They were closed for so long that I assumed there was something major wrong with the building. We used to enjoy eating there (although there are now tons of Thai choices) and I'll give it a try.

We have increased teacher pay significantly in the past several years (still not where it should be, but our overall funding hasn't recovered from 2008 either), and they now have a union to represent and negotiate. These headlines are lazy and make it seem like it's an everywhere problem and it's not that extreme--there are targeted positions at select schools that have proven hard to fill. The same as in other counties. I totally understand a teacher having a negative reaction to seeing these headlines but they need to ask what school and what position and how does that compare to where I am and what I want to do and my compensation, and the issues my school faces. It's not like they are throwing hiring bonuses at people to perform the same work as teachers that stay. Or that if you leave whoever replaces you will automatically get this full bonus to replace you.

They are going to spend $120k on temporary landscaping that everyone is supposed to admire from afar (not actually use the public property). The planning commission made the recommendation to city council back in the fall and it was approved. Not sure when it will start, maybe after they are done cutting down all of the trees on the street?

The lights for the monument are also still there, which is just super lazy.

Did you get a job offer letter outlining the position, salary, start date, etc? So confused how this is possible.

You didn't specify airport-related gripes. I've got a lot I could share!

I just saw this news--so dumb with four days for this firehouse. Way to f*ck things up IBEW 666.

The one at 3100 W. Broad is convenient and has better parking, and is a very short distance from Thompson. I find myself pulled to the Thompson store to find some things I never see at other locations, but I will welcome this new location because that Ellwood's parking lot is a war zone.

Your point is so far beyond the scope of this conversation.

What have you personally done to effect any change?

I'm so worn out with critics. "The school should do this, the school should do that, I don't know why we can't just do X." Well, they have a limited budget and limited staff, if you have an idea you can propose it and help with fundraising and volunteering. It's not ideal, and maybe it's not right, but it's the reality we are living in and it's better than sitting on your laptop writing critiques wishing for a better system.

I have advocated for addressing the LCI funding which is the underlying issue for much of the inequity in Richmond. But I do not expect the General Assembly in our current administration to take the big political leap of doing anything to actually change it--especially when we all recognize we are about $2B behind on school updates.

Sorry, I was a bit cranky after getting attacked yesterday. It is always thankless work, which I've come to expect, but to be called racist for trying to support a school that's been through a lot is a bit overboard. Didn't mean to take it out on you personally.

There does seem to be some assumption that PTA funds are misused, as I've seen skeptical comments before. Maybe it can happen in some places, but my experience is that things are very buttoned up. Anyone can request funds for a project, which the board reviews and votes. The budget meeting is public and anyone can attend, just like anyone can join the board or volunteer. The principal is part of the PTA and there is a teacher advocate as well. Those that have the passion among the parents make the time for the commitment.

As with many things, it's layered and to some degree can be political. I can say that last year after the fire there was a lot of interest in PTA funds across the board. Requests for "wellness" for teachers such as paid lunches or massages or other things that felt to many parents as going overboard and not appropriate for PTA funding (there was a real dearth of wellness for students and parents). But, they were discussed and voted on as part of the process. But every year they review all requests and judge priorities based on the budget available, which is a direct outcome of the fundraising efforts put on by the PTA. So, no events like this parents' night out or the Strawberry Street Festival, then no money for student programs that everyone is used to having and wants to see continue.

I also wish the system was different, but I'm forced to live in reality.

If you want to DM me, happy to discuss further. I encourage teachers and staff to take an interest in the PTA at your schools.

By this logic, every school's individual PTA efforts should not take place because they are inequitable. Well, we are advocating for equity in the system while also fundraising for activities to support our school population. It's a "yes and" situation, not an either/or.

Fox actively participated in the last rezoning, which is reflected in the school's current population. Check the effects in the rest of the city. There is no effort by the Fox community to insulate, and certainly no segregational effort.

If your recommendation is to do nothing when the school has burned down because another school is past due for replacement, both situations where many are to blame, I guess we’ll disagree.

I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume this was an off-the-cuff hot take where you thought it would be cool to trash one school because another is also in need. But I will take a few minutes to reply because this is an important issue to highlight.

The Fox PTA has used every media encounter to highlight needs across the City and the state, that a similarly tragic situation could have happened anywhere, and that we have massive school infrastructure needs that have been habitually underfunded and led to disastrous outcomes such as the fire.

The media has tried to follow the story and report on the underlying issues. Here's a recent story from this weekend where we used the anniversary to draw attention, not to take from Wythe, but to help continue to highlight the needs that are unmet across the city. We have city council members with their experiences and perspectives on how budgets should work, we have school board members with their own perspectives and varied backgrounds, and we have the mayor. Then you add in the General Assembly. There's a lot to navigate between all of these bodies, and I won't get into specifics about personalities and political dynamics but I will say it takes some thought.

https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/fox-rebuild-funding-update-feb-10-2022

We have consistently said the rebuilding of Fox should not come at the expensive of Wythe or Woodville, or any other needs, and we have corrected City Council members who have said RPS "has the money" in its general fund.

Here are the actual talking points the PTA has shared regarding the rebuilding. They are yours for the taking--I encourage everyone to write their elected officials.

Rebuild William Fox School Talking Points

About William Fox Elementary School

 William Fox Elementary School has served the students of Richmond for over 110

Years.

 William Fox Elementary School is a Title I school that serves a diverse student body: 

o 47% White

o 37% Black

o 6% Hispanic

o 3% Asian

o 6% Other/Unspecified

o 44% Economically Disadvantaged.

 Per the VDOE, Covid and Fire Instability have negatively impacted Fox enrollment

numbers:

o Enrollment dropped by 112 students between 2019 (438) and today (326). 

o Enrollment dropped by 32 students since the fire.

​

Current State of the Building

 William Fox Elementary School sat for 5 months (February through June 2022) with

multiple feet of standing water, and heavy, water-logged debris stressing the building’s

instructional integrity while RFD and Insurance inspections prevented RPS from building

access and action. This period added to the structure’s damage, and increased

reconstruction costs.

 Since July 2022, the exterior has been stabilized, and debris has been removed.

 SBCox is currently preparing the site for a permanent roof, but construction teams are

waiting for insurance approval to fund the roof itself.

 Once the roof is installed, the windows will be boarded up, and the building will sit

dormant until there are sufficient funds for a rebuild. 

 Further decay and damage may occur while this building sits in limbo, increasing

construction costs.

Funding Shortfall

 The full cost to rebuild Fox is about $27M (outside party estimate).

 RPS insurance policy covers the full rebuild of any accidental damage. Current offer

 $13M (structure + furnishings, this is what the policy values the property for;

approximately $15M short of the “full rebuild” cost).

 School Board Rep Jonathan Young told the media it will be hard to challenge VACORP

in court because maintenance issues like faulty fire alarms weaken the RPS’s claim. 

 Delegate Jeff Bourne asked the House of Delegates for $15M for Fox reconstruction.

This bill failed. The financial burden now falls to the City.

Next Steps

 The William Fox Community asks the City of Richmond to fund the restoration of this

school in their upcoming FY24 budget. 

​

 This City budget is drafted by the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Lincoln Sanders, in March and presented to City Council by Mayor Levar Stoney.

 Community members should write to the Mayor and CAO with this request, and write all of City Council to support it.

 Possible Funding Source: 

o The City’s $52.7M “unassigned” capital projects fund.

o The City’s $107.8M “unassigned” general funds

 School Construction is the source of infighting between the Richmond School Board and City leadership. Community members should ask these bodies to work cooperatively to meet the needs of William Fox Elementary School.

Let me take a few minutes to list out all of the things that a public school in the City of Richmond needs for its students, teachers, and staff that aren't provided by the city's funding. Just kidding, it's a long list. Ticket sales are going to the PTA's fund like every event they run (Strawberry Street Festival, Christmas Tree sales, etc.). Did you buy tickets and plan to support the school? Happy to discuss all of it in more detail in person if you'll be there, and introduce you to the board volunteers.

In short, the PTA is a registered non-profit whose board votes on allocating funds to programs that have been prioritized by the teachers, the parents, and the students. All financial reporting by law is public, as are the meetings where allocation decisions are voted on by the board. PTAs take a lot of time and energy to effectively run, and Fox has managed to keep its PTA efforts going despite the pandemic and a year of virtual school, and then the fire. It's pretty remarkable that the people volunteering for the board this year have the energy. They, like the PTA of any public school, need more support and more funding and more volunteers, and less critics that assume there must be something amiss. There's never enough money to fund everything that's requested, never enough volunteers for the events, and the board has to work hard to get parents engaged and raise funds creatively every year. It's a full-time job, in addition to the full-time job that most parents already have.

And if you missed the stories over the weekend recognizing the anniversary of the fire, a community gathering to draw support and advocacy, and the current financial limbo regarding rebuilding, here's a quick overview. We need advocates pushing our elected officials from the local to the state level to work together and find the funds to rebuild in this year's budget: https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/richmond/one-year-after-tragic-fire-community-gathers-to-discuss-future-of-fox-elementary/

$73 or $173, neither is enough to make a significant difference to a household. But the aggregate for the county would make a big difference.

They would do much better by investing that money in the community rather than buying everyone a case of beer with the credit. Political move.

But you saw 47% white? It's right below that demo chart. Click on "economically disadvantaged."

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/william-fox-elementary#fndtn-desktopTabs-enrollment

I am about to use some not-nice language if you continue trying to assert that the Fox community is somehow racist or acting in racist manners. I'm sorry that you seem to believe urban legends from decades ago. Fox has been diverse and embraced the last round of school rezoning and used the process to benefit RPS as a whole. 44% of the school population is economically disadvantaged. Go compare the school populations pre/post rezoning and get back to me on which areas are segregated and who's actively working to protect monied interests.

Your opinion on the building's appearance doesn't make it fact. And demolition in the Fan is not allowed by right. Plus the building has been recognized for its historic value and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The City wants the building saved and rebuilt.

You're welcome to your opinion on Williamsburg, but the Fan is not a manufactured tourist experience. And yes the expense of this project has already been estimated and the needs pretty well detailed, ready for construction RFP in the coming months.

But really I don't understand what seems to be your underlying point. If it's that the Fan is full of rich people, then do you think they would send their kids to city public school, especially after their preferred one burned to the ground? They wouldn't, or if they did, they would leave after the fire. I don't think you're that serious in your argument, but you do seem to be seriously biased. The Fox community is as diverse as Cary and serves a significant economically disadvantaged population. The people with means (either in free time, or funds, or skills) in the community have always invested effort to ensure standards are met for all, and lifted all families up. It's that spirit of community that makes Fox unique.

Total? That's it?

The building will meet modern codes when rebuilt, which obviously is the law but I guess it has to be explained. The debris has been cleared, asbestos abated, lead paint checked, walls stabilized, permanent roof construction to be complete by end of April, and then the general building with a new interior layout. It's not a shit show at all in terms of rebuilding process and end result, but it is very unfortunate the private insurance pool of state buildings has become such an issue. And that Richmond taxpayers also seem to think this is some kind of entertainment deserving of popcorn instead of serious engagement and advocacy.