After breaking ground just over one year ago, the newest school that will serve Folsom’s south side is ready for the arrival of its first students next week. Alder Creek Elementary School in Folsom Ranch has risen from mere dirt to a completed state-of-the-art facility within the Folsom Cordova Unified School District (FCUSD).
Nestled in the well-populated Folsom Ranch neighborhood at 4545 Old Ranch Way, Alder Creek Elementary hosted its official ribbon-cutting Friday morning, just days before the FCUSD begins the 2024-25 school year on August 8. The event welcomed hundreds of new students who will be the first “Coyotes” to call the halls, classrooms, and playgrounds their home school.
Friday’s ceremony drew government leaders and representatives from the city, county, and state levels, leadership and staff from FCUSD, and members of the community, many of them parents who will have children attending the school, to celebrate its addition to the city and the school district.
Designed by Rainforth Grau Architects, this is the second elementary school to serve the rapidly growing area of Folsom. Nearby Mangini Ranch Elementary opened in 2021 for grades TK-5. The new facility is similar in design and construction to the neighboring Mangini.
Alder Creek’s design consists of an 80,000-square-foot, two-story building that is visually stunning from roof to floor and wall to wall. The school has space for future expansion as the community demands it and is currently ready to host 764 students ranging in grades TK through 5. The state-of-the-art school is surrounded by a campus that accommodates a sports field along with several asphalt recreation and play areas, including basketball courts and open areas for outdoor activities.
Construction of the facility was funded partially by a combination of Measure M Bond funds along with state funds, general obligation bonds, and developer fees associated with the Folsom Ranch development.
Friday’s ribbon-cutting was the first such FCUSD event for Erik Swanson in his new role as Superintendent of FCUSD. Swanson officially took the leadership role on July 1 after the retirement of longtime Superintendent Dr. Sarah Koligian. Koligian was also on hand for the event, and both leaders in education addressed the crowd.
“I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to our board of trustees, all of our parents and our educators, our city officials, our architects, our builders, and our own FCUSD amazing facilities and maintenance and operation teams for making sure that an ambitious vision was created into this work of art that is behind me today,” said Swanson. “So many things have to go right for a community to be able to celebrate such a great facility, but what’s most important about the facility is thinking about all of the young people who are going to start and continue to chase their dreams while learning at this school, not only in this next year, but for many, many years to come.”
As he wrapped up his first such address in his new role, Swanson credited the previous leadership and everyone involved for their hard work over the last several years and months that led up to the completion of Alder Creek Elementary.
“I’m very confident we wouldn’t all have this opportunity if it wasn’t for the incredible leadership and stewardship of the recently retired Dr. Sarah Koligian,” he said.
As she took the microphone, Koligian also expressed much gratitude to the various contributors that made the facility a reality. She reflected on significant milestones, including the groundbreaking ceremony in May 2023 and the beam-raising event, and noted the importance of community involvement and the impact of education on society.
“We did a beam raising and signing ceremony… and it signified that the tallest foundation piece had been laid safely by the collective efforts of the men and women from the different trades that made this school a reality, that was a very special and significant event,” she said. “We also got to affix a tree, an evergreen tree, at the top of that beam, and you might say, well, what’s the significance of a tree? Well, the tree, according to what I learned at that time, signifies growth and endless opportunities, and that education really is the bedrock for a thriving society,” shared Koligian.
“We’ve got a beautiful school, but the most important piece is how we measure the success of this school today, a year from now, and in the future, is what happens within these four walls,” she added. “And what happens within these four walls happens because of the people and the relationships that are happening here. It happens with the youth of our community, our families, our teachers, our support staff, our leadership, our district team, and that’s where the magic is going to continue to happen.”
Sara Parenzin is the principal of Alder Creek Elementary. During Friday’s ceremony, she emphasized the importance of community involvement and invited families to join in the mission to educate and empower students of the new school, praising its open-concept design that promotes collaboration, with ecosystem-themed graphics throughout its wings. She encouraged everyone to get involved with the many school activities ahead and cited the school’s administration for having a heart for educating.
“Over the past seven months, I’ve had the extreme honor and challenge of putting together an all-star team of educators and support staff who have a heart for students, a heart for service, and who are all exceptional in their craft,” said Parenzin. “I’m confident that we’ve built a team and a culture where the students and families of Alder Creek can grow and thrive. I want to invite you as community members and families to partner with us in our mission and vision to educate and empower lifelong learners.”
Folsom City Mayor Mike Kozlowski, an architect by trade, was on hand Friday, sharing his thoughts on the new facility from the perspectives of both of his professional roles. He explained the unique and significant role of elementary school buildings in children’s lives. Kozlowski reflected on his own memories of elementary school, highlighting how kids spend a substantial amount of time in these buildings, forming lasting memories, and praised the district for its excellent education, which helps attract businesses and families to the city.
“As mayor of the city of Folsom, the school district is magnificent. It makes my job really easy to help attract businesses and new families to town because we have all kinds of amenities, but most importantly, we deliver amazing, excellent education from our school district,” he said. “This is the place where your kids will make lifelong friendships and you parents, you will make lifelong friendships with the other parents that are here. Take advantage of that. That’s how we build a strong community here in Folsom is by knowing each other and working together and making our kids strong and smart.”
While Alder Creek is the second school in a short amount of time to be built, it is not the last school planned for the south of 50 plan area of Folsom in the coming years. By the time the Folsom Ranch Development is fully complete, if all goes as planned, the city will have several additional schools, including a third public high school and middle school and a total of five elementary schools.
All of the area schools will be funded by a combination of entities, including state funds, future general obligation bonds, and developer fees. The Folsom Cordova Unified School District Board of Directors is currently working with city leaders in both Folsom and Rancho Cordova to determine and finalize future timelines, design, and most importantly, financial needs for facility growth in the district that will require additional school campuses to serve both the Folsom and Rancho Cordova communities, where the populations continue to grow at a steady pace.
The Folsom Cordova Unified School District’s current boundaries include the cities of Folsom and Rancho Cordova, both of which adjoin Highway 50. Folsom’s population is currently approximately 82,000, similar to Rancho Cordova’s population of approximately 81,000. The district and the two cities have also continued to research the possibility of splitting the district one day. Photos by Bill Sullivan & FCUSD.
Watch the entire Alder Creek event and tour HERE.
