ACPS | ALXnow - Part 7

ACPS superintendent scheduled for Sept. 3 virtual community forum

Published August 20, 2025 at 9:02AM

ACPS Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt speaks at Mount Vernon Community School on Nov. 15, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Concerned Citizens Network of Alexandria will host a community town hall meeting with Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt on Wednesday, Sept. 3, from 6-7 p.m. via Zoom.

The virtual forum, announced Tuesday on the organization’s Instagram account, will provide residents an opportunity to engage directly with the district’s top administrator about education issues affecting the community. The meeting comes just over two weeks after ACPS students returned to classrooms on Monday, Aug. 18, for the start of the 2025-26 school year.

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Warner, Kaine slam Trump administration for threat of federal funding cuts to Alexandria schools

By Ryan Belmore

Published August 18, 2025 at 1:30PM

Alexandria City High School (staff photo by James Jarvis)

U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine condemned the Trump administration Monday for beginning the process to cut federal funding from Alexandria City Public Schools and four other Northern Virginia districts over their refusal to change transgender student policies.

The senators released a joint statement Monday as the U.S. Department of Education began suspending federal aid to the districts after they rejected demands to rescind policies allowing transgender students to use facilities matching their gender identity.

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Washington Wizards give backpacks to 700 Alexandria students

By James Cullum

Published August 15, 2025 at 3:00PM

The Washington Wizards helped tip off the 2025-26 school year with a giveaway event at William Ramsay Recreation Center on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Washington Wizards helped tip off the 2025-26 school year with a backpack and supplies giveaway today (Aug. 15) at William Ramsay Recreation Center.

Wizards forward Anthony Gill made a surprise appearance and joined rookies Tre Johnson, Will Riley, and Jamir Watkins at the event. The players, along with mascot G-Wiz and the Wizards Dancers, gave 700 backpacks to the students at William Ramsay Elementary School (5700 Sanger Avenue), which is located next to the recreation center and officially opens for the first day on Monday, Aug. 18.

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Alexandria schools reject federal Title IX demands

By Ryan Belmore

Published August 15, 2025 at 1:00PM | Updated August 18, 2025 at 12:31PM

Alexandria City High School (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Alexandria City Public Schools has rejected federal demands to change policies allowing transgender students to use facilities matching their gender identity, defying a U.S. Department of Education ultimatum that required a response by today’s deadline.

In a statement released Friday at 12:24 p.m., School Board Chair Dr. Michelle Rief and Superintendent Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt announced that ACPS “disagrees with the legal analysis in the Letter of Findings, and cannot agree to the VRA [Voluntary Resolution Agreement] currently proposed by OCR.”

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ACPS students return to classrooms Monday for new school year

By Ryan Belmore

Published August 13, 2025 at 11:15AM | Updated August 13, 2025 at 2:26PM

Alexandria City High School (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Alexandria City Public Schools will welcome students back to classrooms on Monday, August 18, marking the start of the 2025-26 academic year for most district schools.

The Aug. 18 start date applies to 17 of the district’s 18 schools following the traditional academic calendar. Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School, which operates on a modified calendar, already began classes on July 21.

News

Washington Wizards to ‘tip-off’ 2025-2026 school year with backpack giveaway at William Ramsay Elementary School

By James Cullum

Published August 6, 2025 at 3:30PM

ACPS Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt with G-Wiz, the Washington Wizards mascot, at Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School, Aug. 23, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Washington Wizards will tip off the 2025-2026 school year at William Ramsay Elementary School next Friday (Aug. 15).

Even though school officially starts on Monday, Aug. 18, Washington Wizards rookies Tre Johnson, Will Riley, and Jamir Watkins are joining mascot G-Wiz and the Wizards Dancers in handing out free Wizards backpacks filled with school supplies, water bottles, and more. The event will be held at the school, located at 5700 Sanger Avenue, from 12:00 to 3:30 p.m.

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Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy PTA earns National PTA Schools of Excellence recognition

By Ryan Belmore

Published August 6, 2025 at 1:00PM

Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy at 530 S. St. Asaph Street in Old Town. (via Facebook)

Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy PTA in Alexandria was among 330 schools nationwide named a 2024-2026 National PTA School of Excellence for building strong family-school partnerships.

The program recognizes PTAs and schools that enrich the educational experience and overall well-being of students through family engagement efforts.

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Minnie Howard Aquatics Facility celebrating one-year anniversary on August 29

By James Cullum

Published August 4, 2025 at 11:30AM | Updated August 4, 2025 at 7:49PM

The swimming pool at Alexandria City High School's Minnie Howard Campus, May 29, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Sometimes getting all wet can be exactly what you need.

On Friday (Aug. 29), Alexandria’s Department of Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities is celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Minnie Howard Aquatics Facility. The family friendly event will be held from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and includes free activities, live music and giveaways.

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Federal investigation concludes Alexandria schools violated Title IX civil rights law

By Ryan Belmore

Published July 26, 2025 at 6:49AM

Alexandria City High School (staff photo by James Jarvis)

A months-long federal investigation has concluded that Alexandria City Public Schools violated Title IX civil rights law with policies allowing transgender students to use facilities aligned with their gender identity.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced Friday that Alexandria’s policy providing facility access based on “gender identity” rather than biological sex violates federal law.

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ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published July 25, 2025 at 3:30PM

Tiffany Barner, Alexandria City High School's dean of students has died (via ACHS)

Welcome to Friday, Alexandria! Here’s our compilation of the most-read stories of the week.

Our top story this week is on the sad news of the death of Tiffany Barner, a longtime Alexandria educator and a Dean of Students at Alexandria City High School. The ACHS community was notified of Barner’s death in a note July 21 (Monday) from ACHS Interim Executive Principal Lance Harrell.

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Alexandria makes immunization push before school starts

By James Cullum

Published July 21, 2025 at 11:30AM

School buses on W. Braddock Road on Dec. 10, 2021 (staff photo by James Cullum)

With the 2025-2026 school year just a month away, the Alexandria Health Department is urging parents to get their children’s school-required vaccinations.

“Scheduling vaccine appointments early makes it easier to find an appointment that fits your schedule,” Alexandria Health Department Director Dr. David Rose said, “and vaccines protect our children from getting sick and being sidelined from school and activities later on.”