ACPS | ALXnow - Part 66

City Manager Directs Staff to Make $100 Million in Budget Cuts

Published March 24, 2020 at 3:15PM | Updated March 25, 2020 at 2:37AM

Alexandria City Manager Mark Jinks said Monday that the COVID-19 pandemic has created the worst financial crisis he’s ever seen, and has asked staff to make $100 million in budget cuts and prepare for a $35 million revenue shortfall in his fiscal year 2021 budget.

“We crashed, and we don’t know how long this is going to last, when we’re going to come back up,” Jinks told the City Council/School Board Subcommittee in an online meeting. “I’ve told staff we need $100 million in cuts and savings between the current fiscal year and next fiscal year, is my rough guess. That will be savings and looking at capital projects and seeing what we need to cancel or what we need to reschedule to a future year.”

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COVID-19 Pandemic Closes ACPS for the Rest of the Year

By James Cullum

Published March 23, 2020 at 4:30PM | Updated March 23, 2020 at 7:51PM

George Washington Middle School (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Alexandria City Public Schools are closed for the remainder of the school year.

Governor Ralph Northam made the announcement on Monday, effectively closing all public schools in Virginia.

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ACPS Combats Early Summer Slide During COVID-19 Shutdown

By James Cullum

Published March 23, 2020 at 2:00PM

The COVID-19 shutdown has brought an early summer slide to Alexandria City Public School students.

On Friday, the School Board discussed the issue in its first online meeting since canceling all in-person meetings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has closed the school system until April 14.

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Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published March 23, 2020 at 9:00AM

Alexandria Hospital Suspends Visitation — “Exceptions to Inova Health System’s Visitation Guidance can be made in extenuating circumstances and with prior approval from a care site’s administration.” [Zebra]

Man Convicted for 2016 Rape — “[P]olice in Alexandria — for the first time — ran DNA through public genealogical databases and developed a family tree based on known DNA profiles, which pointed to Bjerke as a suspect. After Bjerke was arrested, a buccal swab of his DNA matched DNA found on the victim.” [WTOP]

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COVID-19 Enters Community Spread Phase, Businesses and Residents Adapt

By James Cullum

Published March 20, 2020 at 4:30PM | Updated March 21, 2020 at 12:34AM

Alexandria has officially entered into the community spread phase of the coronavirus pandemic, according to Dr. Rina Bansal, president of Inova Alexandria Hospital.

That means that direct exposure to the virus can not be traced back to its source.

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Volunteer Alexandria Needs Help During COVID-19 Pandemic

By James Cullum

Published March 20, 2020 at 2:00PM | Updated March 20, 2020 at 2:53PM

Packed lunches at T.C. Williams High School (now Alexandria City High School), March 16, 2020. (staff photo by James Cullum)

Volunteer Alexandria needs volunteers — mostly delivery drivers — to help the city’s nonprofits, school system and food banks during the COVID-19 pandemic that has shut down most of the city.

Volunteer Alexandria Executive Director Marion Brunken told ALXnow that about 100 volunteers registered over the course of last weekend. The volunteers are asked whether they have been exposed to the virus.

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ACPS Giving Away Meals at These Five Locations Starting Monday

By James Cullum

Published March 20, 2020 at 11:30AM | Updated March 20, 2020 at 12:28PM

[Updated at 12:10 p.m.] Alexandria City Public Schools on Monday will start providing two days worth of free breakfast and lunch meals for any enrolled ACPS student on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 8 a.m. and noon. at five new distribution points.

“Meals consist of cold breakfast and lunch, including fresh fruits and vegetables, salads and sandwiches for multiple days per the student’s need,” ACPS spokeswoman Julie Allen told ALXnow.

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City Manager: COVID-19 Will Have Major Impact on City Budget, Capital Investments

By James Cullum

Published March 19, 2020 at 4:30PM | Updated March 20, 2020 at 2:05AM

City Manager Mark Jinks says that his proposed fiscal year 2021 budget will be deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and predicts that proposed capital investments will take a hit.

“There will be notable changes in the budget, probably I would suspect capital investments,” Jinks told ALXnow. “We’ve got projects related to city facilities, school facilities that we could do differently. Maybe we talk to Arlington about how the Glebe Road Bridge could stay up as it is for another year. Maybe it can’t.”

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ACPS Considering Closing for the Rest of School Year

By James Cullum

Published March 19, 2020 at 10:15AM | Updated March 19, 2020 at 12:56PM

Alexandria City Public Schools is working on multiple contingencies for the coronavirus pandemic, including closing until the end of the school year.

The school system is currently closed until the end of spring break, April 14.

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Life-Changing: Alexandria Businesses React to Coronavirus

By James Cullum

Published March 18, 2020 at 5:45PM | Updated March 20, 2020 at 9:22AM

Lower King Street on March 18, 2020. (Staff photo by James Cullum)

With only five reported cases in the city so far, COVID-19 has had a huge impact on Alexandria residents, businesses and the city government.

There has been one reported instance of price gouging, with packages of 10 rolls of Charmin Ultra Soft toilet paper being sold for more than $60 at the Food Star at 206 W. Glebe Road.

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Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published March 18, 2020 at 9:00AM

ACPS Releases Samples of Daily Schedules For Students — Alexandria City Public Schools, in their daily 1 p.m. update to parents, released sample daily schedules for students. The schedule includes time to wake up, taking a morning walk and three-and-a-half hours of academic time. [ACPS]

Alexandria Libraries Close Thru March 31 — “This was a difficult decision to make as we know how much people rely on their libraries to support their educational, entertainment, and recreational needs. However, libraries are a hub of community activity with some branches drawing hundreds of visitors per day.” [Alexandria Library]