The mention of having meaningful dialogue with the district and school board is what the community has been after for years. Exactly what I think is not allowed. Go to SensibleLaguna.org for proof and details.
Only when there was a near riot at one of the district’s “check the box-after-the-fact workshops” and, most recently when 120 community members stood up for one of their own did we get the district’s attention.
When the public meets with district staff, information is delivered to LBUSD Superintendent Viloria, where I believe it is filtered, changed or tossed. Hardly an exchange of ideas or discussion. The same thing happens when a community member meets with a board member. Bylaws say constituents are to be sent to Viloria instead. Why have a board at all?
The community is only allowed three minutes of “prepared statements” at board meetings. It seems that meaningful conversations, openness, and transparency do not exist in the current regime that controls every aspect of district or board business.
The restrictive bylaws created or adopted by board president Jan Vickers and the interpretation of them have crushed the community’s voice. Exactly what kind of democracy is being demonstrated for our kids?
When the LBUSD administration uses the entire district in comparison to the rest of the state or Orange County, the 99 percentile is very deceptive. Comparing against the rest of the low-performing states is not what they should be doing. Compare to the best and strive to be better than them. This is just another cover-up of poor performance at the high school. In the current 2024 US News report, the 210 high schools that rank ahead of LBHS in California were all compared in the same timeframe. Including #16, Saratoga High School, with a slightly larger enrollment of 1160 with a 79/100 College Readiness score. LBHS’s college readiness rating is 48.5/100. They spend approx. $21,000 per student, compared to LBHS’ $33,000. Their current State CAASPP math test pass rate is 88.9%, while ours is 49.7 percent. Does anyone see a problem here?
Viloria’s pay is at $460,000, and it ranked number six in the county, with four schools. Others have 10 plus.
This and much more are why we need to vote for positive change with Howard Hills and Sheri Morgan for the school board.
Steve McIntosh, member of Sensible Laguna
