The LBUSD facilities improvement plan has me wondering about the purpose of public education in Laguna Beach and what it means to be a good neighbor.
On the first point, in an economy where the skills for high-wage jobs emphasize numerical literacy, creativity, collaboration, and technical aptitude, the bulk of the facilities improvement would center on space for developing these foundational skills. When I looked at the initial proposal, I was struck by the overall amount (>$100M) and the biggest line items: an aquatic center, parking lot, and administrative space at the HS. I worked in higher education and watched as institutions invested massive capital in auxiliary facilities (student centers with lazy rivers) to attract students. The outcome was rising tuition and the existential crisis of student debt we see today.
This leads me to my second question about what it means for LBUSD to be a good neighbor. Dropping facilities designed to bring more traffic on a year-round basis into one of the few neighborhoods where I would guess there is a high percentage of year-round residents seems ill-advised. Maybe residents near the high school have asked for a parking solution, but letters in this publication suggest that’s not the case.
The first draft of the proposal reads like a wish list vs. a mission-based investment plan. Taxpayers invested in me, and I am willing to do the same. I just want to be sure we’re investing in a disciplined and purposeful way.
Chris Hall, Laguna Beach
