Alexandria School Reopening Delayed For First Week Of February

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Alexandria City Public Schools delayed its return to school plan for another week. Students will remain in virtual learning at least through the first week of February.

ACPS announces updates on reopening decisions at the start of each school week. Officials made the decision due based on community transmission levels and school impact levels.

The school district uses core metrics recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for reopening decisions. For the core metric on the percentage of positive tests in the last 14 days, Alexandria's latest number is 10.1 percent. That is classified as having the highest risk for community transmission. For the core metric on new cases per 100,000 people in the last 14 days, Alexandria's 599.9 is also classified as highest risk. ACPS also tracks staffing and capacity level and says it is strained at 50 to 75 percent.

A revised timeline for the return to school plan will be released on Wednesday. The first student group that would return on an undetermined date includes students with disabilities in kindergarten to fifth grade enrolled in the Citywide Special Education program and opt into in-person learning, early childhood special education students, students with disabilities in kindergarten through fifth grade with self-contained language arts and math instruction, and English learners in kindergarten through fifth grade.

The next group includes remaining PreK through fifth grade students, students with disabilities in sixth through 12th grades in the Citywide Special Education program, and English learners in sixth through 12th grades who opt into in-person learning. The last group covers the remaining PreK to 12th students who choose in-person learning, including adult education. All tentative dates are contingent upon staffing and building capacity.