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You may have heard that Alexandria City Public Schools has designated April 21 as a non-school day for students. I want to take a few minutes to explain that decision directly — what went into it, why this particular election is different from others we have navigated before, and why the School Board believes this is the right call even as we remain deeply committed to keeping students in classrooms.

By: Kelly Carmichael Booz and Dr. Ashley Simpson Baird Nearly three years ago, we wrote about why the Alexandria City School Board was considering staggered terms . Since then, a lot has happened—and a lot hasn't. We're writing this update because there is growing community energy around School Board reform, and we want to make sure that energy is informed by the full picture. We welcome it. Parents are paying attention, organizing, and speaking up at City Council meetings. T

04.09.26 Strategy and Accountability Committee Update

04.09.26 Operational Excellence Committee (OEC) Report

04.09.26 Governance Committee Update

The Alexandria City School Board remains committed to two core responsibilities: Negotiating in good faith with our employees and being transparent with our community and City partners about the financial impact of those decisions.

A quick explainer on what the Strategy and Accountability Committee is and does

A quick explainer on what the Governance Committee is and does

A quick explainer on what the OEC is and does

03.26.26 Strategy and Accountability Update

03.26.26 Operational Excellence Committee (OEC) Report

03.26.26 Governance Committee Update

March 27, 2026 letter from Dr. Michelle Rief to Council on the collective bargaining units in ACPS

Statement from School Board Chair Dr. Michelle Rief on the Retirement of Superintendent Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt

How to Apply for a High School Student Representative Position for 2026-27 DEADLINE:  11:59 p.m. on Friday, April 17, 2026.

The Alexandria City School Board requests that the City Council postpone its scheduled vote on March 10, 2026, regarding the Resolution of Intent to transition ACPS appropriations from lump-sum to classification-based appropriation under Virginia Code § 22.1-94.

Using five years of budget data spanning FY 2023 through the proposed FY 2027 budget, I'll walk you through what's actually driving our spending and staffing changes. The findings may surprise you.

This post is part of an ongoing effort to help our community understand how Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) plans for the future—particularly when it comes to our budget. Since our January post, Funding Our Future: FY27 Budget, part 2, which highlighted the Capital Improvement Program (CIP), we have had several sessions to discuss the ACPS Operating budget, and on February 19th adopted it by unanimous vote.

02.19.26 Strategy and Accountability Committee Update

02.19.26 Governance Committee Report