More than three years after a late-night fire devastated William Fox Elementary School and disrupted the Richmond Public Schools system, the building reopened to the community Wednesday evening.

Opening on Hanover Avenue in 1911 and named for William F. Fox, the first RPS superintendent, Fox Elementary has been the focus of a $30 million project to undo the damage from the blaze and restore the historic building while retaining its identity.

In the days leading up to the reopening, excitement and pride spread throughout the RPS community. The celebration drew city and school officials, RPS families and invited guests to the school grounds.

“The Foxes are back on Hanover,” former RPS Board member Mariah White said during Tuesday’s Board meeting as she celebrated the reopening and the work done by officials. “Those who said schools can’t build schools, think again.”

Fox Elementary now features modernized classrooms, an updated “gymatorium,” an exterior brick walkway, and other improvements aimed at enhancing the learning environment and meeting RPS guidelines adopted since the fire.

 The library inside the renovated William F. Fox Elementary School on Hanover Avenue in Richmond’s Fan District. A book drive held during the reopening supported the Richmond Education Foundation’s “Give 804” campaign to help restock the shelves.
 

While the Richmond Fire Department never found the cause of the blaze, a faulty alarm panel was noted among concerns found in an investigation after the fire. A sprinkler system is now installed in the building, which was constructed without one along with other updated systems.

 Firefighters at William Fox Elementary School on Feb.12, 2022, the day after a 3-alarm fire.
 By Sandra Sellars  

The reopening featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony, guided tours of the renovated building and a book drive to support the Richmond Education Foundation’s “Give 804” campaign.

Efforts are also underway to restore or replace items lost in the fire, including artwork that once adorned the school’s walls.

Fox Elementary’s return may also prompt changes elsewhere in the RPS system. School Board members are considering options for the Clark Springs Elementary building, which served as a temporary home for Fox students, staff and faculty during reconstruction.

During a media tour hours before the reopening, Board member Katie Ricard, who represents Fox Elementary and the other schools in the 2nd District, also spoke of the need for other RPS schools to see similar improvements and more state funding of capital improvement projects, given Richmond’s limited tax base.

“The average age of a Richmond school is 80 years old; that’s not the case in other areas of Virginia,” said Ricard, whose daughter will attend Fox Elementary when the 2025-26 school year begins. “All our students in Richmond Public Schools should go to buildings like this, our teachers should teach in buildings like this, and that’s just not happening.”