Letter: LBUSD Facilities Improvement Plan Lacks Foresight

The recent LBUSD high school “facilities improvement plan” reflects a lack of foresight, and consideration for community or prioritization of student education by district leadership. It smells of “shiny object syndrome.” What else is going on in schools and city council? Does it make sense? This project should foreshadow potential litigation against the district regarding impacted property values. This megadevelopment project’s, relative to its neighborhood, best suited for community development or a regional park.

Improvements are needed, including pool repairs, but consider remodeling to become CIF compliant, which only requires an additional 5 meters. Build a second community pool elsewhere. Was it considered or studied? Proposing a 50-meter pool “shiny object” while district leadership deceives the community, pushing through excessive parking and district office space with pretty ocean views, give a “claim to fame” for leadership involved while feigning respect to the water polo legacy.

With respect to that legacy, and as a parent of a national level and 2015 CIF winning swimmer, weren’t we known as “artists,” Shouldn’t its legacy, the Artist Theater be “Broadway quality”? Laguna has generated Olympic, D1, D2, D3, community college, semi-pro and even pro and Major League athletes playing volleyball, baseball, basketball, tennis, ice hockey, figure skating, and equestrians. All trained out of town, as did many water polo players. Why the pool? Why now with Laguna Beach property occupancy at approximately at 50% full-time, enrollment and test scores declining?

Board Clerk Kelly Osborne reminded the panel that renovation of the district office was not met with much enthusiasm when the plan came to the board in 2021. She embraced the idea of the pool being a “linchpin” for the facilities master plan. A massive new district office and two-story parking structures.

Leveraging neighborhoods’ existing quality of life for tourist parking and major weekend events and tournaments? When do the needs of the residents and our students take priority? Parking fees and community events generate funding understood, but so do quality shops, restaurants, entertainment, varied resident and rental profiles and bed tax. Working with the city and residents to embrace development and improve views and safety with underground utilities in town and canyon. Improve schools, embrace small enrollment, lean into small classes and excellent academic options. Working with all interests, changing the tone of our community, encouraging reasonable property refurbishment where relevant, and a manageable compromise for new development is a better use of community-funded education dollars and taxpayer bonds than a 50-meter pool. This “starting point” should be the “end of the road” and not just for the plan but anyone that proposed it.

Sheri Morgan, Laguna Beach