The Math Behind the Outrage

PUBLISHED BY LAGUNA BEACH INDEPENDENT ON MARCH 20, 2026

There has been a lot of noise around the “$1.77 million” health care issue in Laguna Beach Unified, and at this point, the number is being used more to inflame people than to inform them.

Yes, there was a real problem. For several years, the district failed to consistently apply the health care contribution formulas outlined in employee contracts. This issue should have been caught much sooner and needed to be corrected. No one disputes this.

However, the way this issue is being framed now is deeply misleading.

District staff brought this issue to public attention and commissioned an independent review. The review found a compliance and internal controls problem, but more importantly, did not find evidence of fraud, theft, or funds being “diverted.” These words are loaded and go far beyond what the actual record supports.

The main problem with the public conversation is the way the “$1.77 million” figure is being thrown around as if it tells the whole story when it does not.

$1.77 million is the total only from the years when the district paid more than the contract formula required, from FY23 to FY26. What keeps getting left out is that in FY21 and FY22, staff overpaid, so the district owed them. After completing the full reconciliation, the number brought forward for corrective action was $1.04 million. That is the figure the board acted on.

So no, this is not a case of “simple math” being ignored. It is a matter of people choosing the biggest number because it makes for a better scandal.

Context and honesty are important.

Teachers and staff did not create this problem. They selected plans from the available options based on the information provided. They should not be blamed for administrative mistakes they did not make, and they should not be turned into political punching bags because some people want to manufacture outrage.

While $1.04 million is significant, it represents a 6-year correction in a district with an annual general fund of approximately $85 million. Serious? Yes. Worth fixing? Absolutely. Proof of some sweeping conspiracy? No.

If this issue were truly as obvious and clear-cut as some claim, it would be fair to ask why a formal review and full reconciliation were necessary to determine the amount. The truth is less dramatic than the outrage campaign suggests: an administrative failure, not the scandal some people desperately want it to be.

We should require accountability, but the public also deserves accuracy, and right now that has been in short supply.

Erika Hennon Rule

LBUSD Parent

Aliso Viejo

SchoolPower and FUEL are not the same

PUBLISHED BY STU NEWS LAGUNA AND LAGUNA BEACH INDEPENDENT ON MARCH 20, 2026

SchoolPower has supported Laguna Beach public schools for 45 years. It was created at a time when the district faced significant financial need and, over decades, has evolved to meet the changing needs of LBUSD. Today the organization raises roughly $1 million each year to support programs and services that benefit children across the district.

At its core, SchoolPower exists for one reason – students.

The organization funds initiatives that help as many children as possible thrive. That includes Educator Grants for teachers, counselors, and administrators who want to bring new ideas to their classrooms and programs. It helps fund science camps so middle school families face less financial burden, and an Athletics Fund that supports middle and high school athletes so students can learn leadership, resilience and teamwork through sports.

SchoolPower also operates the district’s elementary after-school enrichment program (SPASE), serving nearly three-quarters of elementary students, and provides scholarships so families who need support can access these opportunities. Through the Family Resource Center, it also helps fund direct assistance for families in need. In short, it helps provide the wraparound support that many school districts simply cannot fund on their own.

I have served as a SchoolPower trustee for seven years and was president in 2023-2024, a role I’m incredibly proud to have held.

What many people do not understand is that SchoolPower does not direct the school district in any way. It has no authority over curriculum, staffing, academic decisions, or school-site operations. None. SchoolPower exists solely to support students and programs.

Trustees are parent volunteers who donate significant time and financial support because they believe in that mission. They spend countless hours in committee meetings, planning community events and finding new ways to grow programs that benefit our students.

Recently, a narrative has emerged suggesting that SchoolPower and FUEL are somehow connected. That is simply not true.

FUEL formed in response to concerns many parents had after the new school board majority took office at the end of 2024. It is a community advocacy effort focused on governance and the future direction of the district.

Is it surprising that some of the same parents involved in SchoolPower are also active in FUEL? Of course not. Laguna Beach is a small community. The parents who dedicate time and energy to supporting our schools tend to be the same parents who step forward when they believe the district needs engagement or advocacy.

But the two organizations are entirely separate. SchoolPower is a 501(c)(3), it does not engage in governance matters and simply receives periodic updates from school board representatives.

When hearing claims about organizations that support our schools, it is worth considering the source and whether they have any real experience or involvement with the organizations they are speaking about.

Parents who volunteer their time and resources to support public education are a strength of our community.

SchoolPower has been an extraordinary asset to Laguna Beach for nearly half a century. It reflects the best of what a community can do for its schools, and it remains something many of us are deeply proud to support.

Iva Pawling, SchoolPower Trustee and FUEL Board Member

Laguna Beach

Empathetic Citizens Are Built by Staff and Teachers

PUBLISHED BY LAGUNA BEACH INDEPENDENT ON MARCH 6, 2026

I want to thank the teachers, staff, and Dr. Glass for continuing to create a successful environment for our students, preschool through 12th grade. The LCAP midyear progress update is a useful reminder that real improvement is not flashy - it is steady and built by educators who put kids first every day.

At the February 12 board meeting, Dr. Glass paused to underscore how unusual it is to see this kind of movement at the halfway point of the year. Looking at the i-Ready shifts from the beginning of the year to midyear, he said, “That’s not good. It’s incredible.” He also noted that many districts would be thrilled to have this kind of progress at year-end and reminded the community that we still have half a year left, driven by the work happening in schools.

You can see that work in the data. For English learners, Tier 1 reading increased from 10% to 38% from fall to winter, and Tier 1 math increased from 16% to 31%. Across K through 8, fewer students are in the most intensive support category in both reading and math compared with the start of the year, which is what you want to see as interventions take hold.

At Laguna Beach High School, the progress shows up in access and opportunity. The district reported that 41% of students are enrolled in one or more CTE courses this year, and 21% have earned college credit at some point during high school.

The district’s student support system reported over 7,000 counseling contacts through January, including academic planning, crisis response, and social-emotional support. That is the behind-the-scenes work that helps students stay on track and get help when they need it.

This progress is happening because staff and teachers are putting our kids first every day. They are helping shape empathetic citizens who will carry what they learn here into our community and beyond. I appreciate Dr. Glass for publicly naming the progress, and I hope we keep backing the people who are making it real in our classrooms and on our campuses.

Erika Hennon Rule

LBUSD Parent, Aliso Viejo