Alexandria City Public Schools

Virginia senators demand Education Department restore funding to Northern Virginia schools

Published September 15, 2025 at 6:25PM | Updated September 17, 2025 at 1:15PM

Alexandria City High School (staff photo by James Cullum)

U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner sent a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon on Monday demanding the immediate reversal of federal funding cuts to Alexandria City Public Schools and four other Northern Virginia school districts over transgender student policies.

The letter represents the latest escalation in a monthslong standoff between the Trump administration and Northern Virginia schools that has put more than $300 million in federal funding at risk for more than 386,000 students across the five districts.

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Alexandria school board expresses caution on DASH transit proposal

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 11, 2025 at 9:36PM

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

The Alexandria City School Board voiced significant concerns Thursday about a city proposal to transition high school students from school buses to public transit, with several members calling for scaled-back pilot programs or questioning the timing of such a significant change.

During a work session at 1340 Braddock Place, board members weighed City Manager James Parajon’s recommendation to implement a three-phase plan moving high school students to DASH buses beginning in the 2026-27 school year.

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School board to discuss DASH bus proposal for ACHS students Thursday

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 10, 2025 at 2:15PM

Electric DASH bus, photo via DASH/Facebook

The Alexandria City School Board will discuss a proposal on Thursday, Sept. 11, to transition Alexandria City High School students from school buses to the city’s DASH public transit system.

City Manager James F. Parajon recommends a phased approach starting in the 2026-27 school year, according to a June 20, 2025 memo to the City Council and School Board. The proposal comes after City Council members Abdel Elnoubi and Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley directed staff in January to study using Alexandria’s public transit system for high school transportation.

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Alexandria City High School students stage walkout protesting gun violence in schools

By James Cullum

Published September 5, 2025 at 12:52PM

Students staging a walkout at Alexandria City High School's King Street campus, Sept. 5, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Hundreds of Alexandria City High School students held a walkout on Friday, Sept. 5, demonstrating against gun violence in schools.

The walkout at ACHS’s King Street and Minnie Howard campuses started at 11:30 a.m., and lasted for less than a half hour. The demonstrations are part of a national walkout, were organized by Titans Demand Action and held on school grounds. Media was not permitted to observe, except from the public sidewalk. Students held signs, threw water bottles and chanted, “End the violence!”

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Alexandria schools seek public input on 2027 budget

By James Cullum

Published August 25, 2025 at 2:45PM | Updated August 25, 2025 at 3:57PM

George Washington Middle School (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

How should city resources be spent in Alexandria City Public Schools’ fiscal year 2027 budget?

As the school system and city prepare for budget season, the public will have the opportunity to weigh in on a series of “Funding Our Future” sessions starting this month and concluding in October. The first meeting will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 27, in the media room of George Washington Middle School (1005 Mount Vernon Avenue) in Del Ray.

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Alexandria school board kicks off new year with student achievements, budget concerns, and policy updates

By Ryan Belmore

Published August 23, 2025 at 12:48PM

August 21 Alexandria School Board Meeting (Screenshot via ACPS)

The Alexandria City Public Schools board opened its first meeting of the 2025-26 school year Thursday evening with celebrations of student and staff achievements, while also addressing pressing concerns about teacher pay delays and outlining significant budget challenges ahead.

Superintendent Dr. K. Wyatt reported the district achieved its lowest staff vacancy rate in years at less than 2%, crediting successful recruitment and retention efforts that brought back former employees who had previously left the system.

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ACPS wins federal award for school nutrition program

By James Cullum

Published August 22, 2025 at 6:00PM

Alexandria City Public Schools wins award from U.S> Department of Agriculture, Aug. 2025 (via ACPS/Facebook)

Alexandria City Public Schools has won an award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for its federally funded school nutrition program.

ACPS announced today (Friday, Aug. 22) that it received a Healthy Meals Incentives (HMI) Recognition Award from Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) and U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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Afghan refugee tutoring program expands to Alexandria middle school

By James Cullum

Published August 21, 2025 at 9:00AM

Afghan families at a recognition ceremony for NOVA RAFT's summer reading program, at William Ramsay Recreation Center, Aug. 12, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

A program teaching Afghan youth living in Alexandria has expanded to a West End school and is seeking tutors for the 2025-26 school year.

Northern Virginia Resettling Afghan Families Together (NoVA RAFT) launched in 2021 after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The nonprofit has helped move refugees into new homes and taught English to hundreds of children and adults at William Ramsay Recreation Center (5650 Sanger Avenue). NoVA RAFT now needs tutors after announcing a “dynamic partnership” with the Fresh Start Refugee Assistance Center, student leaders at Alexandria City High School, and George Mason University’s Afghan Refugee Mentorship Program to provide tutoring at Francis C. Hammond Middle School (4646 Seminary Road).

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ACPS superintendent scheduled for Sept. 3 virtual community forum

By Ryan Belmore

Published August 20, 2025 at 9:02AM

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

The Concerned Citizens Network of Alexandria will host a community town hall meeting with Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt on Wednesday, Sept. 3, from 6-7 p.m. via Zoom.

The virtual forum, announced Tuesday on the organization’s Instagram account, will provide residents an opportunity to engage directly with the district’s top administrator about education issues affecting the community. The meeting comes just over two weeks after ACPS students returned to classrooms on Monday, Aug. 18, for the start of the 2025-26 school year.

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Federal government places Alexandria schools on high-risk status over Title IX

By Ryan Belmore

Published August 19, 2025 at 6:31PM

Alexandria City High School's Minnie Howard Campus (staff photo by James Cullum)

The U.S. Department of Education escalated its conflict with Alexandria City Public Schools on Tuesday, placing the district on “high-risk” status and moving all federal funding to a reimbursement-only system after ACPS rejected federal demands to change transgender student policies, according to a department press release.

The action affects over $50 million in federal funding flowing to Alexandria and four other Northern Virginia school districts, requiring the schools to pay expenses upfront and then request reimbursement from the federal government, the department said.

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Alexandria schools reassure families that ICE agents have not visited campuses amid enforcement concerns

By Ryan Belmore

Published August 19, 2025 at 12:12PM

School buses preparing at Alexandria City High School (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt sent a message to the school community Tuesday reassuring families that federal immigration agents have not visited any school campuses, following concerns about recent enforcement activity in the city.

“We want to clarify that while ICE agents currently may be active in the City of Alexandria, ICE agents have thus far not visited any ACPS campuses during this school year,” Kay-Wyatt wrote in the message shared with students, staff and families.