To the editor,

As a Carrisa Plains Elementary (CPE) graduate, I’m deeply grateful for the community that raised me. Our 8th-grade graduation had just two students — and the turnout was enormous. Ranchers, neighbors, and former teachers, like Bob and Lillian McCumsey, gathered to celebrate. That tradition reflected a heritage shared by decades of students and community members before me. 

Today, families are working to restore grades 6–8 at CPE after years of 100-mile daily bus rides. Since February, members of the Carrisa Plains Parents, Teachers & Friends group have led a thoughtful, community-centered effort — securing donor support from local solar plants, obtaining a psychiatrist’s letter on the developmental toll of long-distance bussing, and presenting well-researched solutions to the AUSD Board, informed by input from experts at the California Department of Education.

This community is especially grateful to local news outlets for giving the effort visibility.

Recently, the AUSD Board acknowledged parent concerns and confirmed plans to form a new committee this August — under the leadership of incoming Superintendent Dr. Tom Bennett — to address those concerns.

At least two AUSD Board Members have deep ties to CPE. One’s children — and several relatives from a longtime farming family at the northern end of the plains — graduated 8th grade there. Another’s family owned the Chimineas Ranch at the southern end for nearly 40 years, with an earlier generation attending CPE along the way. That kind of legacy matters — and it can help guide thoughtful decisions moving forward.

This is a pivotal opportunity to reinvest in rural education — by returning grades 6–8 to CPE. With donor support, deep local roots, and clear data backing rural education, restoring the K–8 model in 2025–26 can be a defining act of equity — and true leadership.

Sincerely,

Gregory Nelson