Parents and community members press Laguna Beach board on public‑comment limits and thank departing acting superintendent

Community members used the public‑comment period to press the board on transparency and procedure and to offer farewell remarks to Acting Superintendent Jeff Dixon.

Parent Shaheen Shaikh Sadal told the board she was “apen” (sic) and challenged the board over a May action, saying, “At the May board meeting, board president Dee Perry unilaterally reduced public comment time from 3 minutes to just 90 seconds... Board policy 9323 clearly states that individual speakers shall be allowed 3 minutes. That consent was never requested.” Shaikh Sadal cited the Brown Act and asked the board to publicly recommit to following both policy 9323 and state open‑meeting law.

Multiple speakers thanked Dixon for his service. Steve McIntosh called Dixon “honorable” and praised his accessibility, while several other residents, including Dan Lopez from the school resource officer team and Steve Brown, offered public appreciation. SRO Dan Lopez said, “Thank you so much to Jeff Dixon for supporting the program and being a voice for us at all times.” Michelle Manda also congratulated the board on the unanimous selection of Jason Glass and urged the new superintendent to prioritize transparency and classroom spending.

Board members allowed public comment at the start of the meeting and later discussed procedural points and the importance of following board policy and state requirements. No formal board reversal or change to the May time‑limit decision was recorded at the meeting; members discussed the need to adhere to rules and noted the Brown Act obligations raised by speakers.

The public comment exchange underscored two parallel themes: procedural concerns about how the board manages public participation and broad community gratitude for the departing acting superintendent.