for her work helping her fellow Afghan students learn English. It will premiere this Friday at 6 p.m. at the Del Pepper Community Resource Center (4850 Mark Center Drive).

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Alexandria gets perfect score in equity index and reaffirmed AAA bond rating

By James Cullum
Dining in Old Town. (Staff photo by James Cullum)

All arguments aside, Alexandria’s equity standards and economic prospects have been declared sound.

Yesterday, the city announced that S&P Global Ratings and Moody’s Investors Service reaffirmed Alexandria’s ‘AAA’ bond rating. The city has maintained the designation since 1992, and it equates to a good credit rating for the city to get low-interest rates from bond investors to provide funding for multiple projects.

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Alexandria City Public Schools accidentally shares private student information in newsletter

By Vernon Miles
George Washington Middle School (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) accidentally shared private student information in a George Washington Middle School newsletter, though an ACPS administrator said fortunately only one person outside of ACPS clicked the link before it was corrected.

In an email to ACPS parents, ACPS Chief of Accountability and Research Clinton Page said the newsletter had information originally intended just for a limited number of staff. Specifically, the newsletter provided access to:

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Police: Student admits to sending threatening Instagram messages to Alexandria middle school

By James Cullum
Alexandria Police lights (staff photo by James Cullum)

An Alexandria middle school student allegedly admitted to her parents and police that she sent a threatening message to her school’s Instagram page last month, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.

On Oct. 11 (Wednesday), at around 5 p.m., a now-unavailable Instagram account sent a direct message to an Alexandria middle school’s Instagram page and said, “Be prepared for October 12, 2023,” and then said that “11th and 12th grade upper school teachers” were targeted and that there were “many more who must suffer.”

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JUST IN: Alexandria City High School students walk out in protest against Israel-Hamas war

By ALXnow.com
A student walkout at Alexandria City High School protesting for a ceasefire to the Israel-Hamas war, Nov. 9, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Students walked out of classes at Alexandria City High School’s King Street campus this morning to support a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

Hundreds of students at the school, which has an enrollment of approximately 4,000 students, engaged in a walk-out protest — joining international protests against Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.

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Afghan high school student Zahra Rahimi is making a name for herself in Alexandria

By James Cullum
Zahra Rahimi (staff photo by James Cullum)

Zahra Rahimi spoke no English when she and her family moved from Afghanistan to Alexandria four years ago.

Fast forward to October, when First Lady Jill Biden recognized her at the White House as one of 15 “Girls Leading Change” around the country.

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George Mason Elementary School modernization takes center stage in new ACPS budget

By Vernon Miles
The first day at school at George Mason Elementary School, Aug. 21, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) says school modernization and upgrades are the big focal point of the upcoming Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Budget, particularly at George Mason Elementary School.

In a release, Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt said the priority of the FY 2025 CIP Budget is modernization projects to meet projected capacity needs.

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Petition to cancel ACPS classes the day after Halloween raises nearly 1,200 signatures

By James Cullum
The Alexandria City High School Zombie Band marches at the Del Ray Halloween Parade, Oct. 29, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Nearly 1,200 signatures have been collected in a new Change.org petition asking for a holiday for Alexandria City Public Schools students the day after Halloween, on Nov. 1.

According to the petition:

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