After Alexandria City High School’s early attempts to transport students between campuses took several wrong turns, a Theogony analysis has found that commuting students can now make it to class on time — even with a full ban on walking between campuses.
As part of the school district’s initiative dubbed the “High School Project,” about 1,600 students attending ACHS now take classes at more than one campus, requiring them to transport during the school day. An administrator previously told Theogony that roughly 400 students — all freshmen — commuted between campuses last year.
Theogony previously reported that security measures like scanning digital student IDs and checking student schedules created a long process for students to travel from one campus to the other.
In addition, many students perceived the provided shuttle buses to be unreliable, prompting crowds to walk 0.6 miles between campuses multiple times each day. Along that route is the intersection of Braddock Rd., King St. and Quaker Ln., considered to be one of the city’s most dangerous intersections.
Although administrators made clear that walking between campuses was prohibited, students previously told Theogony that they never strictly enforced the policy.
In October, however, the school dropped ID and schedule verification requirements. It also enacted a full walking ban, threatening in-school suspensions for any students who chose not to comply. Since then, administrators have been stationed at major exits of both campuses during transition time, preventing students from walking.
At first, students were displeased, claiming the new policy would further limit instructional time.
“I don’t think it’s fair,” said junior Grace Redican. “Just let us walk, it’s really not bad. They should let people have more freedom. … I think banning people from walking is making them more late to their classes.”
However, a Theogony analysis over eight weeks found notable decreases in commuting times.
In early weeks of the school year, the commute took roughly 10 minutes on average and could take up to 17 minutes. Now, the average has lowered to roughly 8 minutes, and the maximum to 14 — usually enough time to reach class within the allotted 13-minute transition period.
“I’m proud of the work our students and staff have done to mitigate our intercampus transportation concerns,” said Alexander Duncan, the school’s executive principal. “While I know some concerns continue, we are committed to working this issue until we can transition as efficiently as possible.”
[Read Duncan’s guest essay about the intercampus transportation process here.]
For students, the shuttle buses have become a new normal.
“I’ve adjusted to the new rules,” said senior Josephine Damico-Lassman. “And I’ve noticed a significant change in how long it takes. I’m on time to class almost every time now, and I even get there early sometimes. But I do have to leave my previous period a little bit early.”
Oscar Bentson, a junior, agreed.
“It’s had its rough patches, but overall it has improved,” Bentson said. “It doesn’t take super long to wait for a bus, whereas at the start of the year, sometimes I would have to wait.”
Even Andrei Shiffer, the senior behind the ACHS Freedom of Transportation Association, which has advocated against the walking ban and other school policies on social media, conceded that walking is now a lost cause.
“The busing situation has gotten better,” he said. “It’s been fast to get through the intersection.”
For many students, though, the walking ban has not changed their method of transportation.
“It hasn’t really affected me,” said junior Grace Hettinger. “I always took the bus because I didn’t feel like walking and felt like walking took longer.”
Laura Barry-Lenger, a junior, noted that the policy has shifted student opinion of administrators.
“The students are safer now, but it’s caused a lot more resentment against administration, which is not great,” Lenger said.
Hettinger added, “They’re doing the best they can.”
Even so, some students still question the feasibility of multi-campus transportation in general.
“The commute I take every single day has put me in a bad learning position,” said sophomore Yordanos Fenta. “I believe that students should have a main campus that they stay at every day, unless there is a class that they absolutely need at the other campus.”
Emily Sample, a senior, agreed.
“In an ideal world, there would be no intercampus transportation, and we would have two separate schools,” Sample said. “The administration is doing their best, and it’s gotten a little better, but it’s still a flawed system.”
This article is part six in our series, “Inside the High School Project,” which covers the controversial ACPS initiative the district says intends to connect students across the four ACHS campuses. However, the initiative has received significant pushback from students, teachers and parents. Read part one of our series here, part two here, part three here, part four here, part five here and a bonus part, which was published in the Alexandria Times over the summer, here. Theogony will continue our coverage through at least the end of the 2024-25 school year.
