Alexandria City Public Schools

News

Alexandria Superintendent spells out ways ACPS can and can’t protect students from ICE

By Vernon Miles
ACPS Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt delivers her fiscal year 2026 Combined Funds Budget to the Alexandria School Board, Jan. 23, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

With President Donald Trump removing restrictions preventing Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from raiding schools, Alexandria Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt laid out the ways Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) are protected from ICE but also exceptions families should be aware of.

The message comes after a full-throated rebuke of ICE activities at school to the fullest extent allowable by law by Fairfax County Public Schools leadership. Kay-Wyatt’s message similarly noted that the schools can help shield children to an extent, but reaffirmed that ACPS “is obligated to comply with all lawful orders and warrants from any law enforcement entity, including ICE.

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News

Alexandria Superintendent proposes budget with higher pay for school staff and more security

By Vernon Miles
ACPS Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt delivers her fiscal year 2026 Combined Funds Budget to the Alexandria School Board, Jan. 23, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City Public Schools’ (ACPS) new proposed budget comes with a raise for school district employees and more security for the schools.

At a budget presentation last night, Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt proposed a budget that’s a 4% increase over the current fiscal year’s budget. That increase includes a full-step increase for all eligible staff at the beginning of the contract year and an additional step increase to increase maximum pay, though ACPS staff on a Facebook page for school faculty noted that this doesn’t come with a cost of living adjustment.

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News

Jefferson-Houston community rails against middle school conversion plans at School Board meeting

By Vernon Miles
Jefferson-Houston community member Sujata Mitra at a School Board meeting on Jan. 23 (staff photo by James Cullum)

At a School Board meeting tonight (Thursday), parents and other community members from Jefferson-Houston voiced strong opposition to plans to convert Jefferson-Houston and Patrick Henry, both K-8 schools, into a middle school and elementary school respectively.

The goal of the plan is to relieve overcrowding at Alexandria’s middle schools, though the conversions aren’t expected to take place until 2030 and 2032.

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Opinion

Poll: Do you support using DASH instead of school buses to transport Alexandria high school students?

By Vernon Miles
A DASH bus on King Street in Old Town Alexandria

At a City Council meeting last week, City Council member Abdel Elnoubi and Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley introduced a proposal that could change the way Alexandria City High School students get to school.

Elnoubi and Bagley, with the unanimous backing of the City Council, asked staff to explore the utilization of the DASH bus network to transport for high school students, eliminating the need for school buses at the high school level.

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News

ACPS superintendent to present budget this week after city asks to keep increase modest

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

Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt will unveil her fiscal year 2026 budget this week, and the city is asking the school division to keep the budget increase over last year’s budget modest.

In his budget presentation to the City Council in November, City Manager Jim Parajon outlined a 2%, or $5.5 million, combined funds budget increase for ACPS amounting to $278.5 million.

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News

JUST IN: Alexandria City Public Schools to open on two-hour delay Wednesday

By Vernon Miles
Cora Kelly Elementary School, 3600 Commonwealth Avenue, on Jan. 6, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City Public Schools will open two-hours later tomorrow (Wednesday) than usual thanks to extreme cold temperatures.

Alexandria and its neighbors are under a cold weather advisory tonight and tomorrow morning. The National Weather Service warned of wind chill around five degrees below zero.

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News

Alexandria could ditch school buses for high school students and switch to DASH

By Vernon Miles
A DASH bus on King Street near Alexandria City High School, Jan. 6, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City High School (ACHS) students’ days of taking the school division’s yellow school buses to and from school may be numbered.

A memo from new City Council member Abdel Elnoubi and Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley asks city staff to explore the feasibility of transitioning transportation of high school students to the city’s DASH bus network.

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News

ACPS: Schools go to ‘asynchronous learning’ in Alexandria tomorrow

By Vernon Miles
Cora Kelly Elementary School, 3600 Commonwealth Avenue, on Jan. 6, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

While most of the streets in Alexandria are relatively clear of snow, Alexandria City Public Schools announced that schools and offices will switch to asynchronous instruction tomorrow (Wednesday).

Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt said the announcement is the result of concerns about safety for staff and students.

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News

Alexandria School Board promises to ‘rebuild trust’ at virtual induction ceremony

By Vernon Miles
Alexandria School Board posing for a "Brady Bunch" style virtual picture (image via ACPS)

A snow day yesterday forced the Alexandria School Board to make its induction ceremony virtual, something School Board Chair Michelle Rief said typifies the way the Board has to adapt to crises.

“I’m disappointed it has to be virtual, but to new members it’s a befitting introduction to the life of a School Board member,” Rief said. “We often have to roll with the punches and have a Plan B.”

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News

JUST IN: ACPS announces second ‘traditional snow day’ on Tuesday

By Vernon Miles
Cora Kelly Elementary School, 3600 Commonwealth Avenue, on Jan. 6, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) reopening will be delayed by yet another day with tomorrow (Tuesday) being another snow day.

In a message to ACPS families and staff, Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt said tomorrow will be a traditional snow day with no virtual learning.

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