LBUSD June Board Meetings Recap: Recognitions, Public Records, and What Comes Next
FUEL COMMUNITY UPDATE | June 2026
Dear FUEL Community,
The 2025 to 2026 school year has come to a close, and the final two board meetings of the year, on June 4 and June 8, gave us a great deal to celebrate alongside decisions that continue to raise important questions. As always, every point below is grounded in the public record.
Celebrating Our Students, Staff, and Schools
The June 3 and June 4 meetings were, first and foremost, a celebration. The board and district recognized an extraordinary range of student achievement across the arts, athletics, academics, and civic life, from work selected for community exhibitions to state and county recognition in theater and music, mathematics competitions, sustainability leadership, and the California State Seal of Civic Engagement. The evening also honored retiring staff and administrators whose careers span decades of service to this community.
To every student who graduated or promoted this year, congratulations. We cannot wait to see what you do in the world, and you have a whole community cheering you on. The talent, character, and commitment on display are a reflection of exceptional students, devoted staff, and a community that invests deeply in its young people.
Facilities Master Plan
At the June 4 meeting, the board received the 2026 Facilities Master Plan Update, a long-range roadmap developed over roughly six months by a committee of community members, district staff, and board representatives, with input from students. The plan identifies facilities needs across all four schools, the district office, and the district maintenance warehouse, with a total estimated cost for all priority projects of approximately $144 to $145 million in current dollars.
The committee identified no tier-one projects, meaning no facilities were found to require emergency action. District staff and the committee credited this to the strong, consistent maintenance our facilities receive. The plan is a living document. It does not commit funding to any single project. It positions the district to pursue state matching funds and other resources over the coming years, and it will be revisited annually.
FUEL appreciates the significant volunteer effort that went into this work and the thoughtful, transparent process the committee followed. This is the kind of open, community-grounded planning that serves our district well.
Dr. Austin's Contract and the Process Behind It
On June 4, the board approved a four-year contract for incoming Superintendent Dr. Don Austin on a 3 to 2 vote, at a $450,000 base salary effective July 1. As confirmed by a Public Records Act request, the contract was not publicly available before the vote. The community was forced to accept a permanent appointment before any contract could be reviewed.
An even more troubling concern is how the decision was made. At the June 4 meeting, Trustee Dr. Joan Malczewski stated on the record that she was not informed Dr. Austin was a candidate, and that the first time she heard his name was when she was presented with a motion to hire him in closed session on May 14, without any prior board discussion of process, negotiations, salary, or a start date. She asked repeatedly who had decided that the district's own search policy, Board Policy 2120, did not apply, and when. Those questions were not answered.
A sitting board member did not know the candidate was under consideration until the moment she was asked to vote. That is not a transparent search. It is a decision made behind closed doors and presented to the community, and the board, as final.
A Pattern the Community Is Pushing to Address
Over the past several weeks, FUEL has been copied on a series of formal items community members have submitted to the district: Public Records Act requests, cure-and-correct demands, and Brown Act objections, all raised through proper legal channels by residents seeking transparency about the superintendent transition. What stands out is not only their volume, but that they appear to have gone largely unaddressed by the board majority.
When residents must file records requests and formal demands simply to understand decisions that have already been made, and those efforts go unanswered, the result is uncertainty and instability. That is not abstract. It is a direct stressor on the staff, students, and families who depend on this district, and it pulls focus from the work that matters most. Our schools deserve governance that meets reasonable questions with openness rather than silence.
Here are the complaints filed, shared with FUEL in chronological order.
Public Records Act Request: Statements of Economic Interests and Related Records – May 18
Initial Response to Letter to cure and correct dated 5/29 - June 3
OCDA Referral Letter to LBUSD Attorney Pearl- Brown Act Allegations 2 - June 17
These filings speak for themselves. Most recently, the Orange County District Attorney's Office responded directly to the concerns raised.
On June 17, 2026, the Orange County District Attorney's Office confirmed in writing that it has received numerous Brown Act complaints concerning the circumstances of Dr. Glass's termination and Dr. Austin's hiring, along with the cure-and-correct demand submitted by community members. The District Attorney's office stated it was not opining on any potential violations at this time, and it encouraged the board to ensure the Brown Act's provisions are followed. It asked the district to respond with its proposed course of action within seven business days.
LCAP and Budget Approval
At the June 8 meeting, the board approved the Local Control and Accountability Plan for the coming year, the document that aligns district goals with spending and services. The discussion was substantial. Board members raised questions about parent and student engagement, about how families understand their children's progress, about social and emotional support programs and their measurable impact, and about civic engagement and school climate.
Several of these discussions touched on how the district communicates with families and how it ensures every student feels safe and supported. These are questions worth continuing to ask. FUEL will keep watching how the goals in the LCAP translate into practice over the coming year.
The Board Majority-Authorized Investigation of First Amendment Rights
At the June 8 meeting, the board reported that, during closed session, it had authorized an outside investigator to examine the rally that preceded the May 14 board meeting. The scope read aloud in open session, under Government Code section 54957(a), was to look into what occurred at the rally, whether safety protocols were followed, and whether the conduct, based on video and witness accounts, violated any board policies or applicable law.
The rally on May 14 was a peaceful and passionate gathering of parents, students, and community members expressing frustration with the board majority's decision to separate from Dr. Glass and to move forward with a new appointment within 48 hours. It was a public expression of civic engagement protected by the First Amendment, attended to by LBPD officers.
Members of the public at the June 8 meeting raised questions about how this matter was handled, including whether an investigation, deploying taxpayer dollars, should have been deliberated and authorized in open session.
Peaceful civic engagement is not something to be investigated. It is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy and an engaged community. FUEL will continue to follow this matter and will report what the public record shows.
Looking Ahead to November
FUEL's work continues into the 2026 election cycle. Our focus remains where it has always been, on transparency, accountability, and strong, stable leadership for our schools with students at the forefront.
Exciting things are happening and we look forward to bringing you along every step of the way. To get involved, visit FUELlaguna.org or reach out to us at Board@FUELlaguna.org.
For over a century, this community has shown up for its children. It has invested in its schools and understood that excellent public education is the foundation everything else is built on. That legacy was built by neighbors investing in neighbors, and it is worth protecting. FUEL will keep showing up, asking the questions that matter, and standing with the students, staff, and stakeholders who make these schools what they are. That is why we are here, and that has not changed. We look forward to the work we continue to do together.
With gratitude,
The FUEL Board
