We, the undersigned CNUSD parents, families, students, alumni, and community members, ask the CNUSD Board of Education to preserve the established Lincoln Fundamental → Corona Fundamental Intermediate School (CFIS) pathway as it considers intermediate school realignment.

We recognize that CNUSD is facing declining enrollment and that the District must evaluate how its intermediate schools are utilized. However, we believe solutions to those challenges should preserve successful academic pathways, provide stability for families, and keep student cohorts together whenever possible.

Lincoln families have invested in both an IB education and a long-standing school community with an established transition to CFIS. The Lincoln → CFIS relationship existed long before Lincoln became an IB school and has been relied upon by families for many years. Generations of Lincoln students have continued on to CFIS, creating a consistent pathway that families understand and value when choosing Lincoln.

Disrupting that pathway would affect not only where students attend school, but also their academic continuity, peer relationships, and the expectations families considered when selecting Lincoln. Students who have learned and grown together throughout elementary school should have the opportunity to continue along a common path into intermediate school.

CNUSD has identified equitable access to programming and connected feeder patterns that allow cohorts of students to stay together as they grow among its goals for the realignment process. Preserving the Lincoln → CFIS pathway is consistent with those objectives.

Many Lincoln families were unaware that this long-standing pathway was under consideration until late in the process. Changes of this significance should be supported by clear analysis, transparent communication, and meaningful opportunities for affected families to provide input before decisions are made.

We support expanding educational opportunities for all students and understand the need to address enrollment challenges. However, those goals should not come at the expense of a successful and established pathway that has served Lincoln families well for many years.

We respectfully ask the Board to preserve the established Lincoln → CFIS pathway, maintain student cohorts, and provide Lincoln families with a clear, stable, long-term plan before considering any changes that would alter that relationship.

Keep the pathway. Keep the cohort. Keep Lincoln strong.