State Likely to Deny Alexandria's Request to Begin School Year Before Labor Day

State officials are likely to deny the request of the Alexandria City Public School system to begin the school year before Labor Day. However, there’s a chance that the state will allow T.C. Williams to start early with an even slimmer chance for grades 6-12.

“Virginia Superintendent Dr. Patricia Wright has now determined to recommend denial of our request,” Sherman wrote to the school community. “We were told that that [sic] there might be a slight possibility of approval for TC Williams only and a lesser possibility for grades 6-12.”

The ACPS School Board on April 28 decided to withdraw the request for the city’s elementary schools to start the school year before Labor Day. (That does not apply to the two schools on a modified calendar – Mount Vernon Community School and Samuel Tucker). That means all traditional calendar elementary schools will begin Sept. 6 for the 2011-2012 school year.

Sherman said he has been directed by the School Board to get further clarification from Wright if it makes sense to proceed with a waiver request for grades 6-12 or grades 9-12 only.

“I am currently engaged in conversations with Dr. Wright and other state officials about the likelihood of a positive response to those requests,” he wrote.

The state Board of Education is scheduled to meet May 19 to consider and vote on Alexandria’s more limited waiver request.