New Members Sworn In To Alexandria School Board

ALEXANDRIA, VA — On Tuesday, the Alexandria School Board held a virtual induction ceremony for new and returning members to take oaths of office.

Many of the Alexandria School Board's members are new after the Nov. 2 election. The School Board is made up of nine representatives, three each from District A, District B and District C. The new members include Willie F. Bailey Sr. in District A, Dr. Ashley Simpson Baird, Kelly Carmichael Booz and Tammy S. Ignacio in District B, and Abdel-Rahman Elnoubi and W. Christopher Harris in District C. Returning members include Jacinta Greene and Dr. Michelle Rief in District A, and Meagan L. Alderton in District C.

The school board is tasked with adopting policies relating to the operation of schools, including annual budgets. Alexandria City Public Schools has a diverse student body over 15,400 who come from over 143 countries and speak 123 languages.

"We welcome our new School Board and look forward to the strong collaboration that will continue ACPS’ tradition of innovation and leadership," said Superintendent Dr. Gregory Hutchings, Jr. in a statement.

A virtual meeting followed the induction ceremony. The School Board elected Alderton for a second term as chair and Greene as vice chair. The School Board meeting calendar was also adopted, along with a code of ethics and standards of conduct.

"It is my honor to welcome this group of exceptional community leaders who have been elected to our School Board," said Alderton. "We’re excited to get to work right away, and appreciate that our Board brings diverse expertise and insight to work with the superintendent for our school division."

The next School Board meeting is planned Thursday, Jan. 6. Items on the agenda include an update on the Douglas MacArthur Elementary project and the superintendent presenting the proposed fiscal year 2023 combined funds budget. A School Board retreat will follow on Jan. 10.