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Board debates communication policy and public records posting; staff and public push back
Summary
Board members discussed Board Policy 1100 on communications and the district's comprehensive communications plan. Public commenters and staff urged civility and defended the communications team's work; the board scheduled a governance workshop in February to review policies including bylaws on board spokesperson roles.
Laguna Beach Unified School District trustees spent substantial time discussing Board Policy 1100 (communication with the public) and the district’s comprehensive communications plan, with several public commenters and staff urging respectful tone and clarity about how the district posts public records and reaches different community audiences.
Board member Morgan said the item was intended to ensure two‑way communication with the broader community — beyond parents — and raised questions about public records requests and whether the district had posted recent requests consistently. Morgan said the communications plan received by the board after the request was useful but asked for clarification on how the district will enable community members to opt in to topics and ensure prompt posting of public records responses.
Staff replied that maintaining a list of public records requests online is a courtesy rather than a statutory requirement; the superintendent’s office asked board members to send specific questions so staff can prepare recommended changes. Several public commenters, union leaders and staff defended communications staff. One staff member said the district “works our asses off” to prepare compliant agendas and urged the board to ask questions directly instead of agendizing broad criticisms. Speakers from the public also urged civility and said the district’s level of transparency compares favorably with other districts.
Board member Hills said the governance workshop scheduled for Feb. 23 will include a deeper review of Board Policy 1100, Policy 1112 (media relations) and bylaw 9121 (board president duties) to resolve inconsistent practices and clarify the role of the board president as a spokesperson in conjunction with the superintendent. The board did not take final action on policy changes at this meeting; several members asked staff to prepare clarifications and recommended edits for the governance workshop.
