Alexandria School Board | ALXnow

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

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.

News

New names for ACPS sports facilities, library and courtyard receive final approval

By James Cullum

Published December 19, 2025 at 11:30AM

The home crowd at an ACHS Titans varsity football game, Sept. 19, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Four facilities at Alexandria City Public Schools are getting new names to reflect beloved figures in the city, including a former mayor and a longtime teacher.

The Alexandria City School Board voted last night (Thursday) to rename the athletic field complex at Alexandria City High School’s Minnie Howard Campus, ACHS’ Parker-Gray Stadium field, the Media Center at Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School and the courtyard at the Early Childhood Center. These are the newly approved facility names and their community namesakes.

News

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.

News

ACPS seeks 1% sales tax for school construction, end to School Board chair salary cap

By James Cullum

Published October 13, 2025 at 4:30PM | Updated October 14, 2025 at 5:19AM

Alexandria School Board Chair Michelle Rief speaks at Alexandria City High School's 25th anniversary celebration of the film Remember The Titans, Sept. 19, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City Public Schools supports a 1% local sales tax increase for school construction, in addition to several other legislative priorities that will be discussed at a School Board work session this week.

The Board will discuss its legislative priorities at a work session on Thursday, Oct. 16, at 6 p.m. Those priorities include the 1% sales tax increase, which would require voter approval after City Council action, as well as access to education support regardless of student immigration status, and eliminating the cap on compensation for the chair of the school board.

News

Alexandria to update school facilities plan amid overcrowding, aging buildings

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 30, 2025 at 10:30AM | Updated September 30, 2025 at 1:08PM

George Washington Middle School (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Alexandria City Council and School Board members agreed Monday during a joint work session to update the city’s long-range school facilities plan as middle schools operate at more than 120% capacity and some elementary buildings approach 90 years old.

The decision to revise the decade-old planning document comes as officials confront both immediate overcrowding and long-term infrastructure decay that officials say redistricting alone cannot solve.

News

Alexandria officials attempt to repair ‘dysfunctional’ relationship

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 30, 2025 at 9:30AM | Updated September 30, 2025 at 1:11PM

ACPS Board/Council Work Session (ACPS)

Alexandria City Council and School Board officials attempted to repair what they openly called a “dysfunctional” relationship on Monday night, with one councilman acknowledging that the tension had persisted for 12 years.

“We are five minutes into our meeting, five minutes into it, and already we’ve taken a tone of not being productive,” School Board Vice Chair Christopher Harris said. “Whether we like it or not, we have to communicate. We have to engage. We have to work together. This is dysfunction.”

News

Alexandria School Board opposes DASH proposal for high school students

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 29, 2025 at 8:00PM | Updated September 30, 2025 at 1:11PM

ACPS Board/Council Work Session (ACPS)

The Alexandria City Public School Board will not support a proposal to use DASH buses to transport high school students, Chair Michelle Rief announced on Monday night, effectively ending months of work on a cost-saving initiative that exposed deep-seated tensions between the board and the City Council.

“After several months of thoughtful discussion and deliberation, the school board has determined that we cannot support moving forward with this proposal,” Rief said at the opening of the joint work session at ACPS Central Office. “While we appreciate the efforts to explore cost-saving strategies and alternative transportation options, we ultimately do not believe this approach is in the best interest of ACPS students, families, or staff.”

News

Notes: Alexandria City Council, School Board to discuss DASH pilot, long-range facilities planning

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 29, 2025 at 8:00AM | Updated September 29, 2025 at 9:30AM

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

Good morning, Alexandria! Today is Monday, Sept. 29, the 272nd day of 2025. There are 93 days left in the year.

🌥️ Today’s weather: Increasing clouds, with a high near 79°F. Calm wind becoming northeast around 6 mph in the morning.

News

PHOTOS: 25 years after the movie, Alexandria remembers the Titans

By James Cullum

Published September 19, 2025 at 9:52PM | Updated September 20, 2025 at 5:59AM

Members of the state championship-winning 1971 T.C. Williams City High School football team sign autographs at the 25th anniversary celebration of the film Remember The Titans, from which the movie is based, Sept. 19, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

The story of how coach Herman Boone transformed a newly integrated team of Black and white high school athletes into champions is legendary in Alexandria.

On Friday, 40 of the remaining real-life heroes that the film Remember The Titans is based on, commemorated the movie’s 25th anniversary. The 2000 film recounts the story of the 13-0, 1971 state champion T.C. Williams High School football team (now Alexandria City High School). The players in the newly integrated school overcame racial adversity to become state champs.

News

Students voice strong opposition to DASH bus proposal in survey results

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 19, 2025 at 5:31AM | Updated September 19, 2025 at 2:28PM

Electric DASH bus, photo via DASH/Facebook

Three out of five Alexandria City High School students oppose the city’s proposal to replace school buses with DASH public transit, student representatives told the school board Thursday.

A survey of 131 high school students found 60.3% oppose the proposal — with 37.4% strongly opposed and 22.9% moderately opposed. Only 26% support the plan, while 13.7% reported being indifferent, according to data presented by student representative Madesen Lynch during the representatives’ regular update to the board.

News

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.