The Alexandria Brief: Friday, March 27

Good morning, Alexandria. It's Friday, March 27 — the 86th day of 2026, with 279 days left in the year. You're one of 5,692 neighbors reading this morning.

Rainy today with temperatures falling into the upper 40s. The weekend looks better — sunny Saturday and Sunday with highs climbing toward 60.

Big news from last night's School Board meeting: the board voted to accept Superintendent Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt's resignation, effective Oct. 1. A search for her replacement launches immediately.

On the budget front, City Council wrapped up its final work session on Wednesday. Add-delete proposals are due April 9, and a tax increase remains on the table — though the Budget and Fiscal Affairs Advisory Committee warned that tight budgets aren't going away anytime soon.

This weekend: No Kings rally along Route 1 Saturday, Easter egg hunts at Lee-Fendall House and Mt. Vernon Recreation Center, and cherry blossom e-bike tours.

Here's what you need to know today.

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1️⃣ ACPS School Board hears safety concerns at Charles Barrett, approves April 21 student holiday

ACPS School Board Meeting on Thursday, March 26. (Screenshot/ACPS)

The Alexandria City School Board convened Thursday evening for its March 26 meeting, which closed with the board voting to accept the resignation of Superintendent Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt, who will end her tenure with ACPS on Oct. 1, 2026. The board immediately launched a search for a permanent replacement, with details expected in April.

Multiple families from Charles Barrett Elementary School appeared before the board Thursday night, describing a months-long pattern of violence by a first-grade student that they say has left their children afraid to come to school and the classroom unable to function.

The board voted unanimously to make April 21 a student holiday and staff workday due to the Alexandria City Council special election scheduled that day.

2️⃣ City Council enters add-delete stretch with tax increase on the table and a warning about years of tight budgets ahead

Alexandria City Hall (City of Alexandria)

With Mayor Alyia Gaskins absent Wednesday night, Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley led the sixth and final FY 2027 budget work session, covering the departments that run city government itself — technology, finance, human resources, communications, and the city attorney — before closing with a presentation from the Budget and Fiscal Affairs Advisory Committee (BFAC) that put Alexandria's longer-term financial picture in sharp relief.

Wednesday's session surfaced a frustration that has run through the budget season: the city still doesn't know how many ACPS employees will fall under the school division's first collective bargaining agreement. Parajon confirmed on the record that more than a year ago, Council directed him to formally request the city be included in ACPS's bargaining process — not to manage negotiations, but to be informed. He sent a written request. ACPS denied it.

3️⃣ What's happening in Alexandria this weekend: March 27-29

Join Pedego Electric Bikes Alexandria for a 3 hour guided E-bike tour from Old Town Alexandria to the Cherry Blossoms, including a ride through the blossoms around East Potomac Park. (Visit Alexandria)

Got plans Friday? You might want to move them indoors — rain is expected most of the day with temperatures falling into the low 50s.

The good news: the weekend looks great, with sunny skies Saturday and Sunday and highs climbing from the upper 40s to near 60. Saturday brings a No Kings rally along Route 1, Easter egg hunts at Lee-Fendall House and Mt. Vernon Recreation Center, and cherry blossom guided tours by electric bike.

Looking for something different? Head to Gadsby's Tavern Friday evening for a Franco-American game night, or catch an Outlander-themed tour at the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum on Sunday.

Here's everything on the calendar this weekend.

4️⃣ Alexandria police seek public's help finding missing 14-year-old girl

The Alexandria Police shared this missing person alert on Thursday, March 26. (APD)

The Alexandria Police Department is asking the public for help locating a 14-year-old girl who has been reported missing and is considered a critical missing youth.

Aaliyah Boose, described as a Black female with black hair and brown eyes, stands 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs approximately 100 pounds. She was last seen in the 2700 block of Ice House Road in Alexandria and is believed to be in the Silver Spring, Md., area.

5️⃣ Thousands expected along Route 1 as Alexandria joins national No Kings protest Saturday

No Kings Alexandria will take place on Saturday, March 28 (No Kings)

A local activist organization is planning to line the sidewalks along a mile-long stretch of Route 1 later this month as part of a nationwide protest effort targeting the Trump administration — and a neighboring Arlington group is planning its own action the same day.

Indivisible Do Something Alexandria says it expects roughly 1,200 participants to stand along northbound Route 1 from Powhatan Park to the Potomac Yard shopping center on Saturday, March 28, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The group describes the event as a peaceful demonstration against what it calls the administration's "unjust and cruel acts of violence."

📰 In brief

A Del Ray institution is celebrating a milestone this spring, as the Mount Vernon Big Flea prepares for its 20th annual sale with an ambitious fundraising target and a building full of donated goods. (The Alexandria Brief)

Speaking of Del Ray, Del Ray Pop Up Bar officially opens as Dive Del Ray on Saturday. (DelRayPopUpBar/Instagram)

The city is asking residents to weigh in on three design concepts for bicycle and pedestrian improvements along S. Van Dorn Street between Eisenhower Avenue and McConnell Avenue. (The Alexandria Brief)

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner on Thursday called on the data center and artificial intelligence industry to cover its own costs and contribute more to help workers displaced by AI — remarks that land with particular weight in Northern Virginia, where Alexandria's own state lawmakers spent last week wrestling with the same question in a different arena. (The Alexandria Brief)

Speed limits on two West End streets will drop from 35 mph to 25 mph beginning in April. (The Alexandria Brief)

Vaccine-preventable diseases skyrocketed fivefold in Alexandria in 2024, tuberculosis cases jumped 71%, and HIV infections climbed 24%, according to a new report released Thursday. (The Alexandria Brief)

‘Queer Eye’ final season spotlights historic and welcoming Virginia city. (Gay Cities)

An Empty Desk: What Really Happens When a Teacher Misses School (Theogony)

AFD's Engine 210 and Truck 208 responded on Thursday to the Franconia section of Fairfax County for solar panels on a roof on fire. Crews assisted with extinguishment, and the fire was contained to the rooftop solar panels. (AFD)

As of March 25, 3,676 residents have voted early in person for the April 21 Special Election, and 10,047 have requested mail-in ballots. The ballot includes a contest for City Council as well as a proposed statewide constitutional amendment. Early voting continues today at 132 N Royal Street. (City of Alexandria)

Today in Alexandria

⛅ Weather

Showers today. Temperature falling to around 48 degrees by 5 p.m. Scattered rain showers tonight before 9 p.m., then scattered sprinkles between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m., then scattered sprinkles and flurries after 4 a.m. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 34 degrees.

🌖 Sun, Moon, & Tide

Sunrise at 7:00 a.m., sunset at 7:26 p.m. 12 hours & 26 minutes of sun. High tide at 4:09 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Low tide at 10:30 a.m. and 11:24 p.m. The moon phase is a Waxing Gibbous.

🗓️ Things To Do

10 a.m. & 2 p.m.: Cherry Blossom Guided Tours with Pedego Electric Bikes Alexandria
6 p.m.: Opening reception for Pop Goes our Culture in “All Around Us” exhibit at Galactic Panther
6 p.m.: Colin Fraser: “In the Moment” Opening Reception at Principle Gallery
7 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Cats at Mount Purrnon Cat Cafe & Wine Bar
7:30 p.m.: Alexandria Symphony Orchestra presents The Four Seasons and Brandenburg No. 2 – A Second Serving of Well-Seasoned Brandenburgers at St. Paul's Episcopal Church

🎶 Entertainment

219 Restaurant: Fat Chance at 9 p.m.
Alexandria Bier Garden: DJ Mike at 9 p.m.
Blackwall Hitch: Timmie Metz Band at 9 p.m.
Daniel O’Connell’s: Franklin Music Duo at 9:30 p.m.
Del Ray Pizzeria: Karaoke at 9 p.m.
Evening Star Cafe: No Regards at 8:30 p.m.
Hops N Shine: Evan Ross at 6 p.m.
Laporta’s Restaurant: Live music at 7:30 p.m.
Lost Boy Cider: Kaitlyn Margaret Irish Dance at 7 p.m.
Makeda Restaurant: Mesfin & Tsehay at 10 p.m.
Murphy’s Pub: Poehemia and Rocky Guttmann at 9 p.m.
O’Shaughnessy’s Pub: The Moondaddies at 9 p.m.
Rock It Grill: Karaoke at 9:30 p.m.
The Birchmere: Countless Cabaret with Luanne De Lesseps at 7:30 p.m.
The Light Horse: A Night To Forget at 9:30 p.m.
The Study at Morrison House: Live Piano Music at 6:30 p.m.

🏛️ City & Schools

9 a.m.: Industrial Development Authority - Regular Meeting at 1940 Duke St.
7 p.m.: To Lafayette! A Franco-American Game Night at Gadsby's Tavern

📚 Alexandria Library

All Day: A Commonwealth of Cultures Exhibit at Local History/Special Collections
All Day: Tiny BIT of Art — Virtual
10:15 a.m.: Baby Storytime at Burke Branch Library
2 p.m.: Musical Movement at Burke Branch Library
3:30 p.m.: Fun Friday! - Viernes de diversión at Burke Branch Library

📜 On This Day in History

On this day in 1904, the Alexandria City Engineer authorized the construction of new, wooden “Waste Paper Boxes” to be installed throughout the downtown area of the city. On this day in 1919, the Virginia Shipbuilding yard at Jones Point was damaged by fire. (Historic Alexandria)

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