Cordova High School students play volleyball during lunch on a recent Friday afternoon as classmates gather outside on campus. Photo courtesy of Cordova High School

Editor’s note: This is the first installment of “Leading the Charge: Lancer Stories,” a monthly Grapevine Independent series following the students, staff, programs and traditions of Cordova High School throughout the 2026-27 school year.

RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - At lunch on a recent Friday, Cordova High School’s identity was easier to see than to define.

Students gathered outside, some playing volleyball while others talked with friends. Across campus, teachers and staff wore Lancer shirts and the school’s black and red colors.

Behind them, demolition of some of the school’s oldest buildings offered another sign of change.

Together, the scenes capture the idea behind “Lead the Charge,” a schoolwide message Cordova High is using to connect its history, community and vision for what comes next.

For Principal Amy Strawn, moving forward does not mean creating a new identity from scratch.

“There is something pretty powerful about that,” Strawn said while discussing the school’s transition. “Growing and changing without forgetting our roots.”

Those roots mean different things depending on whom you ask.

Cordova High School students show their Lancer pride during the first rally of the school year, kicking off 2026-27 with high energy and school spirit. Photo courtesy of Cordova High School

Senior Mirwais Mkar described arriving at Cordova High without speaking English and leaving several years later with stronger language skills, greater confidence and friendships that helped the campus become his community. He credited teachers who took the time to help him learn and adjust.

Student Shaher Atae pointed to another side of being a Lancer: pride in the school’s history, athletics, activities and the experiences students share outside the classroom.

And for student board member Jeanene Wallace, school identity includes making sure students have a voice in what their school becomes.

“Cordova High is a very welcoming school. It’s easy to make friends, and students have a lot of opportunities to get involved, find their community and support each other,” Wallace said. “One thing that sets us apart is our diversity. To be a Lancer means being someone who shows up, supports others and is willing to lead. Cordova High has taught me to be accepting of others and forgiving of my own flaws.”

That effort to build connection extends to employees.

Head Coach Kimberly Bradley spoke about the relationships that shape students’ experiences in the classroom.

“Our students are rock stars. If there’s a goal set in front of them, they all come together to make it a common goal,” Bradley said. “Cordova pride is at an all-time high. There is such a team-first mentality. I see support from every angle, one goal in mind, one heart and one commitment, and it starts with leadership.”

The new 45,000-square-foot gateway building will house administration, counseling, mental health support, college and career services and a library, along with 13 classrooms and collaborative learning spaces. Photo courtesy of Folsom Cordova Unified School District

Music Director Kevin Sims, who has been at the school for 32 years, offered the perspective of someone who has watched generations of Lancers pass through the school.

“We’ve always had caring principals, and the students have always come first,” Sims said. “In recent years, it seems there’s been even more attention and support for students, so they can come out of high school with the best step forward.”

At the same time, Cordova High’s next chapter is becoming physically visible.

Heavy demolition of the old C Wing and administration buildings is underway for a two-story, 45,000-square-foot gateway building. The new facility will house administration, counseling, mental health support, college and career services and a library, along with 13 classrooms and collaborative learning spaces.

“When this building opens it will be a hub for our campus,” Strawn said, bringing resources students currently travel between buildings to access “under one roof.”

The project, expected to be completed for the start of the 2027-28 school year, is the first major secondary school initiative funded through Measure S, the $144 million bond Rancho Cordova voters approved in 2024.

But in the midst of construction, new branding and schoolwide activities, Cordova High’s identity continues to come back to something less tangible. Whether the people walking its halls feel connected to the place and to one another.

Buildings will change. Students will graduate. New Lancers will arrive.

The challenge behind “Lead the Charge” is carrying the part that makes Cordova High feel like Cordova High with them.