Alexandria City School Board

Alexandria School Board sets budget planning session for Thursday

Published September 22, 2025 at 12:30PM | Updated September 23, 2025 at 11:14AM

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

The Alexandria School Board will hold a budget planning session Thursday evening to begin crafting the fiscal 2027 spending plan amid uncertainty over potential federal funding cuts.

The meeting, scheduled from 6 to 10 p.m., will feature ACPS Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt launching the budget process with the School Board. The session will lay the groundwork for releasing her proposed 2027-2036 Capital Improvement Program budget in November, the draft Combined Funds Budget in January, and final budget adoption in June.

School board to review $9,999 donation for male mentoring program

By James Cullum

Published September 17, 2025 at 11:30AM

Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt talks about a proposed policy change on student publications at the May 8, 2025, School Board meeting (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Alexandria School Board will consider Thursday whether to accept a $9,999 donation from McLean-based Proxyware to support a male mentoring initiative at two city schools.

Alexandria City Public Schools received the $9,999 donation on Sept. 2 for programs at Patrick Henry K-8 School and Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 School. The board must approve any donations over $5,000.

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.