ACPS | ALXnow - Part 30

Behind closed doors, Alexandria School Board proposes ‘peer pressure’ procedure when talking to media

Published June 8, 2022 at 1:00PM | Updated June 8, 2022 at 6:37PM

ACPS headquarters and clock (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The Alexandria School Board conducted a closed-door meeting on Tuesday night (June 7) on changes to their operating procedures including a new rule on talking to the media.

In the two-hour-long session, the Board went over proposed changes to its operating procedures, as well as “Eight Characteristics of Effective School Boards,” a report from the Center for Public Education. The meeting was attended by Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr., Board Chair Meagan Alderton, Vice Chair Jacinta Greene, as well as Members Chris Harris, Willie Bailey, Michelle Rief, Tammy Ignacio, Kelly Carmichael Booz and Ashley Simpson Baird.

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Slain Alexandria City High School senior given posthumous diploma

By James Cullum

Published June 4, 2022 at 2:15PM | Updated June 6, 2022 at 2:59PM

Guillermo Romero, the uncle of Luis Mejia Hernandez, who was killed on May 24, receives his diploma at the Alexandria City High School graduation at George Mason University's EagleBank Arena, June 4, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)

Updated at 3 p.m. on June 6: A family member of Luis Mejia Hernandez walked the stage and received a standing ovation from the students, staff and families in attendance at George Mason University’s EagleBank Arena.

Guillermo Romero took took the diploma for his nephew, kissed it and raised it to the sky.

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BREAKING: 16-year-old arrested and charged with murder after fatal stabbing at Bradlee Shopping Center

By James Cullum

Published June 1, 2022 at 2:15PM | Updated June 1, 2022 at 3:33PM

Police at the Bradlee Shopping Center where 18-year-old Luis Mejia Hernandez was fatally stabbed on May 24, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)

Updated at 3:30 p.m. — A 16-year-old Alexandria City High School student has been arrested in connection to last week’s fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Luis Mejia Hernandez, Alexandria Police tweeted.

The juvenile, who was not named, was arrested more than a week after the May 24 incident, and has been charged with murder. He was arrested sometime Wednesday morning (June 1) and is being held at the Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center.

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Superintendent tells School Board to not talk to media about fatal stabbing of student

By James Cullum

Published June 1, 2022 at 1:15PM | Updated June 1, 2022 at 9:26PM

Police at the Bradlee Shopping Center where 18-year-old Luis Mejia Hernandez was fatally stabbed on May 24, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)

In the wake of last week’s fatal stabbing of Alexandria City High School student Luis Mejia Hernandez, Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. has advised School Board members to not talk with the media.

No arrests have yet been made after the May 24 incident, which resulted from an afternoon brawl with 30-to-50 Alexandria City High School students in the McDonald’s parking lot of the Bradlee Shopping Center.

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2,900 new Covid cases were reported in Alexandria in May

By James Cullum

Published May 31, 2022 at 10:45AM

May has been the second worst month for new Covid cases this year, with 2,900 cases reported. That’s a 94% increase over the 1,488 cases reported last month.

As of Tuesday (May 31), the total number of reported cases reached 34,505, with 189 deaths, according to the Virginia Department of Health. That’s an increase of 741 cases since this time last week, with the seven-day average of new cases now at 105.9, down from 199.4 last week, but still higher than the 78.6 at the beginning of the month.

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Security and schedule changes take effect at Alexandria City High School after fatal stabbing

By Vernon Miles

Published May 31, 2022 at 10:00AM

A candlelight vigil for Luis Mejia Hernandez on Thursday, May 26, 2022 -- two days after his fatal stabbing. (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City High School (ACHS) will have a modified schedule this week as the school’s community reels from the killing of a student last week at a nearby shopping center.

Principal Peter Balas said in a message to the community that the school will have virtual asynchronous learning and SOL exams. ACHS staff will be in classrooms providing virtual instruction and will be available to proctor exams and be available to any student in need of social-emotional support or socialization.

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Police were at the Bradlee Shopping Center before teenager was fatally stabbed

By James Cullum

Published May 25, 2022 at 4:50PM | Updated May 26, 2022 at 11:13AM

Police at the Bradlee Shopping Center where 18-year-old Luis Mejia Hernandez was fatally stabbed on May 24, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)

(Updated at 5:45 p.m.) Alexandria Police were at the scene of Tuesday’s brawl prior to the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Luis Mejia Hernandez, according to video of the incident obtained by ALXnow.

Hernandez was stabbed during a brawl with 30-50 teenagers in the McDonald’s parking lot. A video of the incident obtained by ALXnow showed police cruisers at the scene and an officer attending to Hernandez immediately after he was stabbed.

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Two Alexandria schools switch to remote learning due to ongoing power outages

By Vernon Miles

Published May 23, 2022 at 9:30AM

Two Alexandria City Public Schools have switched to virtual classes due to widespread power outages around the city after a storm Sunday night.

Alexandria City High School’s King Street campus (ACHS) and Charles Barrett Elementary School have both switched to asynchronous virtual learning, meaning classes are being switched to online rather than in-person.

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Alexandria City Council approves $839 million budget

By James Cullum

Published May 5, 2022 at 1:00PM | Updated May 5, 2022 at 1:54PM

Alexandria City Hall (staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 1:45 p.m.) The Alexandria City Council unanimously adopted City Manager Jim Parajon’s $839.2 million fiscal year 2023 budget on Wednesday night (May 4), and despite giving all city employees raises, Mayor Justin Wilson says inflation will likely mean more raises in future budgets.

“We’re staring into a significant inflationary environment that pinches our employees very hard, just like it pinches everyone hard,” Wilson said. “We’re going to have to continue to have this conversation every year about how we make sure we invest in the level of compensation and benefits required to not only attract but retain the best and the brightest in the city.”

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School Board considering adding Narcan to schools to combat opioid overdoses

By James Cullum

Published May 3, 2022 at 10:50AM

Alexandria City Public Schools will likely soon begin carrying Nalaxone, or Narcan, as an emergency medication to be given to students if they are overdosing on opiates.

If approved by the School Board on May 5 (Thursday), school nurses or anyone “acting on behalf of the School Board who has completed a training program may possess and administer naloxone or other opioid antagonist for overdose reversal,” according to a staff report.

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Alexandria City High School goes to ‘secure the building’ status after threat

By Vernon Miles

Published April 19, 2022 at 10:15AM

The Alexandria City High School marquee (staff photo by James Cullum)

All Alexandria City High School (ACHS) campuses have gone into a “secure the building” status while the Alexandria Police Department (APD) investigates a threat to the school.

According to a release from ACPS: