Alexandria City Public Schools

Police: Student admits to sending threatening Instagram messages to Alexandria middle school

Published November 14, 2023 at 1:35PM | Updated November 15, 2023 at 11:17AM

Alexandria Police lights (staff photo by James Cullum)

An Alexandria middle school student allegedly admitted to her parents and police that she sent a threatening message to her school’s Instagram page last month, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.

On Oct. 11 (Wednesday), at around 5 p.m., a now-unavailable Instagram account sent a direct message to an Alexandria middle school’s Instagram page and said, “Be prepared for October 12, 2023,” and then said that “11th and 12th grade upper school teachers” were targeted and that there were “many more who must suffer.”

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JUST IN: Alexandria City High School students walk out in protest against Israel-Hamas war

By ALXnow.com

Published November 9, 2023 at 11:00AM

A student walkout at Alexandria City High School protesting for a ceasefire to the Israel-Hamas war, Nov. 9, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Students walked out of classes at Alexandria City High School’s King Street campus this morning to support a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

Hundreds of students at the school, which has an enrollment of approximately 4,000 students, engaged in a walk-out protest — joining international protests against Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.

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George Mason Elementary School modernization takes center stage in new ACPS budget

By Vernon Miles

Published November 3, 2023 at 11:10AM

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

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) says school modernization and upgrades are the big focal point of the upcoming Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Budget, particularly at George Mason Elementary School.

In a release, Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt said the priority of the FY 2025 CIP Budget is modernization projects to meet projected capacity needs.

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Petition to cancel ACPS classes the day after Halloween raises nearly 1,200 signatures

By James Cullum

Published October 31, 2023 at 10:55AM | Updated October 31, 2023 at 1:19PM

The Alexandria City High School Zombie Band marches at the Del Ray Halloween Parade, Oct. 29, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Nearly 1,200 signatures have been collected in a new Change.org petition asking for a holiday for Alexandria City Public Schools students the day after Halloween, on Nov. 1.

According to the petition:

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Charles Barrett Elementary School celebrates 80 years in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published October 26, 2023 at 2:30PM

A tree planting commemorating the 80th anniversary of Charles Barrett Elementary School, Oct. 25, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

World War II was at its peak when Charles Barrett Elementary School first opened 80 years ago. In recognition of the anniversary, on Wednesday students and school officials gathered in front of the school, planted a baby oak tree and sang the school song.

The tree was donated by the North Ridge Citizens’ Association.

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Alexandria City High School senior earns rare perfect score on AP U.S. History Exam

By James Cullum

Published October 20, 2023 at 10:45AM | Updated October 21, 2023 at 9:34PM

Alexandria City High School senior Mohommed Abir Rhaman (with his AP history teacher, Erin Hudson) was notified last month that he literally aced his AP U.S. History exam (via ACPS)

Alexandria City High School senior Mohommed Abir Rhaman was shocked when he was notified last month that he got a perfect score on the Advanced Placement U.S. History Exam.

The notoriously grueling exam takes more than three hours to finish, and Rhaman is one of 13 students in the world who aced it this year, according to Alexandria City Public Schools.

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Alexandria City High School seniors with 3.25 GPA now automatically admitted to George Mason University

By James Cullum

Published October 20, 2023 at 9:30AM

Staying cool at Alexandria City High School's graduation at George Mason University's EagleBank Arena, June 3, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City High School seniors with a 3.25 cumulative grade point average or higher are now eligible for automatic admission to George Mason University.

The deal for the pilot program between Alexandria City Public Schools and GMU was struck earlier this month, and 428 ACHS seniors have since been informed that they have earned a guaranteed admission to the university. The agreement expires in August 2026.

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Parents decry ‘staffing crisis’ in Alexandria City Public Schools

By James Cullum

Published October 11, 2023 at 2:45PM

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

Alexandria parents are up in arms over a staffing crisis within Alexandria City Public Schools.

Kelly Organek says that her ninth-grade son at Alexandria City High School’s Minnie Howard campus hasn’t had a geometry teacher since school started in August and that he only recently got a new biology teacher.

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Marijuana listed as banned substance in Alexandria City Public Schools

By James Cullum

Published October 11, 2023 at 1:30PM | Updated October 12, 2023 at 1:48PM

Marijuana (photo via Wesley Gibbs/Unsplash)

(Updated at 1:45 p.m. on Oct. 12) Alexandria City Public Schools has aligned with Virginia law in its stance against marijuana.

Students who possess, use or distribute marijuana within 1,000 feet of an ACPS school, bus stop or bus can now be expelled, according to policy revisions reviewed last week by the School Board. Marijuana was not previously listed as a banned substance.

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Former Tucker Elementary School principal lands bigger school leadership role in ACPS

By Vernon Miles

Published October 10, 2023 at 9:50AM

Acting Executive Director of School Leadership Rene Paschal (image via ACPS)

There’s a new man in charge of guiding school leadership in Alexandria City Public Schools.

The new acting executive director of school leadership is Rene Paschal, formerly acting executive director of human resources since October 2022.

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Alexandria School Board member storms out of Board restructuring meeting

By James Cullum

Published October 6, 2023 at 2:45PM | Updated October 6, 2023 at 3:02PM

ACPS headquarters and clock (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 2:55 p.m.) A School Board work session on restructuring the makeup of the Board stopped short late last night after one member, Willie Bailey, walked out of the meeting.

Board Members were hammering out whether to expand terms from three to four years, stagger elections and switch from districts to at-large elections. The work session was held after a two-hour Board meeting and ended after 11 p.m. because the Board no longer had an in-person quorum after Bailey left.