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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt is on leave, School Board Chair Dr. Michelle Rief announced Wednesday, describing it as the result of "a matter that arose unexpectedly" and asking the community to respect the superintendent's privacy.
In a message to families and staff posted the morning of June 24, Rief said the school division "will continue to operate without interruption" during the leave, with "School Board-approved superintendent designees" working together to oversee day-to-day operations and ensure continuity of leadership and services.
The board acted the evening before the announcement. At a special meeting June 23, it approved appointing three senior administrators to act on the superintendent's behalf in her absence — Chief Academic Officer Dr. Pierrette Finney, Chief Accountability Officer Dr. Clinton Page, and Chief of Staff Dr. Grace Taylor — on a recommendation the agenda attributes to Kay-Wyatt herself. A state authorization form filed with the appointment empowers the three to sign Virginia Department of Education reports, requisitions, and other official correspondence in the superintendent's absence. The meeting agenda also included a closed session; the subject of closed sessions is not made public.
"As an organization, we recognize the importance of supporting employees as they attend to personal and family responsibilities, and we are committed to providing that support during this time," Rief wrote. She thanked Kay-Wyatt for her leadership and service and asked "that members of the community respect her privacy during this time."
The message did not specify the nature of the matter, whether the leave is paid, or how long it is expected to last. It also did not address whether the leave affects Kay-Wyatt's planned retirement, which the School Board announced in March and which is set to take effect Oct. 1.
The announcement comes during an unusually active period for ACPS leadership. The School Board is in the middle of a national search for Kay-Wyatt's permanent successor, with a selection targeted for around Oct. 1, and the division recently closed one of its most difficult budget years in recent memory. Kay-Wyatt was expected to remain through the start of the 2026-27 school year to oversee the implementation of new school attendance boundaries this fall.
In a written reply to The Alexandria Brief on June 24, ACPS Executive Director of Communications Daryl Johnson confirmed that Kay-Wyatt is on leave. The division has not said whether her current absence is connected to her coming retirement.
The Alexandria Brief has reached out to ACPS for additional information.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
