More Stories from the Week

More Stories from the Week
- ACPS

Calendar Reminder: Schools Closed Sept. 3 and 6

There will be no school for students on Friday, Sept. 3 and Monday, Sept. 6 in observance of the Labor Day holiday. All ACPS schools and offices will be closed on both dates.

See the ACPS Calendar for all holidays and no class days.

ACPS Student Transportation Updates and Reminders

Students hopped on board ACPS school buses as the 2021-22 school year started this week. While we experienced some slight delays and issues in the first few days as everyone adjusts to the new routine, we expect that all will be addressed and running smoothly in no time. ACPS families received up-to-date school bus transportation information for their students via email and in PowerSchool. Bus assignments and stops will be updated as needed on Thursdays to reflect adjustments to ridership information. 

Students should be at their assigned bus stop 10 minutes before their scheduled pickup. Parents need to complete the Daily Symptom Checklist before students board the bus. Students must be masked before stepping on board their bus which will be loaded from the rear to the front. Bus drivers and monitors are also required to wear face masks. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation as schools carry out required health and safety measures, including temperature scanning of students when they arrive at school daily.

SOL Data Validates ACPS Focus on Student Social, Emotional and Academic Learning for 2021-22

ACPS begins the 2021-22 school year with a Continuity of Learning Plan 6.0 (PDF) that takes a strategic and systematic approach to best address both the academic and social-emotional needs of students as the school division returns to five days a week of in-person learning, after pivoting in March 2020 to primarily virtual learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ACPS is welcoming back more than 15,000 students this fall to in-person learning and an additional 500 students to virtual learning through the Virtual Virginia program.

This week the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) released results from the 2020-21 Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments, articulating the unprecedented conditions faced by students and schools last year. These data are for information only and will not impact the state or federal accountability systems due to the ongoing pandemic. The VDOE has stated that all schools will have the rating “Accreditation Waived,” as during the 2020-21 school year. More information is available on the Statistics and Reports section of the VDOE website.

DASH Buses Launching a New Network: What ACPS Staff Needs to Know

DASH buses are going fare-free for all passengers as they launch their new bus network, beginning Sunday, Sept. 5, a move that will benefit ACPS students and staff who rely on DASH service. 

Here is what the changes will mean for ACPS students and staff:

  • Starting Sept. 5, Alexandria City High School (ACHS) students will no longer need to use an app or ID card to board DASH buses for free. All passengers, including adults, will be able to board for free at all times. (Note: Prior to Sept. 5, free rides for students will not be available.)
  • Major bus route changes and numbering changes will take effect and impact DASH riders on all routes.
  • ACHS students who currently use the DASH AT6 route will see increased bus service along King Street with the new Line 31 running every 10-15 minutes from Northern Virginia Community College Alexandria to Old Town. 
  • ACHS students who use the AT9 may be able to use the new Line 36A/36B, which runs every 15 minutes from Mark Center to Potomac Yard via ACHS campus.
  • The Metrobus 28A route will also be realigned to Duke Street on Sept. 5 and will no longer serve the ACHS campus. 

The New DASH Network is intended to provide more useful and frequent bus service to more people in locations including the West End, Old Town, Parkfairfax, Arlandria and Potomac Yard.

For more information about the New DASH Network, including route comparison tables, the New DASH Network Trip Planner, and translations to Spanish and Amharic, visit the New DASH Network webpage.