Tracking who runs Laguna Beach schools — and how

Who's in office

Drag the scrubber to step through school years (Jul – Jun). Each year shows the superintendency across its months and the board composition, including mid-year transitions when a December swearing-in or resignation changed who held a seat.

Superintendents (5)

Superintendents and interim superintendents across the timeline. For the board, use the scrubber above.

1. 
   Dr. Don Austin

   LBUSD Superintendent (incoming, effective Jul 1, 2026)
2. 
   Manoj Roychowdhury

   LBUSD Interim Superintendent (June 2026)
3. 
   Dr. Jason E. Glass

   LBUSD Superintendent (Jul 1, 2025 – May 31, 2026)
4. 
   Jeff Dixon

   LBUSD Acting Superintendent (Jan 9 – Jun 30, 2025)
5. 
   Dr. Jason Viloria

   Former LBUSD Superintendent (Jul 1, 2016 – Dec 31, 2024)

Organizations (12)

Unions, advocacy groups, and foundations referenced in the timeline.

1. 
   FUEL Advocacy

   10 members · 3events

   FUEL is a parent-led advocacy organization focused on LBUSD governance, self-described as a 501(c)(4) non-profit in its February 2025 introductory letter to the Laguna Beach Independent by Chair Shaheen Sheik-Sadhal. FUEL publishes board-meeting recaps and advocacy pieces at fuellaguna.org and organizes public engagement around the district budget, the Local Control and Accountability Plan, legal costs, the health-and-welfare benefits audit, and board members' voting records. Generally critical of the current board majority's direction.

2. 
   SchoolPower Foundation

   5 members · 1event

   SchoolPower is the LBUSD education foundation that raises private dollars to fund district programs. Founded in 1981 as a 501(c)(3) (EIN 95-3565451), it self-describes as "the oldest education foundation in Orange County." The board approves district proposals and SchoolPower decides which to fund — its core programs are Educator Grants, Family Support Services & Scholarships, After-School Enrichment, and the Athletics Fund, plus a separately-governed Endowment. SchoolPower has no governance role over the district itself. Past trustees and presidents from SchoolPower have moved into LBUSD board service and into other advocacy roles (including FUEL leadership).

3. Sensible Laguna Advocacy

   3 members

   Local civic-advocacy organization that publishes editorial commentary on LBUSD governance at sensiblelaguna.org. Co-founders Gary Kasik, Steve McIntosh, and Steve Brown self-describe the group as a coalition of residents, parents, grandparents, former educators, business owners, and longtime community members. Generally aligned with the current LBUSD board majority. Frequent participant at board meeting public comment.

4. AALR/R Firm

   2 members · 2events

   California education-law firm. Served as LBUSD outside counsel during the Vickers/Viloria era and continuing into the early Glass superintendency; succeeded as LBUSD general counsel by Dannis Woliver Kelley following the 4-1 October 23, 2025 retention vote. Tony DeMarco and Scott Danforth are the two AALR/R attorneys named on the record as having handled LBUSD board matters. Per Superintendent Glass at the February 12, 2026 board meeting, the district has historically used multiple firms — AALR/R for board matters, F3 "on occasion," and BBK historically. A January 2026 invoice of approximately $39,000 was referenced by Glass on April 16, 2026 as work on historical matters not yet transferred to DWK.

5. 
   CSEA Ch. 131 Union

   2 members · 7events

   CSEA Chapter 131 is the LBUSD classified-staff bargaining unit — the local chapter of the California School Employees Association representing non-certificated employees including paraeducators, custodians, food service workers, transportation staff, and clerical employees.

6. DWK Firm

   2 members · 3events

   California education-law firm with statewide school-district practice. Retained as LBUSD outside counsel on a 4-1 vote (Kelly opposed) at the October 23, 2025 regular board meeting. John Pearl serves as LBUSD's board counsel through DWK. The firm was separately retained on January 8, 2026 to provide bond-election legal services; Meredith Johnson is LBUSD's bond counsel through DWK.

7. LaBUFA Union

   2 members · 5events

   LaBUFA is the certificated bargaining unit representing LBUSD teachers and other certificated staff. It is a local affiliate of the California Teachers Association (CTA).

8. McCune & Harber Firm

   1 member · 1event

   Los Angeles-based California law firm specializing in defense of school districts and municipalities. Located at 515 S. Figueroa Street, Suite 1100, Los Angeles. Practice areas include education law, government relations law, and public-entity liability. Founding partner Dana McCune was identified on the record at the April 16, 2026 LBUSD board meeting as the contracted attorney for LBUSD's insurance-recovery work on the AB 218 (retroactive childhood-sexual-abuse) liability matter, at an hourly rate of $1,730 (effective rate $1,557/hour after a 10 percent discount). The board approved the retention 3-2 with Trustees Hills and Kelly opposed. The agenda item title for that vote referenced "Morgan Lewis and Bockius"; the discussion identified McCune & Harber as the contracted firm.

9. CSBA Other

   0 members

   Statewide trade association and canonical authority on local school district board governance in California. Publishes the model board policies and bylaws that most California districts (including LBUSD) adopt and adapt, including the model bylaws underlying LBUSD's BB 9010, BB 9121, BB 9200, BB 9310, and BB 9322. CSBA's published framework distinguishes the board's collective policy authority from the superintendent's operational authority — language that recurs in the LBUSD board-vs-administration disputes.

10. Dykema Firm

    0 members

    National law firm representing plaintiffs William Breit and Kathleen Christoff in Breit v. Laguna Beach Unified School District (Case No. 8:26-cv-01418), the June 2, 2026 federal ADA / Section 504 complaint over the relocation of the 2026 LBHS graduation to the Irvine Bowl. The complaint's signature block lists attorneys James S. Azadian, Christine Mardikian, and David Ter-Petrosyan, with a Los Angeles office at 444 S. Flower Street, Suite 2200.

11. Morgan Lewis Firm

    0 members

    Global law firm with a California public-sector and litigation practice. Named in the agenda item title for the April 16, 2026 LBUSD board vote on legal-services retention. The on-record discussion at that meeting identified McCune & Harber as the contracted firm for the AB 218 insurance-recovery work, and described McCune as having been recommended by the underlying AB 218 case counsel. Whether Morgan Lewis & Bockius is LBUSD's existing AB 218 defense firm separately from the McCune retention is referenced in agenda materials but not separately documented on the record in the public discussion of the April 16 vote.

12. Spotlight Schools Media

    0 members

    Orange County education-news email newsletter (Ghost-powered, free) covering OC school districts including LBUSD. Beat reporting on board meetings, superintendent transitions, teacher recognition, and education policy. Published the May 14, 2026 LBUSD board meeting preview that correctly anticipated the Austin interim appointment one day before the announcement.