RICHMOND, Va. -- Daniela Jacobs is undaunted following the devastating three-alarm fire that destroyed the historic Fox Elementary School building in Richmond’s Fan District. Standing in front of charred-out classrooms now surrounded by paper hearts for Valentine's Day, the school's principal for the last 16 years said the Fox community is strong and will pull through the challenges ahead.
“This is more than a school where our kids go to. This is a community and its roots run deep. It’s profound, it’s amazing, and there really is something profound about this school,” Jacobs said.
Monday afternoon, Richmond Fire officials said they do not believe arson is the cause of the fire, which remains under investigation. The devastation leaves teachers and families at Fox without a permanent structure for school just a few months removed from returning to in-person learning.
Jacobs said the school’s leadership team is actively pursuing various options to bring the students and teachers back together.
“We’re looking for a place to get everyone back together, in-person right now. We’re exploring some options this week, so my hope is this is a two to three-week virtual thing. Then, we can begin the process of moving into a new location for the rest of this year,” she said.
Some of the ideas that have been floated include the old Clark Springs Elementary school building or the vacant St. Gertrude High School have been floated as potential options.
As for the historic, 110-year-old Fox building, Jacobs remains hopeful they will be able to save much of the exterior character.
“My hope would be that we can keep the brick facade and just build from within, kind of like they did at Maggie Walker,” she said. “Of course, we’re waiting for the building inspector and the insurance and all that. We’ll go forward after that.”
In the meantime, the reaction from the Fox community and greater Richmond region has been overwhelming, according to Jacobs. People continue to send meals to her house and messages of support to her phone.
A reaction, she said, that is not surprising given the generations of students and teachers who have a deep connection and passion for the Fox community.
“Fox is such a special place. When we had the 100th anniversary, people came back from the 1930s that went to school here when they were kids. They still have such fond memories of this place; they still keep in touch,” Jacobs said. “We have memories, and that’s the best part. We will rebuild, and it’s going to be okay, and we will be back together soon. It’s just important for us to stay together.”
Donations may be made directly to Richmond Public Schools by visiting their website here. School leaders will meet with Fox teachers and families virtually Monday night to discuss the next steps.
