Alexandria City Public Schools

Alexandria students begin school year with stricter cell phone rules, new boundaries

Published August 24, 2026 at 11:45AM

Alexandria School Board Chair Christopher Harris shakes hands with a student on the first day of school at Alexandria City High School, Aug. 24, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City Public Schools welcomed students back for the first day of school today (Monday) as the district implemented a stricter student cell phone policy and new school boundaries.

More than 15,000 students started school at ACPS, from the incoming kindergarten class who will graduate in 2039, to the seniors graduating next year. Acting Superintendent Grace Taylor, Mayor Alyia Gaskins, School Board Chair Christopher Harris, Alexandria City High School Principal Michael Burch and Police Chief Tarrick McGuire visited classrooms at ACHS’s King Street Campus on the first day.

News

Three ACPS naming ceremonies scheduled for September and October

By Emily Leayman

Published August 20, 2026 at 2:45PM

The Parker-Gray Stadium Field at Alexandria City High School King Street Campus (via ACPS)

Three Alexandria City Public Schools facilities that the School Board voted to rename will be dedicated in the next two months.

The Alexandria City School Board voted in December 2025 to name Keith Burns Field at Alexandria City High School’s Parker-Gray Memorial Stadium after a 1990 T.C. Williams High School graduate who had an NFL career. The athletic field complex at the high school’s Minnie Howard Campus will be named after the late Alexandria Mayor Kerry Donley, and a media center at Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School will be named after Jean Reid, who taught at various ACPS schools.

News

Speed cameras to resume enforcement as school year begins in Alexandria

By Emily Leayman

Published August 18, 2026 at 9:15AM

A school zone speed limit sign near the Minnie Howard Campus (via Google Maps)

Alexandria City Public Schools will be returning to school on Monday, Aug. 24, and that means speed cameras will also be reactivated to enforce school zone speeding violations.

The City of Alexandria said enforcement of school zone speed cameras will begin on the first day of school following testing of the school zone flashers and camera systems on Aug. 21. The cameras will automatically issue tickets for speeding violations when school zone signs are flashing.

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Police and fire presence at ACHS Minnie Howard Campus planned for emergency drill

By Emily Leayman

Published August 10, 2026 at 2:45PM

Alexandria City High School's Minnie Howard Campus (staff photo by James Cullum)

Residents shouldn’t be alarmed when they see an increased police and fire presence at Alexandria City High School’s Minnie Howard Campus later this week.

The Alexandria Police Department, Alexandria City Public Schools and other emergency partners will hold an incident response drill at the campus (3775 W. Braddock Road) Thursday (Aug. 13). Expect police, fire and EMS vehicles and personnel to be in the area between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

News

Here’s when the 2026-27 school year starts in Alexandria, and more key dates

By James Cullum

Published August 3, 2026 at 2:45PM

George Mason Elementary School Principal Christopher Finan with students on the first day of school, August 21, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

The start of the 2026-27 school year is just around the corner in Alexandria.

The first day back for most Alexandria City Public Schools students is Monday, Aug. 24. That’s not the case for students and staff at Samuel W. Tucker Elementary, which started on July 27. Still, below are some important dates to be aware of, as the school system gets back into the swing of things.

News

ACPS makes registration push ahead of new school year to avoid first-day rush

By Emily Leayman

Published July 27, 2026 at 11:45AM

Students at Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School, Aug. 23, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City Public Schools is making a push to get new students registered in time for the new school year.

The city’s public school system has already seen 1,637 early student registrations between April 15 and July 1, a 15.5% increase of early new student registrations compared to April 23 and July 1 last year. Over 900 families have been fully registered or are completing enrollment.

News

David Paladin-Fernandez makes comeback victory in Alexandria teachers union president runoff

By James Cullum

Published July 22, 2026 at 3:45PM

David Paladin-Fernandez speaks at a School Board meeting on June 11, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

David Paladin-Fernandez was elected the president of the Alexandria teachers union in a recent runoff election, the Virginia Education Association announced Tuesday (July 21).

Paladin-Fernandez won the runoff with 217 votes against 196 votes cast for his opponent, Christina Bohringer. The news comes two months after Paladin-Fernandez was disqualified from running in the Education Association of Alexandria’s officer elections for alleged campaign violations.

Around Town

Self-taught Hammond Middle School coder launches CalcHub with over 50 custom calculators

By Emily Leayman

Published July 22, 2026 at 2:45PM

Hammond Middle School student Emmanuel Adu-Wadier created CalcHub with more than 50 custom calculators (via Emmanuel Adu-Wadier)

An 11-year-old student at Hammond Middle School is behind a new resource covering everything from budget calculators to random password generators.

In July, Emmanuel Adu-Wadier launched CalcHub, a free website with more than 50 unique calculators covering finance and investment, mathematics, science, health and wellness, education and everyday tools. The rising seventh grader built the site using JavaScript, HTML, CSS and AI.

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New ACHS principal says administrators will focus on smartphone ban and attendance

By James Cullum

Published July 15, 2026 at 3:45PM

ACHS Principal Michael Burch talks to students, parents and administrators, July 15, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

With a new principal at the helm, Alexandria City High School administrators will focus their efforts this school year on chronic absenteeism and implementing Virginia’s stricter ban against smartphones and other smart devices in schools.

On Wednesday morning (July 15), new principal Michael Burch told students, parents and administrators that he’s been sending out emails about the “bell-to-bell” phone ban signed into law by Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D).

News

School Board elects two Alexandria City High School alumni as chair and vice chair

By James Cullum

Published July 10, 2026 at 9:15AM | Updated July 10, 2026 at 10:12AM

Chris Harris (on right) was elected chair and Alex Crider Scioscia was elected vice chair of the Alexandria City School Board on July 9, 2026 (via ACPS/Facebook)

The Alexandria City School Board on Thursday (July 9) unanimously elected new leadership for the next year.

Without opposition, School Board Member Christopher Harris was elected as chair, and Alexander Crider Scioscia was elected vice chair. Both are graduates of Alexandria City High School (when it was T.C. Williams High School), and the one-year appointments went into effect in the beginning of Thursday night’s meeting.

News

New school boundaries and walk zones go into effect in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published July 8, 2026 at 3:45PM | Updated July 9, 2026 at 10:59AM

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

Along with new school boundaries, newly drawn school walk zones went into effect in Alexandria on July 1.

The new walk zone maps show where students walking to school will find hazardous road crossings, bridge crossings and areas without sidewalks. Outside Alexandria City High School’s King Street and Minnie Howard campuses, for instance, there are dozens of hazardous crossing points identified by the school system.