Alexandria school board to vote on CIP plan, facility naming Thursday
Board also set to consider naming proposals for Donley, Burns; hear school performance data
The Alexandria City School Board will vote Thursday on a 10-year capital plan that defers the Cora Kelly School modernization and converts two K-8 schools to address middle school overcrowding.
The board advanced the plan in a 6-3 vote Tuesday night after a three-hour work session. The plan comes in under the city manager’s $285.8 million spending guidance, a significant reduction from Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt’s original $340.4 million proposal in November.
The agenda indicates materials would be uploaded following Tuesday’s work session, but as of publication, official documents have not been posted. The Alexandria Brief has reached out to ACPS for a copy of the proposed plan. Full coverage of the capital plan is coming later today.
The board will also vote on proposals to name four school facilities, including athletic fields honoring former Mayor Kerry Donley and NFL player Keith Burns, after a public hearing drew strong community support that may lead the board to override the superintendent’s recommendation.
Facility naming
The board will consider four naming proposals after a Dec. 11 public hearing drew 13 speakers, most urging approval of all four requests.
Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt recommended only one — naming the Early Childhood Center courtyard “Owen’s Place” after Owen Michael Wagner, the late son of the center’s first principal — move forward, citing narrow polling margins and budget constraints for the others.
But community polling and hearing testimony suggested broader support.
The proposal to name the Minnie Howard campus athletic fields the Kerry Donley Athletic Field Complex led polling with 49 percent support. Donley served as Alexandria’s mayor from 1996 to 2003 and later as athletic director at what was then T.C. Williams High School. He died in July 2022 at age 66.
Former Mayor and U.S. Rep. Jim Moran spoke at the hearing in favor of the Donley proposal, comparing him to George Bailey from “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
“If he had not passed away so early, before he had accomplished anywhere near what he intended because he had so many visions for Alexandria that he had committed his life to,” Moran said.
One speaker opposed the Donley naming, noting he attended private Bishop Ireton High School rather than Alexandria public schools. Former City Councilman Lonnie Rich responded that Donley sent his own five daughters through ACPS.
The proposal to name the field at Parker-Gray Stadium after Keith Burns narrowly led polling with 40.1 percent support. Burns, a 1990 T.C. Williams graduate, played 13 NFL seasons and won two Super Bowl rings with the Denver Broncos. His jersey No. 48 was retired during his rookie season.
The fourth proposal would name the media center at Naomi L. Brooks Elementary after Jean B. Reid, who served as an ACPS reading specialist from 1971 to 2001. That proposal received 50.1 percent support in polling.
Owen’s Place received the strongest support at 75 percent.
School performance
Staff will present data on ACPS results under Virginia’s new School Performance and Support Framework, which assigns schools to one of four categories: Distinguished, On Track, Off Track or Needs Intensive Support.
Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy was the only ACPS school rated Distinguished. Alexandria City High School, George Washington Middle School and Naomi L. Brooks Elementary were designated On Track.
Four elementary schools were flagged as needing intensive support: Cora Kelly, Ferdinand T. Day, Mount Vernon and William Ramsay. Nine schools were rated Off Track, including Jefferson-Houston and Francis C. Hammond.
The presentation notes that Virginia saw a significant increase in schools identified as underperforming statewide, rising from 15 percent to 34 percent in one year under the new framework. Students with disabilities accounted for 80 percent of targeted support identifications across Virginia.
The presentation is informational and does not require board action.
Other business
The consent calendar includes approval of academic calendars for 2026-27 and 2027-28, a contract for the George Mason Elementary modernization project, personnel actions, and several policy revisions.
The board will also hear updates on Section 504 accommodations and specialized instruction.
Meeting details
The meeting begins at 6 p.m. on Thursday at 1340 Braddock Place. It will be broadcast on cable channel 71 and streamed on the ACPS website.
See the full docket and supporting documents here.