ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The largest high school in Northern Virginia has decided to cancel classes for the last two days of the school year in 2024 following violent altercations that injured both students and staff members.

Superintendent of Alexandria City Public Schools, Melanie Kay-Wyatt, informed families through a letter on Wednesday that Thursday and Friday classes at Alexandria City High School, previously known as T.C. Williams, would be called off.

The cancellation was prompted by apprehensions regarding the possibility of more confrontations occurring on those days. The high school, which accommodates approximately 4,000 students, holds the title of the largest public high school student body in Virginia, as noted by the Virginia High School League.

Instead of traditional classroom instruction, students will transition to what the school district describes as “asynchronous instruction.” This means they are expected to engage in online learning, accessing assignments and educational resources remotely.

In her communication, Kay-Wyatt did not provide details about the injuries sustained by either students or staff members. A spokesperson for the school district refrained from further commenting beyond what was included in the superintendent’s correspondence.

According to Alexandria police, following several disturbances that occurred in school hallways and the cafeteria around noon on Wednesday, two students have been charged with assault and battery. The police also noted that one student was taken from the school by a parent to receive medical care at a clinic, while another individual, who was captured on video lying on the floor, refused treatment on-site and opted not to file a report with law enforcement.

In a statement, Alexandria police chief Tarrick McGuire declared that fomenting violence and disorder within educational institutions is “unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

Kay-Wyatt expressed her disappointment regarding the violent incidents, remarking that “Our school community deserves better and counts on us to provide a safe place for teaching and learning.”

This high school has previously been at the heart of discussions regarding the presence of police resource officers within schools. The city council decided to cut funding for such officers in 2021 but later reversed that decision after a series of violent incidents and a lockdown triggered by a student bringing a firearm to school.