El Morro Elementary School is one of only 312 public schools out of 85,000 nationwide just honored by the U.S. Secretary of Education. Thirty schools honored came from California, a state with over 10,000 public schools.
Recognition of El Morro reminds us our small-town school system is blessed with four campuses where excellence is not just about per student annual spending or trendy technology.
The miracle of discovery and learning happens because skilled teacher-directed classroom experience empowers positive discipline and creativity, fostering individual and shared achievement.
Public school socialization supports development parents nurture and direct in family and community settings. School life and governance model growth in personal and civic values for students.
Fair and non-discriminatory exercise of civic authority in the school setting enriches quality education. Without civic literacy, education is incomplete, leaving students less prepared for successful citizenship.
It’s no surprise parents, teachers and students mastering civics of successful schools are making physical and emotional safety for all a more pronounced priority.
Since 2004, we have advocated a new safety paradigm districtwide. Progress made is welcome, but too little too slowly. Accordingly, we support El Morro parents seeking full incorporation into the city, serving purposes not limited to equal operational equivalence in city police protection.
Intensified joint operations between LBPD and the OC Sheriff’s Department as agency of jurisdiction. That interim measure doesn’t mitigate need for the city to address annexation.
An LBPD School Resource Officer (SRO) anchored at El Morro seems imperative. A second SRO would enhance community policing capability at all four campuses, reducing elevated risk at El Morro.
The SRO program is about deterrence, but also student well-being. Our children understand the threat, and deserve to know adults are in charge, with the means to protect them. The SRO is a positive civics lesson in itself.
The city generously funds primary costs for the current SRO based at LBHS. LBUSD should be as generous as needed—as in whatever it takes—to deploy a second SRO without delay. Cutting some central administration fat to get this done now wouldn’t hurt.
The community asks schools to sustain education excellence. El Morro and our other schools are asking the community for excellence in school safety.
For all our students, teachers, school employees and families, we can do no less.
Howard Hills & Lura Alokoa Hills, Laguna Beach
