School Board | ALXnow

Superintendent scolds majority of School Board over School Law Enforcement Advisory Group proposal

Published April 29, 2022 at 2:35PM

Alexandria Police at Alexandria City High School’s Minnie Howard Campus (staff photo by James Cullum)

“Extremely problematic,” “inappropriate,” and “disrespectful” was how Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. said School Board members handled edits of his plan to create a School Law Enforcement Advisory Group.

In a March 9 email, Hutchings scolded a majority of School Board Members — Michelle Rief, Ashley Simpson-Baird, Adbel Elnoubi, Kelly Carmichael Booz and Chris Harris — for editing his SLEP proposal. He said that such “behind the scenes” operations raised transparency issues by violating the Virginia Freedom Of Information Act.

News

City and ACPS leaders focus on transportation improvements near schools

By James Cullum

Published April 27, 2022 at 2:30PM | Updated April 27, 2022 at 3:50PM

The scene of a crash outside Jefferson Houston Elementary School, March 29, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria leaders are working on permanently reducing speed limits and adding speed cameras in school zones.

The news comes in the wake of the last month’s crash that injured a student walking home outside Jefferson Houston Elementary School.

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Amid transparency concerns, School Board forms school law enforcement partnership advisory group

By James Cullum

Published April 22, 2022 at 2:45PM | Updated April 22, 2022 at 3:55PM

Alexandria Police at Alexandria City High School’s Minnie Howard Campus (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Alexandria School Board gave its blessing to Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. on Thursday night (April 21) to form an advisory group to make recommendations on the controversial school resource officer program within Alexandria City Public Schools.

The 16-person school law enforcement partnership (SLEP) advisory group will be made up of students, ACPS administrators, Alexandria Police and members of the community. The group will evaluate the partnership between ACPS and police for the school resource officer program, and also on school safety initiatives, and deliver a report in December.

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Alexandria breaks ground on new Minnie Howard campus expansion

By Vernon Miles

Published March 30, 2022 at 10:45AM

Minnie Howard groundbreaking, photo via Canek Aguirre/Twitter

The long-discussed and debated Minnie Howard project — part of adapting Alexandria City High School to handle ever-increasing capacity — finally broke ground yeterday.

City and school officials gathered at the site to mark the beginning of construction on a new Minnie Howard campus. The project is scheduled to be constructed around the current school and open in the 2024-2025 school year.

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Extension of school resource officers program will give ACPS time to map out future, says superintendent

By James Cullum

Published March 25, 2022 at 3:00PM

Alexandria Police cruiser (staff photo by James Cullum)

Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. wants another year of funding for the school resource officer program — time he says that will allow Alexandria City Public Schools to map out its future without a rush.

Hutchings says the extension will allow for the formation of a School Law Enforcement Advisory Group next month, which will closely study the SRO program and hammer out a proposal for a new bi-annual memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Alexandria Police Department in December.

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School Board to ask City Council for one-year extension of school resource officer program

By James Cullum

Published March 24, 2022 at 1:00PM

Alexandria Police at Alexandria City High School’s Minnie Howard Campus (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City Public Schools is requesting an extension of its controversial school resource officer (SRO) program through the end of the 2022-2023 school year.

School Board Chair Meagan Alderton says that the extension is part of the reimagining of the $800,000 program, as Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. will work to develop a School Law Enforcement Partnership (SLEP) Advisory Group and formulate an SRO plan to present to City Council next year.

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Morning Notes

By ALXnow.com

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]

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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.

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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.