When it comes to deciding who gets a voice on the school board, the rules are clear: “Board members…shall be elected by all voters in the district.” These aren’t my own rules; this is the direct phrasing of the Laguna Beach Board of Education’s bylaws, which clearly state that the powers of board members are derived from the voters of Laguna Beach. Despite this, the majority of the School Board, led by Board President Jan Vickers, thinks that the only four votes that matter are their own. After voters re-elected Dee Perry to her position on the school board in 2018, the school board voted 4-1 to create a covert four-person subcommittee including everyone but member Perry, leaving her out of the conversation and unable to perform the basic functions of her job. Perry is a strong representative who is committed to increasing transparency and representing her constituents on the Laguna Beach School Board. But more importantly, she has a right to the same information, access, and responsibilities as other board members because the voters of Laguna Beach gave her these rights when they elected her. In our school system, students are given a set of rules, and are expected to follow them. All we are asking is that the Laguna Beach School Board, and Board President Jan Vickers, follow the same principle.
Katy Ward, Laguna Beach
