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Fair Oaks Elementary School is turning 100 years old, and the Fair Oaks community will be hosting a centennial celebration on May 2, 2026, 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 anyone in the community to enjoy. 

The Fair Oaks Commemorative Committee invites the community 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 over its long history. Special guests will include Del. Delores L. McQuinn and Tyrone Nelson, Henrico County supervisor representing the Varina District. 

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. According to the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, “The Rosenwald Program was a rural school building program that helped educate Black children during a time of deep racial inequalities in public schools. Seed money was provided to help build the schools, while local governments and Black communities, despite facing significant hardships, came together to contribute money, land, building materials and labor to provide educational opportunities for their children.” 

The Henrico County Historical Society website noted that the four-room schoolhouse was replaced with today’s brick building, in 1951 and full racial integration occurred in the fall of 1970. In March 2026, the Virginia House of Delegates honored the school with a resolution (HR465) commending Fair Oaks Elementary School and its service to the community. 

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