OCDE sends Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team to LBUSD to conduct independent review

By Tom Johnson
Stu News.com

The Orange County Department of Education has tapped the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) to conduct an independent review of Laguna Beach Unified School District’s financial records.

OCDE said the review was prompted by requests from members of the Laguna Beach community and will focus on employee health benefit contributions, related contracting decisions and the use of district resources.

While OCDE emphasized the review is not, by itself, a finding of fraud or other illegal fiscal practices, it should provide an independent assessment of issues that have generated considerable public discussion in recent months.

The district said it will cooperate fully with the review.

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Tomorrow (Saturday, July 18) from 10-11 a.m., the city of Laguna Beach and CR&R are hosting their first virtual composting workshop to help residents transform food and yard waste into rich, organic fertilizer through traditional composting techniques. This free event is perfect for both beginners and compost experts.

Space is limited. To RSVP, email lagunabeach-recycles@crrmail.com. A Zoom meeting link will be provided upon RSVP.

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News and Notes: Frank Aronoff reminds us in this week’s Breakers Sports Roundup that Chris Esperanza is “now on campus” as LBHS’s new Athletic Director. Congrats to Chris.

Separately, in a recent perusal of campaign disclosure statements on the city’s website under City Clerk Ann Marie McKay, are a couple of items of interest:

The first, was a Termination Statement, dated June 8, listing George Weiss and an account with $2,184.21. In checking with Ann Marie, the account was for a campaign committee from his 2024 campaign. The money in the account was given, or donated to, the Nimblegov PAC, which is behind the term limit proposition.

Second, Citizens for Laguna’s Future/Joy Dittberner, supporting “an ordinance to establish term limits for City Councilmembers” reported an ending balance of $10,588.81.