Board Matters: Athletic Hall of Fame Nominations, High School Project Update and Awards Galore

- News and Announcements

Thursday night’s School Board meeting was full of recognitions, particularly for our athletes who have gone on to represent our school division so well. We are proud of who you are and what you stand for!

If you didn’t watch the meeting live, you can watch the May 23 Board meeting from the comfort of your sofa, and take your time to view the presentations and memos. You can also watch the School Board Work Session that followed the meeting, where the budget add/deletes were discussed publicly.

Don’t forget that you can also watch all Board meetings live on ACPS-TV, local cable channel 71 and ACPS-TV online. You can also watch all meetings recorded online.

Prior to the meeting, students from Douglas MacArthur performed:

Anne R. Lipnick Awards for Specialized Instruction

Congratulations to the winners of the Anne R. Lipnick Specialized Instruction awards. The 2019 Outstanding Special Education Teacher PreK-12 went to Tammy Rotz of Douglas MacArthur Elementary School. Paul Kingston of T.C. Williams High School received the Outstanding General Education Inclusion Teacher PreK-12 award. The Outstanding Special Education Paraprofessional award went to Wendy Andrews of Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy.

Read the full ACPS Express post.

Watch the video of the presentation.

View the photos from the reception on Facebook.

ACPS Athletic Hall of Fame Nominations for 2019

Each year, the Alexandria City School Board’s Athletic Hall of Fame Advisory Committee reviews community nominations of deserving high school athletes, teams, coaches and non-athlete contributors for inclusion in the ACPS Athletic Hall of Fame. Nominees are selected based on their athletic accomplishments in high school, college and beyond, as well as their impact or contribution to the community at large. This year the ACPS Athletic Hall of Fame for 2019 will be:

  • Julius Campbell, T.C. Williams High School, Class of 1973, Football
  • Walter Densmore, George Washington High School, Class of 1957, Basketball
  • Tanya Galloway, T.C. Williams High School, Class of 1988, Track
  • Ricky Garcia, T.C. Williams High School, Class of 1979, Track
  • Cavanaugh Hagen, T.C. Williams High School, Class of 2001, Basketball
  • Frank Holloway, T.C. Williams High School, Class of 1977, Basketball
  • Samella Koroma, T.C. Williams High School, Class of 2007, Track
  • Arnold Thurmond, Parker-Gray High School, Basketball Coach
  • Glenn Williams, T.C. Williams High School, Class of 1984, Basketball
  • 1957 Boys Basketball Team, Parker-Gray High School

Look out for full details in ACPS Express on June 3.

Andrew WatsonRecognition of Andrew Watson for Two Arts Educator Awards

One is never enough! ACPS Arts Coordinator Andrew Watson has won two awards: The Virginia Art Education Association (VAEA) State Art Educator Award, and the National Art Education Association (NAEA) Southeastern Region Supervision/Administration Art Educator Award. Congratulations Andrew!

Update on The High School Project

This presentation to the Board included an update on the progress of the High School Project, including further developments in educational programming and site evaluations. Team members are also preparing an in-depth land use study of the Minnie Howard site. The city has indicated that adjustments to its zoning restrictions on the site may allow a building of the required size to be fit on the site, but parking and athletics continue to be a concern.

Earlier this month, requests were made for developable land options for either the Connected High School Network or a second high school.

The Educational Design team — the group responsible for developing course offerings for the future high school — is busy selecting members and preparing for their first meeting.

There will be a series of open houses across Alexandria in early June to discuss key topics of The High School Project, including information about how the team will compare options for a Connected High School Network with a second comprehensive high school. For more information, please visit the High School Project web page.

View the presentation (PDF).

Watch the video of the presentation.

Read the full ACPS Express post on The High School Project update.

Three contracts were also approved on the consent calendar:

  • Contract Modification Request — Patrick Henry Swing Space
  • Contract Modification Request — Consulting Contract for the High School Project
  • Contract for the Jefferson-Houston HVAC Project

Contracts are discussed in closed session only, but you can view the final signed contracts on the ACPS website.