Richmond, VA – Richmond, VA – Richmond Public Schools (RPS) today celebrated the official renaming and dedication of Lois Harrison-Jones Elementary School, at 3021 Maplewood Avenue in the West End. The ceremony included remarks from Dr. Lois Harrison-Jones Fears, for whom the school is named.
Born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, Dr. Harrison-Jones Fears received her degree from Virginia State University and became a sixth-grade teacher in RPS. She began teaching in 1954, the same year that Brown v. Board of Education integrated public schools, and she rose to become a principal and then a Division administrator. In 1985, she became the first Black woman to hold the role of Superintendent of Richmond Public Schools.
“A couple of years ago, we decided here at Richmond Public Schools, that we were going to make sure the names of our schools reflected our values of inclusion, equity, justice and of creating a better future for our children and for the city,” said Superintendent Jason Kamras. “I truly cannot think of anyone who better embodies these values more than Dr. Lois Harrison-Jones.”
Formerly named after a confederate general, the Richmond City School Board approved changing the name of the school from John B. Cary Elementary to Lois Harrison-Jones Elementary School in June 2023, honoring Virginia's first Black woman to hold the role of State Superintendent for Education. Dr. Harrison-Jones Fears was nominated through a community-engagement process intended to ensure that the names of every building in RPS aligned to the Division’s core values.
“I believe that no school is any better than the four pillars that are established within the school, the first being the home,” said Dr. Harrison-Jones Fears. "You send us the most precious thing you have in your home, and they are your children.”
“Dr. Harrison-Jones represents all of the values that I shared before...and excellence,” said Superintendent Jason Kamras. “If you spend any time with her, you know that her bar is set very high...for herself, for her team, and most of all for our students.”
The day included a welcome from Principal Nick LeReche, fifth-grader Bernard Brown, special performances by the school’s cheerleading team and choir, as well as remarks from Superintendent Kamras, and Dr. Harrison-Jones Fears. RPS Board Chair Stephanie Rizzi led guests in the unveiling of the school's newly installed marquee.
Lois Harrison-Jones Elementary is one of four schools being renamed by RPS this year, after a process of community engagement. A celebration at Francis W. McClenney Elementary School will be held on April 23. Ceremonies at Dogwood Middle School and the Richmond High School for the Arts will follow.