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.
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).
Alexandria is asking for public feedback on plans to upgrade crosswalks near schools in Arlandria and Del Ray.
The city’s Crossing Improvements Phase II would transform the sidewalks around Charles Barrett Elementary School (1115 Martha Custis Drive) and George Washington Middle School (1005 Mount Vernon Avenue). The deadline to submit feedback on the plans is Friday, Aug. 29.
Virginia Tech plans to renovate its Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center in Old Town to improve accessibility with a new elevator, sprinkler system, and handicapped-accessible ramp, according to a request going before the Board of Architectural Review on Wednesday, Sept. 3.
The building at 1001 Prince Street was loaned to Virginia Tech by Alexandria in 1980, and the school bought it in 1989, according to city records.
A familiar face has left Alexandria. After 25 years with the Alexandria Police Department, Captain Courtney Ballantine retired last month and just started his new job as deputy chief of the Georgetown University Police Department.
“I love Alexandria, but it was time to start my next chapter,” Ballantine told ALXnow. “It was an amazing journey.”
Welcome to Friday, Alexandria! Here’s our compilation of the most-read stories of the week.
Our top story this week is on the sad news of the death of Tiffany Barner, a longtime Alexandria educator and a Dean of Students at Alexandria City High School. The ACHS community was notified of Barner’s death in a note July 21 (Monday) from ACHS Interim Executive Principal Lance Harrell.
On Thursday (July 10), the Alexandria School Board will elect its chair and vice chair for the 2025-2026 school year.
Last month, current Vice Chair Kelly Carmichael Booz announced that she would not seek the vice chair or chair positions, leaving the question of her succession open. Rief is currently supported by several Board Members for reelection to a third term, according to sources.
Alexandria City Public Schools has launched its annual Backpack & School Supply Drive with the goal of collecting 3,500 backpacks by Monday, Aug. 4.
Groups can arrange a pickup of large donations to the school system, and individuals can drop off backpacks and supplies Monday through Thursday at Alexandria City High School (3330 King Street) and Mount Vernon Community School (2601 Commonwealth Avenue).
Twice a week, Bethany Skvortsova gets a break while her young daughters put on rainbow tutus and learn how to dance in Del Ray.
Her seven-year-old appreciates being taken seriously as a dancer, Skvortsova says. At the moment, her daughter is rehearsing for The Nutcracker, which the school will be performing this year on the main stage of Capital One Hall in Tysons.
With summer vacation just days away, Alexandria leaders were on hand at Francis C. Hammond Middle School on Thursday (June 5) to receive 500 free backpacks filled with school supplies.
The backpacks, most of which are being stored for the start of the 2025-2026 school year, were donated to the Title I school as part of a collaboration between United Way National Capital Area, Enterprise Mobility, and American Water. United Way NCA’s partnership with Alexandria City Public Schools has provided more than 3,500 backpacks to the West End school since 2017.
As options are whittled down, the public has its last chance on Thursday night (June 5) to weigh in on proposed redistricting changes for Alexandria City Public Schools.
Months of discussion have led to this point, and the School Board is conducting its second public hearing on the proposed maps. The School Board will make its final decision on redistricting at its meeting on June 12. The new boundaries will go into effect in August 2026.
