On Wednesday, May 29, the City of Alexandria and Alexandria City Public School (ACPS) joined together at an official ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate phase one of newly constructed facilities at the Alexandria City High School (ACHS)-Minnie Howard Campus. Phase two will include the construction of new athletic fields and has a tentative start date of June 2024.

The campus was named after Minnie Stansbury Howard, a beloved community member who devoted her life to the welfare of Alexandria’s children. Howard founded the city’s first Parent Teacher Association in 1912, Alexandria’s first children’s home, helped establish the first public playground at Washington Street school, and served as the city’s first juvenile probation officer. Her namesake campus, originally an elementary school, was opened in 1954.

“Minnie Howard Campus is a landmark facility for all Alexandrians. It will provide a much-needed community space where students, families, and residents can gather together and create new memories,” said Mayor Justin Wilson. “It represents a crown jewel in an era of investment in our school facilities—an investment in the future of our city made without compromising on academic needs and sustainability.”

This reconstructed 343,000-square-foot school is the only joint-use facility in the city that is also open to Alexandria community members. The facility offers early childhood education, a teen wellness facility, student and family resource centers, and an aquatic facility with a regulation-length pool. These collocated spaces will employ ACPS and City staff including nurses, school counselors, as well as recreation staff and instructors.

“The opening of Minnie Howard signals that our community is committed to our youth and to the future of this city,” said City Manager James Parajon. “By the end of the next decade, we will have invested over one billion dollars in our school facilities throughout the city since 2015. This increase is due to the strong support of our taxpayers, who are willing to make investments in our children, as well as strong support from our School Board and City Council.”

Minnie Howard Pool

Minnie Howard Pool, which will host swim lessons, lap swim and aquatics fitness classes, will be open starting in August of this year. Hours will vary based on school use but will generally be open to the public Monday-Friday, from 4 to 8:45 p.m., and Saturday-Sunday, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information on program offerings and hours, visit alexandriava.gov/Aquatics or view the Fall Program Guide that will be available in July.

For reasonable disability accommodation, contact Jackie Pearson at, jackie.person@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.5423, Virginia Relay 711.  

If you prefer communication in another language, free interpretation and translation services are available to you, please email LanguageAccess@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.3960.

Alexandria at 275: Connecting to our past to define a brighter future.  

Since its 1749 founding, the historic city of Alexandria has played a major role in our nation’s story and reflected its progress toward inclusivity. Join us at events from April through September as we mark Alexandria's 275th anniversary and embark on the next chapter in our city’s vibrant history at alexandriava.gov/ALX275.