Alexandria City Public Schools

ACPS to consider prohibiting second jobs for administrators after employee’s dismissal

Published January 7, 2026 at 3:45PM

The Alexandria City School Board will meet on Jan. 8. (via Alexandria City School Board)

After a now-fired Alexandria City Public Schools administrator was found with a second job, the Alexandria City School Board is considering updates to its second job policy.

On Thursday, the School Board will review a policy update for employees' additional jobs beyond their school district employment. The proposed addition calls for no second jobs for ACPS chiefs, executive directors or directors unless the superintendent gives approval. It would apply for second jobs with an average of 10 hours per week for at least a month.

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After tense exchange, Alexandria City School Board approves capital improvement budget

By James Cullum

Published December 19, 2025 at 3:45PM | Updated December 19, 2025 at 4:36PM

Alexandria School Board meeting in 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

After a contentious discussion, the Alexandria City School Board last night (Thursday) approved its $282.3 million Capital Improvement Program budget for fiscal years 2027-36.

The 5-4 approval of Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt’s proposed budget comes in at $3.5 million below the recommended amount from City Manager Jim Parajon’s office. The CIP includes $23 million in funding for non-capacity projects next year, including $1.8 million in school bus/vehicle replacements, $1.8 million for emergency repairs and $1.3 million in curriculum and instruction materials. It also accounts for the $2 million development of the Alexandria City High School’s Chance for Change Academy.

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New ACPS budget proposal defers Cora Kelly project, schedules K-8 conversions in 2030

By Katie Taranto

Published December 18, 2025 at 2:45PM

Capital Improvement Program add/delete session on Dec. 16, 2025 (via Alexandria City Public Schools)

An updated $282 million budget proposal would defer renovations at an Alexandria elementary school while securing funding for two contentious K-8 conversion plans in 2030.

The new Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget from Alexandria City Public Schools comes in at $58 million less than the Alexandria City School Board’s original proposal and remains under the city’s guidance of $285.8 million, following weeks of workshopping by school and city leaders to trim it down.

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Alexandria City High School debuts renovated TV and media production studio

By James Cullum

Published December 15, 2025 at 11:45AM

As seen at the opening of the new Alexandria City High School TV production studio, Dec. 12, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

There’s something different, a little more polished, about the morning announcements at Alexandria City High School these days.

Students and Alexandria City Public Schools leadership were on-hand last Friday for the opening of the newly renovated television studio for ACHS’ TV and Media Production class. With top notch equipment to boot, the new studio looks like something out of CNN, offering students real-world experience in television production, including directing, operating cameras and creating educational content.

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Speakers call for renaming ACHS fields at Minnie Howard after late Mayor Kerry Donley

By Katie Taranto

Published December 12, 2025 at 1:45PM

Former U.S. Rep. Jim Moran speaks at an ACPS facilities renaming public hearing on Dec. 11, 2025 (via ACPS)

Several community members braved the cold yesterday evening (Thursday) to voice their support for a petition to rename The Fields at Alexandria City High School after former Mayor Kerry Donley.

Eight out of thirteen speakers yesterday spoke in support of the measure during a public hearing on Alexandria City Public Schools’ considerations to rename four facilities across the district. Among them were Gayle Reuter, former U.S. Rep. Jim Moran and Kaitlin Donley, one of Donley’s daughters.

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ACPS student performance holds steady behind state levels, new data shows

By Katie Taranto

Published December 10, 2025 at 3:45PM

Alexandria City High School's graduation at George Mason University's EagleBank Arena, May 28, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Student achievement across Alexandria City Public Schools appears to be hovering steady compared to last year, according to new state data, but the district’s numbers still linger behind the commonwealth.

In the 2024-2025 school year, 62% percent of ACPS students passed state reading tests, up one percentage point from the year prior, according to Virginia Department of Education’s accountability system, the School Performance and Support Framework.

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School Board seeks more time to address concerns about APD contract

By Katie Taranto

Published December 5, 2025 at 10:30AM

The Alexandria City School Board will meet on Jan. 8. (via Alexandria City School Board)

The Alexandria City School Board voted unanimously last night (Thursday) to extend its contract with the Alexandria Police Department through June 30.

The extended memorandum of understanding (MOU) will give the School Board’s Governance Committee more time to draft a new contract proposal that fully addresses its concerns, Division Counsel Robert Falconi said at last night’s meeting.

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The Alexandria City School Board wants to launch its own website

By James Cullum

Published December 3, 2025 at 1:45PM

Alexandria School Board meeting in 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

In an effort to increase transparency and inform the public, the Alexandria City School Board wants to launch its own website.

The School Board will discuss the development at its meeting tomorrow (Thursday). According to a draft proposal, Board Chair Michelle Rief would designate two board members to be co-editors to manage content, and that all content not republished from the Alexandria City Public Schools website would have to be approved by the school system’s attorney before publication.

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After ACPS 10-year plan comes in $54M over budget, subcommittee pushes for cuts

By Katie Taranto

Published November 26, 2025 at 1:45PM

City Council/School Board Subcommittee meeting on Nov. 24, 2025 (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

With less than a month until its adoption, city officials are pushing Alexandria City Public Schools leaders to make further cuts to the district’s 10-year Capital Improvements Program, stressing budget constraints.

The $340 million CIP proposal exceeds the city’s recommendation by $54.5 million and arrives during a period of expected citywide budget cuts. Officials underscored the need to limit budgets across the board during a City Council/School Board Subcommittee meeting on Monday night, which followed two ACPS work sessions to fine-tune the proposal.

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ACHS student journalists earn statewide awards as school board to review publication policy

By Katie Taranto

Published November 10, 2025 at 2:45PM

Theogony's 2024-2025 editorial board. Back row from left: Rozalia Finkelstein, James Libresco, Maxwell Jones-LaChance. Front row: Nadja Duss, Casey Donahue, Pablo Cruz Rivera, Julia Gwin and Max Carpenter (courtesy of Chloe Yokitis/Theogony)

It’s been a lively year for the student journalists of Alexandria City High School newspaper Theogony, who were recently named some of the best in the state.

Just months after Theogony staff made national headlines for their enterprising Voices Unbound campaign, the student newspaper was one of five in Virginia to win top-ranking “Trophy Class” honors from the Virginia High School League. Former co-editor James Libresco, who spearheaded the anti-censorship campaign, was also named Virginia’s Student Journalist of the Year.

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ACPS proposes $340M capital improvements budget over next decade

By Katie Taranto

Published November 7, 2025 at 8:15AM

The new athletic field at Patrick Henry K-8 School, March 18, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

A new budget proposal at Alexandria City Public Schools includes nearly $150 million in funding to address the district’s growing student population over the next decade. In total, the proposed […]