Parents and staff at Briggs Fundamental told the Chino Valley Unified School District board on May 1 they are alarmed by wait lists, staffing changes and messaging that discourage families from applying to the school of choice. Superintendent Dr. Brian Enfield responded with enrollment counts and said he would not recommend closing Briggs.

Several Briggs parents and students described confusion and concern about whether the site would accept transfers. "Can you explain the transfer policies and how they align with the district's commitment to providing educational opportunities for all students?" asked Lindsey Davidson, a parent, who said qualified students were being waitlisted and denied enrollment. Student Lupita asked the board "to not separate the family we have between the students and teachers at Briggs" and warned that combo classes would harm students.

Superintendent clarification: Dr. Enfield addressed the meeting directly, giving numbers from the transfer lists and explaining the district's caution about forming combination classes. He said, in part, that there are "12 kindergartners" on the late list and "5 first graders," and that combining those could create a K-1 combo class that could persist for years. He added there were 15 fifth graders across the lists and 21 sixth graders (10 late + 11 original), which could form a 5-6 combo class. On the question of closure, Enfield was explicit: "I've never had any intentions of closing it. And as the superintendent, I would never make that recommendation to the board to close a Briggs school."

District practice and timing: Enfield explained the district imposes a temporary transfer freeze while schools finalize class rosters for the coming year and that an exception was made to allow Briggs' principal to review late transfer applications and decide whether to accept students and create combos. He advised principals to weigh the long-term consequences of establishing combination classes because they can carry forward for several years.

Why it matters: Briggs is a school of choice that relies on inter- and intra-district transfers. Parents and staff said inconsistent messaging and perceived staff cuts threaten the school's quality and reputation. Teacher Sarah Palmer said the district's staffing changes and class mergers risk undermining the California Distinguished School recognition Briggs recently received.

Next steps and board direction: Board members encouraged parents to work with the site principal and district staff. The superintendent said staff had made an exception to review late transfers for Briggs and will work with the principal to determine whether to accept students and how to staff any resulting combination classes.

Ending: Parents and staff asked for continued transparency and for the district to support Briggs in a way that preserves program quality rather than creating unstable class groupings.