Erik Swanson, Superintendent, Folsom Cordova Unified School District

Summer is an exciting time in FCUSD. While our students and many staff members enjoy a well-deserved break, our district team is hard at work putting the final pieces in place for another successful school year.

Planning for the upcoming year doesn't begin in the summer…it begins each January. Over the past several months, our teams have worked collaboratively to develop plans, allocate resources, and prepare for the work ahead. Summer is when those plans come together. It's when projects move from planning to implementation, our campuses come alive with construction and preparation, and we begin building the foundation for a strong start to the school year.

Before looking ahead, it's worth taking a moment to reflect on what we accomplished together during the 2025–26 school year. It was a year filled with meaningful progress for our students and community. FCUSD received a few statewide recognitions for our Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) efforts, our Community Schools work and our work to reduce Chronic Absenteeism.  We officially launched the FCUSD Foundation to strengthen community partnerships and expand opportunities for students, and kicked off our Early Literacy Initiative to ensure every student builds a strong foundation in reading. We also adopted a Comprehensive Facilities Master Plan that provides a clear roadmap for the next decade of improvements and continued expanding partnerships with local businesses, organizations, and higher education institutions to create even more opportunities for our students.  We also celebrated one of my favorite traditions of the year, graduation. Watching students from our seven comprehensive and alternative high schools cross the stage is a powerful reminder of why we do this work. Each graduate represents years of perseverance, growth, and the unwavering support of families, teachers, and staff who believed in them every step of the way.

Turning Plans into Action

One of the most visible signs of summer is the work taking place across our campuses. Thanks to our community's support of Measures R & S in 2024, we're able to make significant investments in our schools that will benefit students for generations to come.

At Cordova High School, our $44 million modernization and expansion project continues to move forward. This summer, 13 interim classrooms are being installed while the C Wing is demolished and major utility work begins. It's exciting to see years of planning become reality and to watch a campus transform for future generations of students.

Construction is also well underway at Cordova Villa Elementary School, where demolition, grading, and underground utility work are preparing the site for a modern learning environment scheduled to open in 2027. The project also includes improvements to playgrounds, parking areas, and other campus spaces that will benefit students and families for years to come.

In addition, more than ten schools across the district are receiving improvements this summer, including new TK and kindergarten playgrounds, enhanced safety fencing, parking lot upgrades, and portable classroom installations.

Building on What Makes FCUSD Special

Summer is also a time when we prepare to expand the opportunities that make FCUSD such a special place to learn.

This year, we'll continue growing our Career Technical Education (CTE) programs, which now offer students 22 career pathways across 11 industries. These experiences help students discover their passions while preparing them for college, careers, and life beyond graduation.

We're also expanding Dual Enrollment opportunities so more students can earn college credit while still in high school, and we're excited about new Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) pilot programs that will increase access to high-quality experiences in visual arts, music, and drama. In addition, we're evaluating opportunities to broaden access to our International Baccalaureate (IB) program so more students can benefit from its rigorous and globally focused approach to learning.

Each of these efforts reflects our commitment to providing students with meaningful opportunities that prepare them to chase their dreams after graduation.

One District. One Purpose.

One of the things I appreciate most about FCUSD is that while we serve such an incredibly diverse student population, we remain united around one shared purpose: ensuring every student has access to an excellent education.

That work takes all of us. Families, staff, students, community partners, and residents each play an important role in helping our schools thrive. Thank you for your continued partnership and support.

Finally, I encourage you to continue sharing your feedback with us. Whether you'd like to recognize a teacher or staff member, ask a question, share a concern, or report a safety issue, our Community Feedback page provides several ways to connect with us. Visit https://www.fcusd.org/departments/communications-and-community-engagement/fcusd-community-feedback. Hearing from our community helps us celebrate what's working and continuously improve where we can.

The first day of school will be here before we know it. Until then, we'll continue doing what summer is all about in FCUSD, putting our plans into action so we're ready to provide every student with an exceptional start to the 2026-27 school year.