A community waiting for answers
The LBUSD Superintendent Transition: What We Know
Dear FUEL Community,
Since the May 12 and May 14 board meetings, we have heard from hundreds of parents, educators, alumni, and community members. The response has been overwhelming, and it has reinforced what we already knew: this community cares deeply about its schools.
Over the past two weeks, we have spent our time listening, researching, and reviewing what has been shared with us. We are sharing what we have learned because transparency matters, and because this community deserves to understand how we arrived at this moment.
Important Note - Let's show up together this Thursday, June 4. We are asking this board for transparency and proper process, and we have the chance to do exactly that when the meeting turns to board business.
A Pattern That Led to This Moment
What happened on May 12 and May 14 did not come out of nowhere. For 18 months, this board majority has made consequential decisions to consolidate power with minimal public input, or in direct disregard of it. Requests for transparency have been met with silence. Actions that belong in open session have happened in closed session.
What many parents, staff, and community members are reacting to is not one decision. It is the cumulative weight of 18 months of governance that has moved away from transparency and toward unilateral control. This has been the pattern of the board majority.
Three superintendents and a CTO have departed. The board majority granted the board president sole control of agendas. Public comment was pushed to the end of meetings for four months. Legal costs have increased significantly. Staff unions issued a vote of no confidence, and teachers marched publicly for the first time in four decades.
The concern is that, taken together, these actions have eroded trust across a wide cross-section of this community, a loss of trust that came into sharp focus over the course of 48 hours.
Superintendent Instability
On May 12, the board majority voted 3-2 to end Dr. Glass's tenure at a special meeting called with 24 hours notice. Ten months into a four-year contract. In closed session. The separation agreement is now a public record.
Forty-eight hours later, on May 14, the same majority voted 3-2 to appoint a permanent new superintendent, Don Austin, at another special meeting. Also in closed session. An interim superintendent was installed in the same window.
Three superintendent positions were decided on during back-to-back closed-session decisions, with no public search, no posted selection criteria, and no community input. Just under one year earlier, Dr. Glass was hired through a four-month nationwide search that included stakeholder engagement and a documented process consistent with Board Policy 2120. This time, that level of transparency was absent. The community was given no meaningful role in one of the most important decisions a school board can make.
And then this. At 6:02 p.m. on May 14, Board President Morgan sent a fully drafted press release from her district email account with the instruction: "For immediate release." That email is public record and includes direct quotes from both President Morgan and Dr. Austin.
Twenty-seven minutes later, families received a ParentSquare message announcing the new superintendent while many were still arriving to speak during public comment. The timeline speaks for itself, and it is difficult to see how this outcome was not predetermined.
This is how President Morgan and the board majority are governing our district: major decisions emerge suddenly, move quickly, and are approved by the same three-vote majority with little transparency or public involvement. How did President Morgan move with such confidence to think her press release would mirror a closed session deliberation?
A Community In The Dark
This is not about Don Austin. He comes from a long tenure in Palo Alto and has a history in LBUSD schools, and some in Laguna Beach remember his previous service fondly and are genuinely excited to see him return. At the same time, we have heard concerns from members of the Palo Alto community based on their own experiences, and his departure there has been the subject of public reporting. These are not reasons to prejudge anyone. They are exactly the kinds of questions a transparent search would have allowed our community to weigh openly.
Because the board majority bypassed a public search, the community was denied the chance to understand how this decision was made. Were multiple candidates considered? Were qualifications and selection criteria established and documented? Was a formal recruitment process conducted? When did discussions with Dr. Austin begin? How was he identified as the sole candidate?
There is a deeper question the board has never answered: not how Dr. Austin was chosen, but why this transition was necessary at all. No public reason was ever given for ending Dr. Glass's tenure. We do not know what the board was asking of him, what he was or was not willing to do, or what need this sudden change was meant to address, because the reasoning has remained behind closed doors. The community is being asked to accept a wholesale change in leadership without ever understanding what drove it.
That is unfair not only to the community, but also to Dr. Austin. A proper search would have given him the opportunity to earn the confidence of the broader community and begin his tenure with a strong foundation of trust. Instead, the board majority's approach has left unanswered questions where transparency and confidence should have been.
There is also the matter of timing. According to a settlement agreement obtained and reported by Palo Alto Online, Dr. Austin and the Palo Alto Unified School District Board of Education reached a mutual separation in February 2026, under which Dr. Austin continues to serve Palo Alto Unified as superintendent emeritus, a transitional advisory role, through June 30. His appointment in Laguna Beach is effective July 1. The community was given no opportunity to understand or ask about this through any public process.
President Morgan has cc’d FUEL on emails stating that Dr. Austin participated in last year's superintendent search but was not selected. If that is the case, what changed? A year later, the district and its needs are different. Rather than conducting a new search, the board majority presented the community with a decision and no explanation of how it was reached.
What Comes Next On June 4
The agenda for Thursday, June 4 shows the board working to formalize what it has already decided.
Before the board returns to closed session to negotiate and confirm the appointment, it has placed an open-session item, titled "Discussion and Applicability of Board Policy 2120." Board Policy 2120 is the district's own superintendent search policy. Discussing whether the policy "applies" is not the same as following it. Placing that discussion on the same agenda where the appointment is finalized, after the decision has already been made and announced, does not substitute for the process the policy requires.
From there, the agenda moves directly to the contracts. The board is asked to approve a contract for the interim superintendent and a contract for Dr. Austin. Neither contract is attached to the agenda for public review. The community is being asked to accept multi-year contracts for the people who will lead this district without being shown the salary, the length, the benefits, or the terms. On the same agenda, a routine technology labor contract and a long-range facilities plan are both posted in full. The two most consequential commitments are not.
Accountability Efforts Underway
Community members have taken independent action. FUEL did not file these. We share them because transparency matters.
A formal cure and correct demand was filed under the Brown Act calling on the board to rescind the Austin appointment and conduct a proper superintendent search. A comprehensive Public Records Act request was filed seeking records about the hiring process, conflict of interest disclosures, the Glass separation, and the original unedited recording of the May 14 meeting. Additional written demands have been submitted by community members citing policy violations and requesting transparency. These items along with other concerns have been shared with us and we believe it is our responsibility to share them with you. The board has not publicly acknowledged or addressed the concerns these filings raise.
A Failure of Governance
Perhaps none of these actions will change the decisions that have already been made. But that is not the point. The point is that a high-performing district like Laguna Beach should not find itself in a position where parents, staff, and community members feel compelled to file legal demands simply to obtain answers, enforce transparency, or insist that established policies and procedures be followed.
Strong boards do not operate at the edge of legal boundaries. They do not disregard their own policies. They do not repeatedly shut out the communities they were elected to serve. The responsibility to change course does not rest with parents, staff, or community members. It rests solely with the board majority.
FUEL will continue to hold them accountable. We will do it with facts, documentation, and the voices of the community they were elected to serve. Thank you to every parent, educator, staff member, alumnus, and community member who has engaged, asked questions, shared information, and helped us do this work. We are grateful to stand alongside you. There is real work ahead to restore transparency and trust in this district, and we intend to do it alongside you.
Board Meeting Thursday June 4
First Closed Session 4:30 p.m.
Pre-Recognition Entertainment 5:30 p.m.
Recognition 6:00 p.m.
First Open Session Follows Recognition
Second Closed Session Follows
Second Open Session Follows
Thurston Middle School Library, 2100 Park Avenue, Laguna Beach
The business portion of the meeting, including the discussion of Board Policy 2120, Facility Master Plan Updates, and the votes on the superintendent contracts, follows the recognitions.
Join Us
Wednesday, June 3 - LBUSD Elementary Recognitions at Thurston Middle School
Thursday, June 4 - LBUSD Secondary Recognitions and Board Meeting at Thurston Middle School
FUEL at the Laguna Beach Farmers Market - Come say hi or sign up to volunteer! Sign Up Here
Follow along on Social Media
Instagram: @FUELLaguna
Facebook: @FUELLaguna
Reach out to info@fuellaguna.org with questions, connections, or to grab a coffee!
Put up a FUEL Yard Sign - Get yours here
FUEL Statement on the Interim Superintendent and Permanent Superintendent
On May 14 the LBUSD Board Majority made two of the most consequential decisions a school board can make entirely behind closed doors. In closed session, the board appointed Manoj Roychowdhury as interim superintendent and voted 3-2 to approve a contract naming Don Austin as the next permanent superintendent of LBUSD, effective July 1. No public notice. No community input. No opportunity for families, staff, or residents to weigh in on the single most important hiring decision a school board makes. FUEL documents what the timeline of a fully prepared press release sent 39 minutes after the closed session ended reveals about how this decision was made. This is not a commentary on Don Austin's qualifications. It is about a board that hides predetermined outcomes behind closed session procedures and calls it governance.
Dear FUEL Community,
FUEL Statement on the Installation of LBUSD Interim Superintendent and Permanent Superintendent
Tonight, the LBUSD Board majority made two of the most consequential decisions a school board can make, and they did it behind closed doors.
In closed session, the board voted to appoint Manoj Roychowdhury as interim superintendent. Then, in a 3-2 vote, they approved a contract naming Don Austin as the next superintendent of LBUSD, effective July 1.
No public notice. No community input. No opportunity for the families, staff, and residents of this district to weigh in on the single most important hiring decision a school board makes.
Here is what makes this worse.
The closed session ended around 5:50 PM. The next portion of the meeting began around 6:00 PM. At 6:29 PM, a ParentSquare message went out to the entire district community from the Board President.
That message was not a brief notice. It was a fully produced press release, complete with prepared quotes from Board President Sheri Morgan, prepared quotes from Dr. Austin himself, multiple paragraphs of background, and a media contact line listing Morgan's direct phone number and email address.
That press release was not written in 39 minutes. It was not written after the meeting. It was written before it.
What that timeline tells us is this: while the community was left completely in the dark, Board President Morgan was coordinating outside of closed session with the incoming superintendent to craft communications around a predetermined outcome. The vote was a formality. The decision had already been made.
We want to be clear about something. This is not a commentary on Don Austin's qualifications. His record speaks for itself and we wish him well. This is about how this decision was made, and what it reveals about how this board majority continues to operate.
Transparency is not optional. Stakeholder voice is not a courtesy. And a board that hides predetermined outcomes behind closed session procedures is not serving this community. It is controlling it.
FUEL will continue to document this pattern. We will continue to show up. And we will keep working toward a board that governs the way this community deserves.
November is coming. We hope to see many of you at the Farmers Market this Saturday.
With Resolve, FUEL Board
A Statement from FUEL | Families Unified for Education in Laguna
On May 12, in a 3-2 vote, the LBUSD Board Majority approved a mutual separation agreement with Superintendent Dr. Jason Glass, ending his tenure less than one year into his role. This is the third superintendent Laguna Beach Unified School District has lost in 18 months. FUEL responds with a direct statement on what this decision means for our district, our students, and our community. This outcome is not a surprise. It is the result of a pattern FUEL has been documenting since our founding. There is no version of a high-performing district where cycling through three superintendents in 18 months is considered normal, healthy, or sustainable. November cannot come soon enough.
We are devastated.
Tonight, in a 3-2 vote, the LBUSD Board Majority approved a mutual separation agreement with our Superintendent , Dr. Jason Glass, ending his tenure not even a year into the role. This marks the third superintendent our district has lost in just 18 months.
Dr. Glass came to this district exceptionally qualified for this role, with decades of experience leading large and complex school systems and a clear vision for the future of public education. Our hearts are with Dr. Glass, his wife, and his family tonight. They did not deserve this.
And sadly, this outcome is not a surprise. It is exactly what FUEL has been warning this community about since our founding. We have watched this board majority systematically consolidate control of this district one bylaw change, one closed session, one governance restructuring at a time. Teachers and staff have felt it. Families have witnessed it. Tonight was simply the clearest expression yet of where this has all been heading - they are dismantling our District.
There is no version of a high-performing district where cycling through three superintendents in 18 months is considered normal, healthy, or sustainable. Many in this community, even those who disagreed on other issues, had rallied behind Dr. Glass and saw in him a path toward stability, professionalism, and moving LBUSD forward.
Instead, this power-driven Board Majority has chosen continued chaos.
November cannot come soon enough.
With Resolve, FUEL Board
What is happening at LBUSD right now
A time-sensitive update from FUEL on a documented pattern of closed-session decisions at Laguna Beach Unified School District. Since January 2026, the agenda item Public Employee Discipline/Dismissal/Release has appeared in closed session six times, each time with no report out to the community. The board called a special meeting with less than 24 hours notice for May 12. FUEL also recaps the April 30 governance meeting, including the enrollment and interdistrict transfer discussion, the unanimous vote to approve a bond communications consultant, and the 4-1 vote to revise the ad hoc governance committee in a way that moves consequential decisions outside of public view. This update also includes a summary of Superintendent Glass's community benchmarking article showing LBUSD as the highest performing unified school district in Orange County.
Dear FUEL Community,
We are writing to you today with information that is time sensitive and consequential. Please read this in full.
A Pattern That Demands Attention
This district is at a critical moment. What we share below is not speculation. It is a documented pattern of decisions being made behind closed doors, without transparency, without a report out to the public, and without accountability.
In January 2026, this board majority conducted an unplanned superintendent evaluation in closed session. It was not on the regular evaluation schedule. It was not announced in advance. Since that time, the agenda item Public Employee Discipline/Dismissal/Release has appeared in closed session five times. Each time, the board has provided no report out to the public beyond a single standard dismissal. The community has been given no information about what was discussed, what was decided, or what action, if any, was taken.
This week, the board called a special meeting with less than 24 hours notice. (EDIT: This email was drafted prior to the agenda release at 1:30 p.m. on Monday 5/11) The agenda, released Monday afternoon for Tuesday’s special meeting, includes a closed session with Public Employee Discipline/Dismissal/Release on the agenda. Again. For the sixth time.
This is not routine.
A strong, stable, effective superintendent is one of the most important assets a school district can have. The research on this is not ambiguous. Districts that lose strong leadership mid-cycle face real and lasting consequences for students, staff, and community trust. We have watched this board work to incrementally reduce superintendent authority through bylaw changes and governance restructuring. We have watched closed session after closed session pass without a word to the public. We are deeply concerned about what this means for the future of LBUSD and for the students, staff, and families who depend on this district every single day.
Mark Your Calendar
Special Board Meeting: TOMORROW, May 12 | Closed Session: 2:30 p.m. | Open Session/Budget Study Session: 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. | LBUSD District Office, 550 Blumont Street
The agenda includes a closed session with a Public Employee Discipline/Dismissal/Release item followed by a budget study session. The public may submit comment electronically in advance.
Submit Public Comment for May 12 | Link to Agenda
If you can be there, be there. Your presence matters.
Regular Board Meeting: Thursday, May 14 | Open session begins at 6:00 p.m. | Thurston Middle School Library | Link to Agenda | Link to Public Comment Form
The board will hold two required public hearings: one on the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) for the year ending June 30, 2027, and one on the district budget for the same period. The draft LCAP reflects input through May 1 and will continue to be revised before final adoption in June. Your voice at this hearing can still shape the final plan.
Read the draft, submit feedback using the link below, and show up Thursday.
LCAP and Budget Information: lbusd.org/about/lcap | Submit LCAP Feedback
Farmers Market: Saturday, May 16 | Come find us at the Laguna Beach Farmers Market. Say hello, bring a neighbor, and learn more about what FUEL is working on. Sign up to Volunteer HERE.
How Are Our Students and Schools Doing?
Superintendent Glass published a detailed community article this week benchmarking LBUSD's performance across the district's three goals. It is worth reading in full. Here are the highlights.
On college and career readiness, LBUSD students scored 77.5% proficient in ELA and 72.1% in math on the 2025 state assessment, making LBUSD the highest performing unified school district in Orange County in both subjects and placing us in the top 4% of all unified districts in California. The Class of 2025 graduated at a 97.5% rate. 85% had already earned college credit before leaving our schools.
On social emotional outcomes, suspension rates have fallen from 2.9% in 2023-24 to 1.0% as of April 2026, well below both the state rate of 3.3% and the national rate. Chronic absenteeism climbed midyear and the district responded with targeted family outreach. It has come back down to 9.7% and remains a focus.
On safe and equitable schools, 90% of LBUSD 9th graders report feeling safe at school. Statewide that number is 58%. Achievement gaps for students with disabilities, English learners, and economically disadvantaged students remain a priority and the data shows real progress being made.
Dr. Glass is clear that strong results are not a reason to stop improving. The district is actively studying higher performing schools to learn from them.
April 30 Governance Meeting Recap
Enrollment and Interdistrict Transfers
This was a continuation item from April 16 and one of the most substantive conversations we have seen at a board meeting this year.
The data matters. LBUSD is at a 35-year enrollment low. The median age in Laguna Beach is 52.5. The birth rate is less than half the state average. Kindergarten classes of roughly 150 students are replacing graduating classes of roughly 220. This is not a cyclical dip. It is a structural demographic shift.
The proposal on the table is modest. It would expand interdistrict transfer eligibility to children of employees of designated community partners including the city, ECAD, and the College of Art and Design. The city component includes fire, police, and lifeguards. Both the city and ECAD have already expressed enthusiasm. Student board representatives Logan and Ivy spoke supportively. The board's direction was to proceed carefully and develop a comprehensive plan. No action was taken.
Bond Consultant Agreement
The board voted 5-0 to approve an agreement with Team CIVX for bond communications consulting. This is standard practice. The consultant's role is informational, helping shape a potential ballot measure based on community priorities. It is not advocacy. Once a measure is on the ballot the district steps back entirely. The board approves all final language and bond counsel will guide what can and cannot be said throughout the process.
The discussion was more complicated than the decision warranted. The unanimous vote reflected what the evidence supported.
FUEL's View: Our schools need investment and the community deserves a clear, honest picture of what that means. We support moving this forward.
Ad Hoc Governance Committee
The board voted 4-1 to revise the existing ad hoc governance committee, adopting a superseding document brought forward by Trustee Hills. Trustee Malczewski voted no.
Her objection was substantive and worth understanding. Her position is that governance discussions, particularly those touching on board bylaws and the structure of how this district operates, belong in public where the community can observe them as they unfold. The previous board reviewed bylaws annually in open public session. A committee that meets outside of public view and brings recommendations back to the board for a vote is a different model entirely.
This concern does not exist in isolation. We have now seen the arts committee, the transportation committee, and the facilities master plan committee all operate outside of public session and bring budget recommendations directly into the LCAP and budget cycle. Each of those committees did meaningful work. But the public had no window into the deliberations that shaped those recommendations. They arrived as finished packages that may be duplicating efforts happening at the District.
A governance committee operating the same way raises the stakes considerably. Bylaws are not programs. They are the rules that govern how everything else gets decided. And based on what was said openly in this meeting, part of the intent is to revisit the balance of authority between the board and the superintendent. Trustee Hills argued directly that under Ed Code 35161 the superintendent's authority derives from board delegation and that the board retains ultimate responsibility. That is a significant position with significant implications for how this district is run.
FUEL's View: We believe in community engagement and we value the work that community members put into these committees. But community engagement is not the same as public process. The community deserves to watch consequential decisions take shape, not just receive the finished product. We will be paying close attention to how this committee operates and whether its work remains visible to the people it ultimately affects.
Help Us Show Our Coalition
We believe this will be a consequential week for our district and its future. The decisions made in the next few days will have lasting implications for our students, our staff, and the community that has invested in these schools for generations.
We are asking you to show up in whatever capacity you can.
Join Us
Follow along on Social Media
Instagram: @FUELLaguna
Facebook: @FUELLaguna
Reach out to board@fuellaguna.org with questions, connections, or to grab a coffee!
Say hi at the Farmers Market on Saturday!
Thank you for your support!
LBUSD Board Meeting Recap: March 26 + April 9 Preview | FUEL Laguna
The March 26 LBUSD board meeting covered restorative practices, student wellbeing data, and a district communications plan that reflects strong staff work. El Morro Elementary showed remarkable student growth. Tonight, April 9, the board takes up a community bond survey, staffing and class sizes, and a governance committee review. FUEL breaks it all down.
This is FUEL's recap of the March 26 LBUSD school board meeting and a preview of tonight's April 9 meeting. FUEL attends every Laguna Beach Unified School District board meeting and publishes detailed recaps to keep the Laguna Beach community informed.
Dear FUEL Community,
Thank you for continuing to show up, stay informed, and share our work with your neighbors. Every board meeting matters, and so does every person who takes the time to read these recaps, meeting agenda emails, and support our work.
Scroll down for an important recap on the March 26 LBUSD Board Meeting. Watch the full meeting HERE. But first, here is what is on deck at tonight’s LBUSD Board Meeting:
TONIGHT - Thursday, April 9 at Thurston Middle School | Open Session 6:00 p.m. | Agenda | Link to Public Comment | Link to Watch. Please show up, watch live, or submit public comments.
Closed Session - Item 3C - Once again, the board will convene in closed session with an Employee Discipline/Dismissal/Release item on the agenda under Government Code § 54957. This will be the third consecutive meeting with this item along with the February 26 Superintendent Evaluation. As we have noted before, the law requires that actions taken in closed session be reported out to the public. We will be watching closely and we continue to expect transparency. Our community deserves to know what is being decided behind closed doors.
Presentation by Tim McLarney, True North, and Discussion of Community Bond Survey Results - Item 6A - The community has spoken and the feedback is positive. Survey results show that Laguna Beach residents are ready to support a bond measure that will benefit LBUSD students for generations to come. This is exactly the kind of civic investment our schools need, and our neighbors are telling us they are willing to make it. The board should feel the weight of that trust and respond accordingly by moving forward and putting this measure on the ballot. Let Laguna Beach residents and stakeholders use their voice and their vote.
District Communications Plan Continued - Item 7A - The communications plan returns for continued board discussion. As we note below, this work is strong and the team behind it deserves credit.
Staffing and Class Sizes Update - Item 8A - LBUSD is an elite school district, and part of what makes it exceptional is the quality and dedication of our staff and the learning environments they create every day for students with a wide range of needs. Small class sizes are valued. They are part of what makes this district so special. We trust our educators, we value their expertise, and we ask the board to protect the conditions that allow them to do their best work for every single student.
Governance Committee Review - Item 9A - The Ad Hoc Governance Committee was established with a clear and limited scope: review bylaws and policies for alignment with best practices. It was never meant to direct staff, negotiate language, or operate outside those boundaries. Tonight the board will revisit the committee's charge and membership, and that conversation is worth watching closely. Our concern is straightforward. A governance committee only works when the full board is functioning as one. That has not been the case. We will be paying attention to whether tonight's discussion moves this body toward greater cohesion and shared purpose, or further from it.
A Note at the Outset
The March 26 meeting started with President Morgan issuing a correction to a statement she made at the March 12 meeting. She had incorrectly indicated the board could move to closed session to restore order. She clarified the correct procedure is to clear the room if necessary, per Board Policy 9323. She then outlined behavioral expectations for attendees.
We also note that district legal counsel Jonathan Pearl (or another designee) is now present at every regular board meeting. We are noting this as a procedural change to how our meetings are being conducted.
Restorative Practices and the Healthy Kids Survey
Dr. Keller led this presentation, supported by Dr. Glass, walking the board through the district's approach to restorative practices and student wellbeing. He previously presented a similar presentation in the Fall. The data tells a strong story. LBUSD has achieved some of its lowest suspension rates on record. The framework in place ensures that every disciplinary situation is handled with a structured process designed to help students learn, repair relationships, and stay connected to school.
The Healthy Kids Survey data offered additional insight into how students across the district are feeling about their school experience. This is the kind of student-centered, evidence-based work that reflects well on our principals, teachers, and site staff. The work being done on our school campuses every single day is exceptional, and this presentation made that visible.
The board discussion was lengthy and covered ground that was already presented at the October board meeting.
FUEL's View: Dr. Keller and Dr. Glass presented thorough, well-supported work. The systems in place to support our students are working. We encourage the board to trust that data and move forward.
El Morro Principal Report: Dr. Julie Hatchel
Dr. Hatchel shared El Morro's mid-year progress and the results were remarkable. Students showed 26% growth in both English language arts and math on iReady assessments, nearly double what is considered strong growth. The school's student satisfaction score sits at 50, ten points above the excellent threshold. Over 60% of students are participating in the after-school program run through SchoolPower. El Morro is also in the running for a Gold Star School designation from the National Association of Elementary School Principals, with an announcement expected in May.
FUEL's View: The work happening at El Morro is a testament to what dedicated, student-centered leadership looks like. We celebrate Dr. Hatchel and her entire team.
District Communications Plan
Communications Manager Anakaren delivered a thorough presentation on the district communications plan, reflecting significant staff work to make information accessible across all platforms and community needs. It is clear this plan is comprehensive and constantly adjusting to the needs of students, their families, and the community. Discussion was tabled and will continue at the April 9 meeting.
FUEL's View: We commend Anakaren and the communications team for the quality of this work. The families of students currently enrolled in LBUSD are the district's most important audience. We ask that ensuring they have timely, relevant information about their children and the work happening in our schools remains the priority.
Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items
After four months of advocacy by FUEL and community members, President Morgan has placed 20 minutes of Public Comment on Non-Agenda items at the start of the past two meetings and has ensured that student voices are prioritized during that time. Speakers not heard in the first 20 minutes will have another opportunity at the end of the meeting. This is progress. Public comment is one of the most important ways community members can speak directly to their elected representatives. It needs to be protected, valued, and made as accessible as possible.
Closed Session
Once again, there was no report out of closed session, which included for the third meeting in a row, an item on Employee Discipline/Dismissal/Release - Government Code § 54957. As we noted in our last newsletter, our concern remains. Not only is it a legal requirement for actions taken in closed session to be reported out to the community but our community deserves to know what is being discussed and decided in those portions of our board meetings. We will keep asking for that transparency.
LBUSD Celebration of the Arts
All four school sites will be represented in the annual Celebration of the Arts at Laguna Beach High School on April 14, 2026 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. We hope to see you there. LBUSD Celebration of the Arts.
Support FUEL
Join Us at the Farmers Market - Saturday, April 18
Come say hello, grab some treats, and bring a neighbor!
Volunteer to join the FUEL team and share our message: LINK
Attend in person at the Thurston Middle School Library. Open Session begins at 6:00 p.m. - Join us in the room to see what occurs in our school board hearings. Help us be there and witness what occurs in full from the dias.
Follow along on Social Media
Instagram: @FUELLaguna
Facebook: @FUELLaguna
Reach out to board@fuellaguna.org with questions, connections, or to grab a coffee!
Thank you for your support!
See all Latest News HERE | FUEL | Families Unified for Education in Laguna | 501(c)(4) community advocacy | FUELLaguna.org
If You Want Facts About Our Schools, Start With the Families in Them
In January 2026, FUEL ran its first public advertisement in the Laguna Beach Independent and Stu News Laguna. The ad introduced FUEL to the broader community, explained why parents organized after the December 2024 school board meeting, and outlined what a 501(c)(4) structure allows FUEL to do on behalf of students and families. We are sharing it here as part of our permanent record.
This is FUEL's public introduction to the Laguna Beach community, originally published as an advertisement in the Laguna Beach Independent and Stu News Laguna in January 2026. FUEL (Families Unified for Education in Laguna) is a parent-led 501(c)(4) advocacy organization supporting accountable governance of Laguna Beach Unified School District.
