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The Alexandria City Public Schools Board will hold a closed hearing related to a student matter Thursday, April 16, from 6 to 10 p.m. at the ACPS central office, 1340 Braddock Place, third floor training room.
The hearing is not open to the public. In response to an inquiry from The Alexandria Brief, ACPS said the session involves a matter protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the federal law that gives parents the right to access their children's educational records and restricts the disclosure of personally identifiable student information. FERPA applies to schools that receive federal funding, including public school districts. When a student turns 18 or enters a postsecondary institution, those rights transfer from the parents to the student.
"In this instance, the hearing you are referencing is a closed meeting to discuss a student matter that is protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act," a spokesperson for Alexandria City Public Schools shared. "As such, details regarding the matter are confidential and not available for public discussion."
ACPS noted that under Virginia's open meeting requirements, any gathering of three or more school board members for official business must be publicly noticed and reflected on the board calendar — which is why the hearing appeared on the school board's public calendar despite being closed to the public.
