New safety plan targets student violence at Alexandria City High School

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Alexandria City High School will adopt a series of enhanced safety and disciplinary measures when students return from winter break on Jan. 6, 2025, according to an update from Superintendent Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt.

The announcement follows recent altercations at the school that disrupted the learning environment and raised concerns among families and staff.

In a letter sent to the school community on Friday, Dr. Kay-Wyatt outlined the steps being taken to address disruptive and violent behavior, improve school security, and support students. 

She also apologized for the anxiety caused by the incidents, emphasizing a commitment to creating a safer, more focused learning environment.

Addressing violent behavior at Alexandria City High School

Dr. Kay-Wyatt stressed that disruptive and violent behavior will not be tolerated. Students who engage in such actions will face immediate and significant consequences under the ACPS Student Code of Conduct, including potential placement in alternative educational settings or expulsion.

"Students deserve a safe and supportive environment where they can focus on learning," she wrote. "We will enforce the code of conduct consistently and fairly while collaborating with law enforcement when necessary."

Strengthening security at school

Several new security measures will be introduced at ACHS, including:

• Additional School Security Officers (SSOs).
• Enhanced hall sweeps and monitoring during high-traffic times.
• Staggered dismissal and stricter supervision of lunch periods.
• Updated security protocols, including improved camera positioning and weapons screening.

Staff members will also increase their presence in hallways and high-volume areas, contributing portions of their planning time to ensure heightened oversight.

Student support and intervention

To address the underlying causes of disruptive behavior, ACHS will implement targeted interventions and resources for students and families. These include:

• Expanded family meetings to create individualized learning and behavioral plans.
• Enhanced social-emotional support through assemblies, lessons, and regular check-ins.
• Partnerships with community organizations to provide enrichment programs, academic tutoring, and job training.

Dr. Kay-Wyatt emphasized the importance of clear behavioral expectations and accountability, which will be reinforced during the first week of school in 2025.

A new start in 2025

The superintendent described this moment as an opportunity for reflection and renewal. 

"When school resumes on January 6, we will use this opportunity to start fresh," she said.

Weekly monitoring sessions will assess the effectiveness of the new measures, ensuring they remain responsive to the school’s needs for the remainder of the academic year.

Dr. Kay-Wyatt thanked families and staff for their resilience and partnership, calling for a collective effort to restore ACHS as a safe, vibrant learning environment.

"This is an inflection point for our community," she wrote. "Together, we will rise above these challenges and provide our students with the education they deserve."

Additional updates will be shared as ACPS continues to evaluate and adjust its safety protocols.

A letter to families from ACPS Superintendent: 

Dear Alexandria City High School Families and Staff,

Over the past several days, our school community has experienced significant challenges that have shaken our sense of safety and impacted our ability to provide a focused learning environment for our students. I want to acknowledge these concerns directly and assure you that we are fully committed to creating the safe, supportive and high-quality academic environment our students deserve. I also want to apologize for the disruptions and anxiety these incidents have caused. Together, we can and will do better.

When school resumes on January 6, 2025, we will use this opportunity to start fresh. In order to ensure that our students feel welcomed, supported and safe, additional Central Office staff will be present at both the King Street and Minnie Howard campuses. Their presence, along with our dedicated school-based staff, will help us facilitate a positive re-entry experience for our students after Winter Break. In addition, there will be various changes that will be implemented at Alexandria City High School (ACHS) that we have diligently worked on planning over the past two days that I will share with you in this letter. 

As promised in my previous letter, I am providing updates on the following topics to the ACHS School Community:

• Addressing Disruptive and Violent Student Behavior
• School Safety and Security
• Student Interventions and Supports

Addressing Disruptive and Violent Student Behavior
We must be clear: We will not tolerate disruptive and violent behavior in Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS). Students who engage in such behavior will face immediate and significant consequences in accordance with the ACPS Student Code of Conduct, up to and including placement in an alternative educational setting or expulsion, in order to ensure the safety of students and staff.

In some cases, there may also be legal consequences, and when that is the case, we will work with the Alexandria Police Department (APD) on any law enforcement investigations. While we cannot discuss disciplinary measures regarding specific students with the community, due to ACPS’ obligations under state and federal laws governing student privacy, please be assured that we will continue to enforce the ACPS Student Code of Conduct consistently and fairly.

School Safety and Security
To strengthen our security measures, we are completing a review and update of security measures that includes the following:

• Additional Security Personnel: We are adding additional School Security Officers (SSOs) at Alexandria City High School (ACHS) to provide extra coverage and support.
• Changes and Updates to Our Security Protocols: We are reviewing our current security protocols—including camera positioning, weapons abatement screening process, etc. If adjustments are needed, they will be made to support improved security.
• Hall Sweeps and Duty Stations: We will conduct increased hall sweeps at both campuses. Additionally, staff will be assigned duty stations in high-volume areas to maintain a visible, supportive presence.
• Elevated Lunch Supervision: Lunch blocks will have increased oversight, including the use of MINGA ID check-ins and control access to meal areas.
• Staggered Dismissal and Transition Process: The staggered dismissal process currently in place will continue, along with additional detention sessions during lunch and after school to hold students accountable for infractions.
• Staff Hallway Monitoring: Our staff has worked with the ACHS administration team and has agreed to contribute portions of their planning time to provide additional monitoring and support during high traffic times, and as needed.
• Student Movement Compliance: There will be no tolerance for students that are found to not be in their assigned location, and disciplinary actions will be imposed.

Student Interventions and Supports
We will provide intensified support to students while at school. Additionally, we will work with the City of Alexandria to provide resources and supports to students and families. We are focusing more intently on the underlying issues that lead to these incidents by offering comprehensive social-emotional supports as a means of prevention:

• Review Disciplinary Process: We will review and improve our disciplinary process to ensure consistent, fair and standardized disciplinary practices across all campuses. This change will ensure that each disciplinary infraction leads to a clearly defined consequence. Per the School Board’s request, we have also begun reviewing relevant policies, specifically School Board Policy JGD/JGE Student Suspension/Expulsion.
• Targeted Family Meetings: We will expand our efforts to identify and meet with families of students who have academic, behavioral and attendance needs. Using the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework, developing Individualized Learning Plans (ILPs) that focus on career and academic planning as part of all student reentry meetings, and connect families to comprehensive services in partnership with the City of Alexandria.
• Behavioral Expectations and Clarity: When students return on January 6, 2025, we will reiterate behavioral expectations in multiple ways to ensure our students fully understand what is expected of them and the consequences for failing to meet those expectations. This will include assemblies and social-emotional learning lessons.
• Frequent Check-Ins: We will determine meeting frequency with students and their families to consistently monitor progress, provide additional resources and ensure accountability.
• Focused Community Partnerships: We will seek the help of local organizations to provide additional enrichment activities—arts, sports, job training—and academic tutoring, either in-person or online.
• Implementation of Revised Cell Phone Regulation: The revised, adopted Student Use of Personal Mobile Devices Regulation IIBEA-R3 will go into effect after Winter Break.
• Student Leadership Social Media Campaign: Student leaders will be engaged to promote a social media campaign that will stress the importance of positive behaviors and a safe and welcoming school environment.

Weekly Monitoring of Additional Safety Measures: The ACHS Administration will conduct weekly monitoring sessions to evaluate the effectiveness of these measures and adjust accordingly. This monitoring will take place for the remainder of the school year.

Moving Forward Together
This has become an inflection point—a moment to reflect, reset and strengthen our commitment to each other and to the core values that guide our work as educators and as a community. I firmly believe that if we come together—students, staff, families and community members—we will rise above these challenges and restore a calm, respectful and vibrant learning environment for all of our students where they feel valued, respected and ready to thrive.

Thank you for your partnership, your patience and your resilience. We look forward to welcoming back all of our students and staff on January 6, 2025, to continue our school year and enjoy all that our schools have to offer our community. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt
Superintendent
Alexandria City Public Schools

backstory: 

What we know

Following a series of student altercations at the Alexandria City High School King Street Campus on Wednesday, Superintendent Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt announced that all high school campuses will transition to asynchronous online instruction for the remainder of the week.

In a letter addressed to families, Dr. Kay-Wyatt described the incidents, which resulted in injuries to students and staff, as "disheartening and concerning." The school was placed on "hold status" for much of the afternoon to ensure safety while authorities investigated.

"Although these incidents involved a small number of students, such events are extremely disruptive to the educational environment and interrupt the focus on learning that our students deserve," Dr. Kay-Wyatt said.

Safety precautions and schedule adjustments

The decision to move to remote instruction on Thursday, Dec. 19, and Friday, Dec. 20, stems from reports of potential additional conflicts among students. Dr. Kay-Wyatt emphasized the move as a precaution to prevent further disruptions and ensure safety.

During this time, students will complete assignments online via Canvas, where attendance will be recorded. The superintendent reassured families that education would continue uninterrupted while prioritizing the well-being of the school community.

Support circles and resources for students and staff

To address the emotional toll of the incidents, the Department of Student Services and Equity will host virtual support circles for students and staff on Thursday and Friday at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Resources for immediate support, such as CrisisText and CrisisLink, were also shared in the letter.

"We recognize that this situation may have caused stress and concern for our students and families," Dr. Kay-Wyatt stated, encouraging those in need to reach out to student support teams or trusted ACPS staff.

Looking ahead: Plans for 2025

Dr. Kay-Wyatt announced plans for additional measures to address disruptive behavior, which will be implemented when staff and students return on Jan. 6, 2025. 

She promised "severe consequences" for future disruptions and said details of the plan would be shared with families before winter break begins on Dec. 20.

The superintendent thanked ACHS staff and families for their swift response and patience, expressing her commitment to restoring a safe and focused educational environment.

"We will continue to keep you informed and will provide updates as this situation evolves," she said.