ALEXANDRIA, Va. (DC News Now) — Alexandria City High School (ACHS) announced Wednesday that all in-person instruction will be canceled, moving lessons online until winter break begins on Friday.
Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) Superintendent Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt said the move is being done “out of an abundance of caution” due to student altercations at the ACHS King Street Campus on Wednesday afternoon.
Though the incidents happened at the King Street campus, all high school locations will be impacted for the rest of the week.
She said the incidents resulted in injuries to staff and students, causing the school to be placed on a “hold status” for most of the afternoon.
“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,” Kay-Wyatt wrote in a notice online.
After learning about possible additional student conflicts on Thursday and Friday, she said all students would participate in asynchronous instruction, maintaining education while prioritizing the “well-being and security of our students and staff.”
Families were told severe consequences would be handed down for the disruptive behavior.
Kay-Wyatt noted ACHS’s administration team would develop a plan for additional measures that will be implemented when teachers and staff return on Jan. 6, 2025.
Some of those plans will be shared with families before the start of winter break on Dec. 20.
