Dear Friends and Neighbors,
On November 11, 1989, I was a little girl in Laguna Beach when thousands of our neighbors walked Laguna Canyon Road together. They walked out to the canyon because they believed something precious was worth protecting. I remember who was there. It was the families from my street. It was my teachers, the shop owners downtown, and the parents of my friends. I walked that road beside my mom and dad, my sister in our mother’s arms.
The walk was only the beginning. The next year, Laguna went to the ballot box and passed a bond to protect that land, with nearly 80 percent voting yes. Today the canyon is still there. It is there because ordinary people showed up, and then showed up again to vote.
That day never left me. Years later, as a mom with children in our schools, I felt that same pull. So I sat down with a small group of parents who love our schools as much as I do. Together we formed Families Unified for Education in Laguna, or FUEL. We started it because we wanted our advocacy to contribute to and protect our schools and public education. We wanted to show up, read the documents, ask thoughtful questions, and help find solutions.
Over the past two years, so many of you have shown up alongside us. You came to meetings. You spoke up for our students, teachers, and staff. That is the same Laguna spirit I felt on the canyon road as a child. Now it is time to carry it to the ballot.
Joan, Shaheen, and Kimberly for School Board
Each of these women brings something different. Joan brings deep experience in education and policy. Shaheen brings years of parent and community leadership in our schools. Kimberly brings executive and organizational leadership. Together, they cover the full picture of what a strong school board needs.
They have also earned the endorsement of Laguna Beach Teachers & Staff. The people who know our classrooms best are standing behind them.
Together, they are focused on what comes next for our district:
Students and academic excellence first
Respect for teachers and their expertise in the classroom
District spending focused on students and classrooms
Responsible financial leadership
Trust, collaboration, and stability
Why it takes all three
Our School Board has five members. Three seats are on the ballot this November. Three votes is what it takes to set priorities, approve a budget, and see a plan through. One or two new voices can raise good ideas. Three can carry them forward.
Joan, Shaheen, and Kimberly will not agree on everything, and they should not. They will each think for themselves. What they share is a commitment to listen, to work with our teachers and staff, and to put students first. With all three, LBUSD can move into a new chapter of stable, steady leadership.
Mark, Sue, and Alex for City Council
The same spirit that saved the canyon is alive at City Hall. Over the past two years, we have seen how closely the future of our schools and the future of our town are connected. From the beginning, Mayor Mark Orgill, Sue Kempf, and Alex Rounaghi have listened to Laguna Beach families and made sure our voices were at the table. That is why FUEL is proud to endorse them.
Wildfire safety. In a town surrounded by wildland, fire safety is personal. This council has expanded our outdoor warning system, updated our evacuation plans, and added helicopter refilling stations to fight fires faster. After years of work, the power lines along Laguna Canyon Road are going underground. The canyon our community walked to save in 1989 is safer because of their work. That experience in important for our schools too. As our district works to make our campuses more fire-resistant, it can draw on everything the City has learned. Leaders who value that partnership are a real resource for our kids.
Our emergency room. Protecting Laguna’s emergency room is at the top of our list. Mark, Sue, and Alex are already deep into this complicated work. For a town with busy beaches, steep trails, and wildfire risk, minutes matter. There is too much at stake to lose momentum or experience now.
Partnership for kids and families. When we asked what they would do for Laguna families, all three put kids at the center of their answers. They want parks, fields, and play spaces designed with families in mind. They want to grow recreation, arts, and community programs that connect our kids to Laguna’s culture and environment. They want the City and our school district working more closely together on places like the pool, The Promenade, and our playgrounds. And they want parents to have a real voice in the decisions that shape our neighborhoods. These are the places where Laguna kids grow up.
Support Mark Orgill, Sue Kempf, and Alex Rounaghi so they can continue this work.
Yes on Measure A
Our Laguna Beach schools are among the best in the state. But many of our school buildings were built between 1930 and 1968, and they are showing their age. Last year alone, there were a dozen roof leaks. Old cast iron pipes are causing water leaks, gas leaks, and sewage backups. Outdated wiring cannot support the labs and technology our students need today.
Measure A repairs and upgrades our schools without raising taxes. It will:
Replace deteriorating roofs, plumbing, and electrical systems
Upgrade older buildings to meet current health and safety standards
Modernize labs and career tech to prepare students for college and careers
Strengthen wildfire protection with fire-rated walls, doors, windows, and roofs
That last point is a critical factor for all of us. All four of our schools sit in a high-severity wildfire zone.
Measure A also helps Laguna secure millions in state matching funds. Without it, that money goes to other communities. Every dollar stays local, with independent oversight and annual audits to make sure funds are spent as promised.
In 1990, Laguna chose to invest in the canyon for the generations to come. Measure A is that same choice for our schools. We encourage you to vote Yes on A.
Learn more at safemodernlagunaschools.com
Your ballot
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3. If you have your mail ballot, please drop it off this week.
Joan Malczewski, Shaheen Sheik-Sadhal, and Kimberly Smith for School Board
Mark Orgill, Sue Kempf, and Alex Rounaghi for City Council
Yes on Measure A
Let us walk hand in hand, together again.
With love for this town, our neighbors, and our future,
Emily Rolfing
FUEL President, on behalf of the FUEL board
