Alexandria's Rebuilt Minnie Howard Campus Opens; Capacity Expanded, Pool Added

ALEXANDRIA, VA — The effort to provide more high school capacity in the City of Alexandria as enrollment increases is coming to fruition. City and school officials celebrated the ribbon cutting of the reconstructed Minnie Howard Campus Wednesday.

The newly-constructed five-story school building at 3775 W Braddock Rd. was the first phase of the project, expanding the campus capacity from 850 to 1,600 students. The $190 million campus project got funding through the city's 2022-31 and fiscal years 2023-32 Capital Improvement Program budgets. The second phase of the project, the construction of new athletic fields, will tentatively begin in June.

The campus will open to students and staff on Aug. 19, the first day of the 2024-2025 school year. Along with classroom, the new building provides a main and auxiliary gymnasium, dedicated spaces for career and technical education, multiple common areas and a greenhouse. On the sustainability side, the new building has LEED Gold certification, electric vehicle charging stations, infrastructure for a future photovoltaic solar array and geothermal well field.

Other new facilities will be available to the public and operated by the city's Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities — a regulation-length pool, childhood education program, a teen wellness facility, and student and family resource centers.

"The building expands our capacity to serve students, allowing us the opportunity to reimagine the high school experience, as we introduce the new Academies at Alexandria City and career pathways model," said ACPS Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt. "This facility will not only serve our students but all Alexandria residents, making this a true community space."

The Minnie Howard campus was first built in 1954 for grades one to seven but closed in the early 1980s due to decreasing enrollment. It later became the ninth grade campus for Alexandria City High School, which has its main King Street Campus down the street.

With the construction, the academic model for Alexandria City High School will be adjusted. The Minnie Howard Campus will be home to the new Alexandria City High School Academies at Alexandria City model, which will provide small learning communities for college and career readiness. The six academies will include: the science, technology, engineering and math academy, a business and government academy, the education, liberal arts and human services academy, the visual, performing and applied arts academy, a global studies academy and a general studies academy.

The City of Alexandria expects to start swim lessons, lap swim and aquatics fitness classes at the new Minnie Howard Pool in August. Hours will depend on school use but will generally be open to the public Monday to Friday, from 4 p.m. to 8:45 p.m., and Saturday to Sunday, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.