Around Laguna: Survey seeks public input in city manager search

As Laguna Beach continues the recruitment process for its next city manager, officials are calling on stakeholders to weigh in on what they would like to see from the person who fills the role on a full-time basis.

The city’s executive recruiting firm, Ralph Andersen & Associates, is soliciting public input on the matter via an online survey, which became available on Thursday. Community members can respond to the questionnaire through Nov. 10 at surveymonkey.com/r/FZTN7V7.

Respondents are asked to provide their age, housing status, time lived in the city, and to identify whether they own a business in Laguna Beach.

The survey also asks for direction regarding priorities for an incoming city manager, the options including public safety, public works, economic and social development, arts and culture, and city services.

Another question inquires about the ideal work experience for a city manager, including the option to favor candidates who have previously served as a city manager.

Those who take the survey are also invited to answer a number of free-response questions. They can formulate a question that could become part of the interview process in the city manager search. There is also a prompt for respondents to name the top three issues they believe are facing the city.

The city manager is the top executive in the city of Laguna Beach, and the position is appointed by the City Council.

Sean Joyce has been serving as interim city manager since the City Council and former city manager Shohreh Dupuis agreed to part ways via a separation agreement nearly two months ago.

Laguna Beach students lead Orange County in language arts proficiency, district says

Laguna Beach Unified School District students topped Orange County for proficiency in English language arts in recent statewide testing, district officials announced Friday.

Testing results for the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) show that 78.96% of Laguna Beach students met or exceeded state standards for English language arts, while 69.26% achieved such standards in mathematics. As for the science standards, 66.08% of district students proved proficient.

“[The Laguna Beach Unified School District], much like a successful organization, establishes measurable academic progress goals for students,” District Supt. Jason Viloria said in a statement. “One of the data sets our leadership team annually reviews for continuous improvement is the CAASPP scores. While we are still analyzing the data, there is certainly cause for celebration with the overall growth achieved in all areas and the highest English language arts scores in Orange County.”

Viloria attributed the student success to a district focused on building connections with all students, an effort that has been on display with updated facilities like the Family Resource Center and the student well space at the high school.

“As this connectedness deepens, it acts as a catalyst for academic achievement, and we expect our collaborative efforts will continue to drive growth in core academic areas,” he added.

The tests are administered annually to students in grades 3 through 8 and those in their junior year of high school. Laguna Beach saw improvement in all three disciplines, with a 7% jump in science scores marking the largest increase in performance from the past two academic years.