ACPS to reopen Tuesday with two-hour delay
Students return after 11 days out of school buildings; city crews worked overnight on school priorities
Alexandria City Public Schools will reopen Tuesday with a two-hour delay, Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt announced Monday afternoon, ending a stretch of 11 days without in-person learning.
All schools and offices will open two hours late due to freezing temperatures Tuesday morning. Students should report to school—or their bus stop—two hours later than the regular time.
“With student and staff safety as our priority, we want to share an update for tomorrow,” Kay-Wyatt said in a message to families.
The announcement came hours after Mayor Alyia Gaskins said city crews worked overnight to address a priority list from ACPS. The city also mobilized volunteers to help shovel residential sidewalks and shared a list of city and private garages where teachers can park.
“Please, please, please get your sidewalks clear so our kids can get back to school,” Gaskins said Monday morning. Sidewalk fine enforcement resumes Tuesday.
The district urged families to dress students warmly with layers, coats, hats, gloves and warm footwear. Sidewalks in some areas may still be slippery, and snowbanks may limit visibility near crossings and intersections.
Students have not been in school buildings since Thursday, Jan. 22. Friday was a professional learning day, the storm hit Sunday, Monday was an already-scheduled teacher work day, and the district was virtual Tuesday through Monday—five consecutive days of storm-related closures.
School bus drivers did a dry run Saturday and reported problem areas to the city, which sent strike teams to address them. As of Sunday, 99% of sidewalks around schools were clear and parking lots were more than 80% clear.
Morning Early Childhood Special Education programs are canceled Tuesday. Afternoon ECSE will operate on a normal schedule. The Virginia Preschool Initiative will follow the two-hour delay.
Kay-Wyatt thanked instructional staff for pivoting to virtual learning, facilities and operations staff for clearing buildings, the nutrition services team for providing meals, and the transportation team for preparing buses. She also thanked the city for its partnership.
Snow is in the forecast for Tuesday evening. The district said it will provide updates if evening activities need to be canceled or if Wednesday’s schedule is affected.