April 16, 2021 Update - Physical Distancing: ACPS will follow CDC Guidance for 3 Feet

As ACPS brings additional students into hybrid learning starting on April 20, staff has also been reviewing and planning for the updated guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that reduce physical distancing between students in classrooms from six feet to three feet, based on specific criteria. Schools are continuing to contact families to assess interest in having their students in hybrid learning, using a hybrid prioritization matrix. 

Staff has been analyzing the implications related to the three-foot distancing guidelines between students to implement in every school. ACPS seeks an efficient and effective transition that will ensure minimal disruption for our students and the instructional program. Given our careful planning and health mitigation measures to date, ACPS has minimized the spread in our schools over the last month and kept students and staff safe and healthy, a trend we want to continue as the new distancing guidelines are implemented.

A preliminary analysis and the current plan to safely bring additional students into hybrid learning was presented at the April 8 School Board meeting (PDF). We will reconfigure our classrooms to three feet of physical distance between students and implement a new lunch model by April 26 which will allow us to transition more students after April 27.

This week, the Alexandria Health Department (AHD) held virtual town halls to answer questions from ACPS families. See the AHD presentation (PDF).