RPS leaders, staff welcome students back to Fox Elementary School

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Richmond’s Fox Elementary School is officially reopening its doors after the historic building was destroyed by a fire in February 2022.

On Monday, August 18, the newly rebuilt school welcomed students and teachers to the building after more than three years of waiting.

The 2022 fire, which tore through the 111-year-old building, occurred after fire alarms failed and in the absence of a sprinkler system. In the aftermath, students and teachers relocated to the nearby Clark Springs Elementary School, where they remained during reconstruction.

Principal Daniela Jacobs expressed her excitement and the long road it took to get to day one.

“I feel grounded, I feel settled, I feel ready to go,” Jacobs said. “This is going to be, just, this is where we're meant to be. This is a great place for us.”

The updated $31 million Fox Elementary welcomed more than 400 students and staff back to a modern, reimagined learning environment.

The century-old building maintains its original two-story layout, complete with a basement that includes classrooms and a cafeteria. While the design closely resembles the pre-fire structure, some alterations were made to the basement to improve functionality and safety.

Richmond Public Schools superintendent Jason Kamras applauded teachers and staff for the sacrifices made over the years and finally being able to call the school home once again.

"It's really a story of resilience, resilience of the Fox community, of our teachers, Principal Jacobs and most of all our kids. They are strong and they are ready for the first day of school,” Kamras said.