School Board | ALXnow

Morning Notes

Published March 24, 2022 at 5:00AM | Updated March 24, 2022 at 10:49AM

The 'I Love You' art installation with all bulbs lit at Waterfront Park in Old Town. (staff photo by James Cullum)

Leasing Starts for Apartments Over Wegmans — “Developer Stonebridge and its leasing partner Bozzuto, announced Wednesday the start of leasing for Easton, a boutique-style apartment building offering sophisticated design and amenities located in the Carlyle Crossing neighborhood. The 11-story building is slated to begin move-ins in mid-April just ahead of the anticipated May 11 opening of Wegmans Carlyle Crossing.” [Alexandria Living]

Ukraine Donation Drive Launched — Leaders launched an effort Wednesday to provide donations, such as gently used coats, new blankets, new pairs of sweat socks or heavy socks, and new pairs of gloves at locations around Northern Virginia. “No matter the scale – global to local – humanity is a community unto itself and we must always come to the assist of those in need,” Alexandria Vice Mayor Amy Jackson said at the event. [Facebook, Patch]

News

Superintendent advises Alexandria School Board to not talk to the media

By James Cullum

Published March 15, 2022 at 1:00PM | Updated June 8, 2022 at 11:48AM

ACPS Headquarters in Alexandria (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Updated at 6:30 p.m. — The Alexandria School Board on Monday (March 14) was advised against talking to the media, as the Board received a refresher on their operating procedures.

Board members were told that they have to be careful of what they say out of concern for the division as a whole, prompting some members to question toeing the line of Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. and staff.

News

ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By Vernon Miles

Published March 11, 2022 at 3:45PM

It’s been a busy week in Alexandria, with some controversies at the school, city, and even state levels.

At ACPS, a new report detailed the arrests and safety incidents that have occurred in this school year, and then last night some School Board leaders butted heads over a lack of transparency in the creation of a new advisory board to review school safety issues.

News

School Board meeting gets heated over formation of school law enforcement advisory group

By James Cullum

Published March 11, 2022 at 10:10AM | Updated March 11, 2022 at 3:47PM

School Board Chair Meagan Alderton tells Board members that they need to focus at the March 10 meeting. (Via ACPS)

A miscommunication on the formation of an advisory group left the Alexandria School Board in disarray on Thursday night (March 10).

As expected, Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. and staff discussed the creation of a school law enforcement partnership (SLEP) advisory group, but Board Member Tammy Ignacio was not pleased with communication between Board members on proposed edits to Hutchings’ proposal.

News

New report details arrests and safety incidents in ACPS

By James Cullum

Published March 7, 2022 at 3:30PM | Updated March 9, 2022 at 1:23PM

Alexandria City High School's Minnie Howard Campus at 3801 W. Braddock Road was evacuated on Friday, Dec. 10, after a bomb threat. Here, Alexandria Police and a Bomb Dog look for anything suspicious outside the school. (staff photo by James Cullum)

Eighteen Alexandria City Public School students were arrested in the first two quarters of this school year, in addition to 41 reported fights/assaults and 13 seized weapons. The weapons seized include a gun, five knives, a stun gun, two fake weapons, and pepper spray.

That’s according to a School Safety Data report to be presented to the School Board on Thursday. The report reveals 18 arrests within ACPS between August and December, 34 injuries, and also a sexual assault allegation at the Alexandria City High School-Minnie Howard campus in October.

News

Alexandria School Board drops mask requirement for students

By Vernon Miles

Published February 25, 2022 at 2:30PM

The Alexandria School Board has overturned ordinance requiring face masks for students in Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS), yielding to newly passed state requirements.

The vote was, in some ways, an empty gesture. The bill signed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin requires that public schools treat masks as optional for students, with no punishment for students who either choose to wear a mask or choose not to.

News

PHOTOS: The George Washington Birthday Parade in Old Town

By James Cullum

Published February 22, 2022 at 9:30AM | Updated February 22, 2022 at 10:36AM

George and Martha Washington ride in the George Washington Birthday Parade in Old Town, Feb. 21, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)

The George Washington Birthday Parade returned to Alexandria on Monday after a two year hiatus. The streets of Old Town were lined with celebration for Washington’s 290th birthday.

Alexandria’s health care workers and first responders marched as parade grand marshals. The parade, which started at Gibbon and Fairfax Streets and snaked around City Hall, was attended by thousands. The event is the largest of its kind in the world honoring the founding father and first president.

News

New City Manager says he’s excited to work with superintendent, will present budget next month

By James Cullum

Published January 25, 2022 at 3:30PM

Alexandria City Hall (staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

Just hours before a Joint City Council/School Board Subcommittee meeting, new Alexandria City Manager Jim Parajon spoke with Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr.

Parajon, who started work earlier this month, said it was a great conversation and that he looked forward to working collaboratively with Hutchings, who wants a 2.6% salary step increase and a 2.5% market rate adjustment for all eligible ACPS employees in the upcoming fiscal year 2023 budget.

News

Wary of new Governor Youngkin, ACPS still proposes 10.25% in staff raises

By James Cullum

Published January 19, 2022 at 2:30PM | Updated January 19, 2022 at 2:51PM

Alexandria City Public Schools is sticking with its proposed 10.25% salary increase for all employees, and Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. says that number will not change based on potential guidance from Governor Glenn Youngkin.

“Regardless of what the governor says or does, we have positioned ourselves to continue to increase compensation for our staff,” School Board Chair Meagan Alderton said at a budget retreat last week. “This is the type of proactive intentional work that will, I think, makes us successful to be able to sustain what it is we’re trying to do right now.”

News

Amid declining enrollment, ACPS proposes employee raises in new budget proposal

By James Cullum

Published January 10, 2022 at 3:30PM | Updated January 12, 2022 at 12:49PM

(Updated at noon, Jan. 12) In the midst of declining enrollment, Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. wants to give all ACPS employees a raise.

That’s the gist of Hutchings’ $346 million fiscal year 2022 Combined Funds Budget, which he presented to the School Board last Thursday night (Jan. 6). The proposal is a nearly 4% increase over last year’s budget, and asks for approximately $248.7 million from the city. The City Council ultimately provides ACPS with 80% of its operating fund.

News

Amid Covid surge, Alexandria City Public Schools presents plan to switch to virtual instruction on school-by-school basis

By James Cullum

Published January 7, 2022 at 2:30PM | Updated January 8, 2022 at 12:22PM

Students learning at home during the COVID-19 shutdown (Photo via ACPS/Facebook)

Alexandria School Board members say they want to keep in-person instruction going, but amidst a surge in Covid cases the Alexandria City Public Schools system now has an official plan to revert to virtual learning on a school-by-school basis.

“There may be cases in the future where we have to transition into a virtual learning setting due to that and we want to just prepare for that,” Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr., told the Board Thursday night.