This rapidly-growing Sacramento suburb is getting its first new school in a decade

Folsom residents will soon see the first school built south of Highway 50.

For the first time in a decade, Folsom Cordova Unified School District is building a new school. Mangini Ranch Elementary School will open for the 2021-22 school year, in time to welcome students moving into the new housing developments in Folsom.

School board members, community leaders and new residents gathered at the school construction site Wednesday morning to celebrate and break ground.

The school will be the first of five new elementary schools, one middle school and one high school planned for Folsom Ranch. The K-5 school boasts a two-story single building design, a first for the district.

Folsom Cordova Unified Superintendent Sarah Koligian said the new school was in part thanks to taxpayers, school and city officials and Measure M, which provided $750 million in bonds voted for in 2006 to construct new schools.

Ishan Purohit, who moved from Folsom across Highway 50 in November, said he is excited for his 2-year-old son to eventually start classes in a new school, with new amenities.

“That was a big plus for us buying here,” Purohit said of the newly developed area just off the East Bidwell exit on Highway 50.

Rob Plannette moved from Sacramento’s Tallac Village in October 2018. His 3-year-old son Ryder will start kindergarten at Mangini Ranch Elementary in three years. Plannette said the new school was one of the main selling points when his family of four purchased the home.

“It’s a neat community that we are building,” Plannette said. “We have great neighbors and it’s starting to get a small, little community feel, which is really nice. We hope to meet all the kids before they even go to school here.”

The school was named after the Mangini family, who once owned the land and used it for seasonal cattle grazing.

Thousands of acres of former ranch land is being developed to build more than 11,000 homes. By the end of the 25-year construction timeline, the new 25,000 residents will increase Folsom’s population by a third.

“It feels pretty darn good to be standing here today in an area that not too long ago was unincorporated Sacramento County and say welcome to Folsom,“ said Folsom Mayor Sarah Aquino.

This story was originally published February 12, 2020 at 1:49 PM.