Alternative Laguna school headed for likely closure
An alternative school at Laguna Beach’s Top of the World Elementary School appears headed toward closure.
Laguna Beach Unified School District Supt. Jason Viloria on Tuesday told board trustees during their meeting that no teachers volunteered to continue the Community Learning Center or develop another program for the 2018-19 school year.
Trustees did not vote, but directed Viloria to return with an agenda item at a future meeting.
The learning center is a specialized program for first-through fourth-grade students that integrates academics with community service, character development and social awareness through activities such as hands-on projects and field trips.
In June, trustees voted to suspend CLC for one year to give district staff time to evaluate the school’s future. Trustees cited a reluctance to hire two teachers to replace the two that resigned earlier in the year.
After that vote, district staff held meetings with teachers at each of Laguna’s four public schools, along with a subsequent meeting in October at Laguna Beach Unified’s office.
Two teachers who attended the October meeting said they were more interested in developing an enrichment program during the summer while another teacher wanted to update course content, Viloria said.
State law prohibits the district from involuntarily assigning teachers to roles in an alternative school such as CLC.
“I’m not seeing any real energy or excitement behind it,” said trustee Ketta Brown. “I think we need to look at saying, ‘It was great and served its purpose.’ If something else comes up organically and it fits, we can look at that.”
No one spoke during Tuesday’s public comment portion.
Parents hailed the school as a place where children developed strong bonds with one another because they progressed through grade levels with the same class. They also liked the hands-on approach to learning with field trips and projects.
For example, students built windmills out of recycled materials as part of a lesson on renewable energy.
Laguna Beach Unified advertised the positions internally for 22 days in April and May but received no responses.
Twitter: @AldertonBryce
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