Alexandria City Public Schools

Alexandria School Board considering staggered terms, fewer members and eliminating districts

Published December 14, 2022 at 3:30PM | Updated December 15, 2022 at 2:25PM

ACPS headquarters and clock (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated 4:15 p.m.) Are there too many Alexandria School Board Members? Should their terms be staggered and should districts be eliminated? The Board wants these questions answered by the time voters cast their ballots in November 2024.

Yesterday (Tuesday), the nine-person Board unanimously agreed to establish a process for asking the public these questions. The answers will inform a Board resolution that is expected to go before the Alexandria City Council next year and the Virginia General Assembly in 2024.

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Years of upheaval ahead as ACPS designs West End office building for elementary school swing space

By James Cullum

Published December 6, 2022 at 1:15PM

Swing space at 1703 N. Beauregard Street, via Google Maps

Students and parents are facing years upheaval in Alexandria’s West End, as the city’s school system is planning on completely rebuilding two elementary schools within the decade.

Alexandria City Public Schools plans to redesign an office building at 1703 N. Beauregard Street to be used as swing space while George Mason Elementary School (2601 Cameron Mills Road) and Cora Kelly School for Math, Science and Technology (3600 Commonwealth Avenue) are completely rebuilt.

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Mayor: Alexandria seeing ‘anemic growth’ in tax revenues with budget shortfall ahead

By Vernon Miles

Published December 1, 2022 at 2:45PM | Updated December 1, 2022 at 4:15PM

Money on a table (staff photo via Vernon Miles/ALXnow)

Alexandria’s revenue tax is growing, but too sluggishly to keep pace with the expenditures — leading to a $17 million shortfall as the city heads into budget season.

That estimate, from Mayor Justin Wilson’s monthly newsletter, is slightly lower than the estimate from a City Council meeting in November, but still presents a substantial challenge for city leadership attempting hold off on a tax rate increase.

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Alexandria City Public Schools is prepping a collective bargaining proposal

By James Cullum

Published November 30, 2022 at 2:15PM

Alexandria City Public Schools is in the initial stages of organizing a collective bargaining effort for thousands of its employees.

The school system has more than 2,400 employees and pays $11.6 million in salaries, with funds approved by the City Council. That means that any agreement reached between ACPS staffers and the school system will have to be approved by Council.

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Alexandria City Council will consider raising taxes in upcoming budget

By James Cullum

Published November 23, 2022 at 11:30AM

Alexandria City Hall sign (staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

Facing inflation, a $17 million budget shortfall and fewer federal economic recovery funds, the Alexandria City Council will consider a tax increase in its upcoming fiscal year 2024 budget.

City Manager Jim Parajon has been tasked with presenting Council with two budget alternatives — one with a tax increase and another without.

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ACPS: Millions needed for upcoming capital projects due to cost increases

By James Cullum

Published November 16, 2022 at 3:30PM | Updated November 22, 2022 at 11:10PM

George Washington Middle School (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

Construction and other capital improvement costs for next fiscal year have increased for Alexandria City Public Schools by millions.

More than $14 million out of the $24 million in cost increases for new and existing capital improvement projects is due to supply chain issues and cost escalations, ACPS staff reported in a presentation to the School Board on Monday (Nov. 14).

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Alexandria leaders say police needed for safe schools, after visit by Attorney General Miyares

By James Cullum

Published November 8, 2022 at 9:30AM | Updated November 22, 2022 at 10:48PM

(Left to right) ACPS Interim Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt, Mayor Justin Wilson, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, ACHS senior Elizabeth Lane and School Board Chair Jacinta Greene at the high school, Nov. 7, 2022 (via Twitter)

After a back-and-forth with city leadership on school safety, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares got a quick tour of Alexandria City High School from the city’s leaders on Monday (Nov. 7).

Miyares toured the school, met with students and city leaders, ate lunch and discussed school safety.

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Alexandria conducting more ‘walk audits’ to find pedestrian safety issues around schools

By James Cullum

Published November 7, 2022 at 3:30PM | Updated November 22, 2022 at 10:49PM

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

Alexandria has started identifying pedestrian safety improvements around Alexandria City High School and a number of other school campuses.

Staff with the city’s Department of Transportation & Environmental Services are creating “walk audits” with available for public review in a final report by next June.

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Alexandria City Public Schools requests extension for high school trailers amid school expansion

By Vernon Miles

Published November 7, 2022 at 10:50AM

Minnie Howard design renderings, photo via Perkins-Eastman/Alexandria City Public Schools

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) has filed a special use permit to allow it to extend the use of trailers at Alexandria City High School to 2024.

The specific temporary trailers being discussed in the special use permit are those built specifically to accommodate students displaced by the Minnie Howard campus renovation.

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ACPS to address school safety in public forum tonight

By James Cullum

Published October 26, 2022 at 1:00PM

Alexandria City Public Schools leaders will be on-hand tonight (October 26) to discuss school safety.

The conversation starts at 6:30 p.m. at George Washington Middle School (1005 Mount Vernon Avenue), and speakers on the panel include interim Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt, ACPS Director of Safety and Security Services John Contreras, and Director of School Social Work Faiza Jackson.

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ACPS to consider extending agreement for school resource officers until end of school year

By James Cullum

Published October 24, 2022 at 1:00PM | Updated October 24, 2022 at 5:53PM

Alexandria Police at Alexandria City High School’s Minnie Howard Campus. (staff photo by James Cullum)

Updated at 5:55 p.m. The Alexandria School Board on Friday (October 20) received a recommendation to extend its agreement with the Alexandria Police Department to provide school resource officers at the city’s high school and middle schools until the end of the 2022-2023 school year.

The School Board will vote on the matter at its upcoming meeting on Thursday, November 10.