Laguna Beach board directs review of SRO MOU after staff, students and teachers highlight trust benefits

Laguna Beach Unified School District trustees voted to direct staff to review and report back on the districts Memorandum of Understanding with the city and the Laguna Beach Police Department for the School Resource Officer (SRO) program.

The motion followed an extended presentation by Superintendent Dr. John Glass and district director Michael Keller describing the SRO program as one that should emphasize "prevention, inclusion, and service, and not enforcement." Keller told the board the district has 19 PPS-qualified student-support staff across sites, and that SROs selected for the program receive specialized training in youth mental health, trauma-informed care, de-escalation, Title IX and required child-abuse reporting.

Two public commenters gave the board firsthand accounts of the difference a trusted officer can make. High-school staff member Faiza Zuziak said female students who would not approach counselors instead sought out the districts previous female SRO, Ashley, because she created trust and advocated strongly for students. Student Logan Marshall said an SRO who shows up consistently at campus events builds relationships that lower barriers to reporting.

Trustees pressed staff on specific issues the review should address: the MOUs current cost-sharing (board members said they understood the district and city split salary/benefit costs roughly 50/50 and share vehicle costs), the MOUs schedule language (one full-time equivalent divided into overlapping 4x10 shifts), whether after-hours attendance at sporting events or non-district events should be billed as overtime, and whether the district can request that a specific officer or gender be assigned. Superintendent Glass and counsel advised that mandating a female-only hire would present legal risks and could be discriminatory, though trustees pressed for alternative solutions (training for counselors and SROs, stronger co-presentations in health classes, and better visible school-based counseling entry points).

Keller said counselors and social workers already make in-class presentations on healthy boundaries and mental-health topics, and that the district will explore additional targeted training so students have multiple trusted entry points for reporting. Several trustees said they want the district to prioritize prompt action before the school year begins.

The boards motion directs staff to review the current MOU language concerning SRO duties and services, to identify feasible revisions (including proposals for classroom collaboration, training, scheduling, and any budget implications), and to return with recommended language or options for negotiation with the city.