Alexandria school board to update member assignments, review federal funding plan Thursday
Kelly Carmichael Booz and Alexander Crider Scioscia will receive new committee assignments; board to consider $43,347 in Title I services for eight private schools
The Alexandria City School Board will hold its first meeting of 2026 on Thursday evening, with updated committee assignments for two board members and a federal funding application for local private schools among the agenda items.
The meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the School Board Meeting Room at 1340 Braddock Place.
Board member assignments updated
The board will vote to approve new committee and liaison assignments for members Kelly Carmichael Booz and Alexander Crider Scioscia.
Policy updates address staff disclosures, harassment definitions
The board will vote on seven policy revisions first presented at its Dec. 18 meeting.
Among the changes: a new provision requiring certain staff members to disclose non-incidental outside employment to the superintendent. The school bus safety program and bus driver policies are also being updated as part of routine five-year reviews, with the driver policy adding details about federal drug and alcohol clearinghouse queries.
Several policies governing discrimination and harassment investigations for both staff and students are being updated to reflect a 2025 change to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting definition of fondling.
A second set of policy revisions will be presented for information on Thursday and proposed for adoption at a future board meeting. Those include updates to the division’s educational philosophy, goals and objectives, rules on accessing employee social media accounts, school volunteer guidelines, and home-schooled student placement regulations.
Federal funds for private schools
Staff will present an application to allocate $43,347 in federal Title I funds to eight private schools in the city. The application is listed as an information item but requires board approval and signatures from the superintendent and board chair before its Jan. 23 deadline to the Virginia Department of Education. It was unclear from the agenda when the board will formally vote on the application.
The money comes from unused “Bypass” funding — a now-discontinued program under which the U.S. Department of Education directly provided Title I services to private school students through a third-party contractor.
Alexandria City Public Schools was one of 14 Virginia divisions that participated in the Bypass provision. With the program ending, ACPS now provides Title I services directly to private schools within its boundaries.
The eight schools set to receive services are:
Al-Qalam Academy
Basilica School of Saint Mary
Queen of Apostles School
St. Anthony of Padua School
St. Michael Catholic School
St. Rita Catholic School
St. Thomas More Cathedral School
Washington International Academy
ACPS maintains control of the funds rather than distributing money directly to the schools. Services include before- and after-school tutoring, summer programs, intervention services, and instructional materials such as iPads and educational apps.
The private schools have until Aug. 1 to use the funds on Title I services.
How to participate
See the full docket and supporting document here.
Community members can sign up to speak at the meeting by noon on Wednesday using the online public comments form. Five additional slots are available for those who sign up in person between 5:15 and 5:45 p.m. on Thursday.
The meeting will be broadcast live on cable channel 71 and streamed via Zoom.