Alexandria Schools' Return Delayed Until At Least February

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Alexandria City Public Schools will not bring back students until at least February according to the latest return to school update.

Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. delayed the start of the return to school plan, citing the community transmission levels and school impact level. Updates to the return to school timeline are provided at the beginning of each week.

ACPS uses three core metrics recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for reopening decisions. For next week's reopening decision and beyond, ACPS will be refining its decision metrics based on revised guidance from the Virginia Department of Health for reopening.

"Many of you are already aware that our positive cases and transmission rates in the City of Alexandria, they are still at very high levels," said Hutchings in an update to families. "Our percentage of RT-PCR tests that are positive during the last 14 days is at 10.4 percent, which is our highest risk level. Our total number of new cases per 100,000 persons within the last 14 days is at 751.9, which is our highest risk level, and then our ACPS staffing and capacity level continues to remain extreme, which is between 50 and 75 percent of our staff and building capacity operations."

The revised timeline now identifies Feb. 2 as the targeted date for students with disabilities in kindergarten to fifth grade enrolled in the Citywide Special Education program and opt into in-person learning. These self-contained students are students with intellectual disabilities, Autism, Multiple Disabilities or Emotional Disabilities. Other groups included in the first return date are 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 tentative date is Feb. 9 for 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. Remaining students who choose in-person learning in PreK to 12th, including adult education, would return on Feb. 16. All tentative dates are contingent upon staffing and building capacity.

The delay comes after vaccinations started for ACPS staff last week. On Jan. 12, an estimated 800 staff received the vaccine on the first day at T.C. Williams High School. Hutchings was among the staff receiving the vaccine and said he's received positive feedback from staff who've received it so far.

Hutchings urged families to continue following precautions and avoid non-essential trips outside the home to help bring down the city's positivity rate and community transmission.

"We are working tirelessly to try to get our students back as soon as we possibly can," said Hutchings. "These community metrics are just not affording us the opportunity right now."