2026 SESSION

INTRODUCED

26109580D

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 465

Offered March 12, 2026

Commending Fair Oaks Elementary School.

—————

Patrons—McQuinn, Cole, N.T., Keys-Gamarra, Martinez, McPike, Rasoul, Schmidt, Ward and Ware

—————

WHEREAS, for 100 years, Fair Oaks Elementary School has helped generations of students achieve academic excellence and develop the skills they need to become leaders in their communities; and

WHEREAS, Fair Oaks Elementary School traces its origins to the foundation of a local Rosenwald School, one of the many schools around the country funded by visionary philanthropist Julius Rosenwald to provide educational opportunities for Black students during the Jim Crow era; and

WHEREAS, the main, central part of the current Fair Oaks Elementary School building was built in 1950; at the time, it was one of several schools serving the Black community in Henrico County, and the faculty and staff members worked diligently to overcome the challenges of segregation and provide an outstanding education for their students; and

WHEREAS, through their dedication and resourcefulness, the educators at Fair Oaks Elementary School cultivated a learning environment that benefited generations of students and enriched the educational, cultural, and spiritual fabric of the community; and

WHEREAS, after the court-ordered “freedom of choice” system, wherein students could choose which schools they wished to attend, failed to produce meaningful racial integration, Fair Oaks Elementary School was closed during the 1969–1970 school year while new school zoning plans were developed; and

WHEREAS, Fair Oaks Elementary School reopened in the fall of 1970 as a fully integrated primary school serving the immediate geographical area, namely part of the Highland Springs community; and

WHEREAS, during the 1970–1971 academic year, Fair Oaks Elementary School added a large addition with 12 classrooms; the school currently maintains 21 classrooms and serves between 400 and 500 students in kindergarten through fifth grade; and

WHEREAS, the faculty and staff members of Fair Oaks Elementary School have always been known for creating a welcoming and supportive atmosphere based on open communication, trust, and respect, and they look forward to continuing to uphold the school's proud traditions of excellence in and out of the classroom; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Fair Oaks Elementary School hereby be commended for its 100 years of service to the Henrico County community; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Fair Oaks Elementary School as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for the school's long history and legacy of service to young people in Highland Springs.