Fair Oaks Elementary School to commemorate 100 years with community celebration May 2

Fair Oaks Elementary School is turning 100 years old, and the Fair Oaks community will be hosting a centennial celebration on May 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The theme is “Moving forward while looking back,” celebrating a century of community, education and tradition. Free food and activities will be provided for all attendees.

The Fair Oaks Commemorative Committee is inviting community members to join the celebration, especially former teachers, educators and staff, along with family and friends who have walked through the halls of Fair Oaks Elementary during its long history. Special guests will include Del. Delores L. McQuinn and Varina District Supervisor Tyrone Nelson.

Fair Oaks Elementary School was founded in 1926 as the Fair Oaks School, a four-room schoolhouse that was the result of the Rosenwald program, "a rural school building program that helped educate Black children during a time of deep racial inequalities in public schools, according to the Virginia Museum of History and Culture. Initial funding was provided to help build the schools, and local governments and Black communities (many of which faced significant financial hardships) joined to contribute money, land, building materials and labor to provide educational opportunities for their children, according to the museum.

The four-room schoolhouse was replaced with today’s brick building in 1951, according to the Henrico County Historical Society, and full racial integration occurred in the fall of 1970.

Last month, the Virginia House of Delegates honored the school with a resolution (HR465) commending Fair Oaks Elementary School and its service to the community.

The school is located at 201 Jennings Road in Highland Springs.

For details, contact the Fair Oaks Commemorative Committee at FairoakselementaryCommittee26@gmail.com.