Alexandria City Public Schools

Alexandria schools reject federal Title IX demands

Published August 15, 2025 at 1:00PM | Updated August 18, 2025 at 12:31PM

Alexandria City High School (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Alexandria City Public Schools has rejected federal demands to change policies allowing transgender students to use facilities matching their gender identity, defying a U.S. Department of Education ultimatum that required a response by today’s deadline.

In a statement released Friday at 12:24 p.m., School Board Chair Dr. Michelle Rief and Superintendent Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt announced that ACPS “disagrees with the legal analysis in the Letter of Findings, and cannot agree to the VRA [Voluntary Resolution Agreement] currently proposed by OCR.”

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Alexandria schools face federal Title IX deadline today

By Ryan Belmore

Published August 15, 2025 at 11:30AM | Updated August 15, 2025 at 1:02PM

Alexandria City High School (staff photo by James Jarvis)

UPDATE: Alexandria City Public Schools has rejected federal demands to change transgender policies, keeping current inclusive policies in place.

Alexandria City Public Schools faces a critical deadline today to respond to federal demands that it change policies allowing transgender students to use facilities matching their gender identity, or risk losing federal funding and potential legal action.

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Alexandria City High School to host 25th anniversary celebration of ‘Remember the Titans’

By Ryan Belmore

Published August 12, 2025 at 4:30PM

Remember The Titans: 25 Years Later (via ACPS)

Alexandria City Public Schools will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the beloved football film “Remember the Titans” with a special celebration at Alexandria City High School on Sept. 19.

The ticketed evening event promises “special guests, fun surprises, and a whole lot of Titan pride,” according to a school district announcement. Activities will include a student pep rally, Titan tailgate, and a tribute to the 1971 Titans team that inspired the Disney film.

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Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy PTA earns National PTA Schools of Excellence recognition

By Ryan Belmore

Published August 6, 2025 at 1:00PM

Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy at 530 S. St. Asaph Street in Old Town. (via Facebook)

Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy PTA in Alexandria was among 330 schools nationwide named a 2024-2026 National PTA School of Excellence for building strong family-school partnerships.

The program recognizes PTAs and schools that enrich the educational experience and overall well-being of students through family engagement efforts.

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ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published July 25, 2025 at 3:30PM

Tiffany Barner, Alexandria City High School's dean of students has died (via ACHS)

Welcome to Friday, Alexandria! Here’s our compilation of the most-read stories of the week.

Our top story this week is on the sad news of the death of Tiffany Barner, a longtime Alexandria educator and a Dean of Students at Alexandria City High School. The ACHS community was notified of Barner’s death in a note July 21 (Monday) from ACHS Interim Executive Principal Lance Harrell.

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Alexandria makes immunization push before school starts

By James Cullum

Published July 21, 2025 at 11:30AM

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

With the 2025-2026 school year just a month away, the Alexandria Health Department is urging parents to get their children’s school-required vaccinations.

“Scheduling vaccine appointments early makes it easier to find an appointment that fits your schedule,” Alexandria Health Department Director Dr. David Rose said, “and vaccines protect our children from getting sick and being sidelined from school and activities later on.”

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JUST IN: Alexandria School Board re-elects Michelle Rief as Chair for third term, names Christopher Harris Vice Chair

By James Cullum

Published July 10, 2025 at 7:00PM

The Alexandria School Board selected Michelle Rief as chair and Chris Harris as vice chair for the 2025-2026 school year on July 10, 2025 (via ACPS)

Veteran School Board Members Michelle Rief and Christopher Harris were unanimously chosen Thursday night (July 10) to lead the Alexandria School Board for the 2025-2026 school year.

The unanimous vote at the Board’s organizational meeting means a third one-year term for Rief as chair, and a first term in leadership for Harris. Rief and Harris thanked their colleagues for their support and said that the upcoming year will be challenging.

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ACPS aims to collect 3,500 backpacks in back-to-school drive

By James Cullum

Published July 7, 2025 at 9:15AM

Backpacks bound for K-2 kids (Photo via ACPS/Facebook)

Alexandria City Public Schools has launched its annual Backpack & School Supply Drive with the goal of collecting 3,500 backpacks by Monday, Aug. 4.

Groups can arrange a pickup of large donations to the school system, and individuals can drop off backpacks and supplies Monday through Thursday at Alexandria City High School (3330 King Street) and Mount Vernon Community School (2601 Commonwealth Avenue).

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Here’s the 2025 ACPS Athletic Hall of Fame inductees

By James Cullum

Published June 25, 2025 at 2:15PM

Tony "Da Beast" Suggs (via Facebook)

Former pro boxer Tony “Da Beast” Suggs, former T.C. Williams High School principal John Porter, and the 1947 George Washington High School Baseball Team are heading to the hall of fame.

The Alexandria City Public Schools Athletic Hall of Fame, that is. This year’s 16 inductees were approved for inclusion by the School Board on June 12, and the induction ceremony will take place on October 11.

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Alexandria City Council receives update on proposal to use DASH buses for high school student transportation

By Ryan Belmore

Published June 24, 2025 at 10:00PM | Updated June 25, 2025 at 8:10PM

A DASH bus in Old Town Alexandria (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The Alexandria City Council received a comprehensive update on Tuesday night (June 24) regarding a proposal to transition Alexandria City High School students from traditional school buses to the city’s DASH public transit system. City Manager James Parajon recommended a three-phase implementation, beginning in the 2026-27 school year.

The initiative, which has been under study for five months through a joint City Council and School Board subcommittee, aims to provide student transportation that is safe, reliable, effective, and efficient while supporting environmental goals and potentially reducing costs.

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City staff want Alexandria City High School kids on DASH buses starting in fall 2026

By James Cullum

Published June 20, 2025 at 11:15AM

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

City staff are recommending a phased transition to replace school buses for Alexandria City High School students with DASH buses.

The City Council asked staff in January to consider the transition for ACHS, Virginia’s largest high school with multiple campuses and over 4,500 students. Staff have returned with the recommendation for a three-phase approach that would kick off in the fall of the 2026-2027 school year.