Regular Board Meeting (Open Session)

Summary

The April 16, 2026 LBUSD Board of Education regular meeting was dominated by public response to a roughly 400-person march held earlier that afternoon at Main Beach in support of district staff. Public comment featured students (Piper Halpern, Ivy Dabbs, Logan), retired teachers (Don Honeycutt), and parents who criticized the board majority (Hills, Morgan, Perry) and praised the dissenting minority (Kelly, Malczewski). Bargaining-unit reports came from CSEA Chapter 131 President Thasa Zuziak and LaBUFA President Scott Wittkop — this meeting is the earliest dated on-record confirmation of Wittkop's title in coverage available for this timeline. Substantive board business included a 5-0 vote to incorporate ad hoc transportation committee recommendations (a bus monitor position plus a CTE transportation pilot, roughly $120K combined full implementation) into the 2026-27 LCAP cycle; a discussion-only presentation by Superintendent Glass on declining enrollment (high school at 818 students, projected to fall to approximately 600) and a proposed employer-based open-enrollment expansion; and a 3-2 vote approving a $1,730-per-hour Morgan Lewis & Bockius legal services contract for AB 218 insurance recovery, with Kelly and Hills opposed. At the end of public comment, FUEL Chair Shaheen Sheik-Sadhal addressed the board about an AI-generated image of her holding a blood-covered axe that had been circulating on Substack. The meeting adjourned 5-0.

Key insights (9)

• Scott Wittkop is confirmed verbatim as LaBUFA President at this meeting (00:20:01): "I'm so proud to be the president of Labufa, and I'm proud to teach the students that I have."
• The April 16 march is described in this meeting as the union's first march in 40 years, jointly organized by CSEA Chapter 131 and LaBUFA with thanks given to CTA leaders and the Orange County Labor Federation.
• FUEL Chair Shaheen Sheik-Sadhal personally addressed the board in the final minutes of public comment about an AI-generated depiction of her with a 'bloody axe' circulating in a Substack piece — direct, on-record characterization of the discourse environment.
• Glass announced a sustained enrollment decline: high school is at 818 students (down from 883), with demographic projections suggesting a future high school of approximately 600. He proposed expanding interdistrict transfers to employees of local employers (City of Laguna Beach, Laguna College of Art and Design, water districts, nonprofits). Discussion only, no vote.
• Ad hoc transportation committee 5-0 vote authorized a bus monitor position plus a CTE transportation pilot (roughly $120K combined full implementation). The pilot will start smaller.
• Legal services contract vote was 3-2 to retain Morgan Lewis & Bockius (Dana McCune) for AB 218 insurance recovery at $1,730 per hour. Kelly and Hills opposed. Significant on-record tension between Hills and current board counsel John Pearl about prior representation, conflicts of interest, and characterizations that the board had 'found a lawyer who would give you the opinion you want.'
• Board counsel transition: the district is winding down work with Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud (AALR) — former Vickers/Viloria-era counsel — and using DWK (Dannis Woliver Kelley) plus John Pearl as board counsel. A January invoice of approximately $39,000 to AALR raised questions about how completely the transition is being executed.
• Thurston Middle School recognized as a California Distinguished School and 'achievement gap closer,' with chronic absenteeism reduced from 7.2% to 6.5% (vs. approximately 20% national average) and suspensions down from 7.2% to 1%.
• Multiple early exchanges about whether cheering, clapping, and bringing food are permitted under the Brown Act and board policy. The board chair (Morgan) issued two warnings; legal advice noted 'the legal standard is actual disruption.'

Linked timeline events (1)

• Apr 16, 2026 March in solidarity with LBUSD staff; board meeting