Jenkins, Brown and O’Hare win

Incumbent Betsy Jenkins swept to victory, along with Ketta Brown and Theresa O’Hare, in Tuesday’s Laguna Beach Unified school board race, in which five local parents vied for three open seats.

All three victors each took at least 20% of the vote; Jeff Elghanayan received 15.7%, while Kelly Cornwell followed with 14.5%.

“I’m happy to be back,” Jenkins said. “I’ve loved being on the board these four years, and I’m looking forward to four more.”

Jenkins, a retired teacher, has served as a board member for the local Regional Occupation Program as well as PTA Council president and board liaison. She earned 4,567 votes, or 25.9% of the electorate.

She plans to focus on academics while conducting a comprehensive search for a new superintendent.

Ketta Brown was second to Jenkins, with 4,081 votes, or 23.2%.

“There’s a lot of work to be done, but I think those of us who were elected are accustomed to that, and we’re ready to do it,” she said Wednesday.

Brown, who has served as PTA president at three district campuses and been involved with the Friendship Shelter and her church, has described a need for transparency at the district, which she hopes to achieve through electronic newsletters and regular online posting of district publications.

Theresa O’Hare followed with 3,644 votes, or 20.7%. She spent election night applying pancake makeup to drama students at Laguna Beach High School who were getting ready for the dress rehearsal of their fall play, “The Man Who Came to Dinner.”

“I’ve done this for years,” she said of her involvement. She added that her future commitments will not change with her new role on the school board. “I’m still going to have all the jobs I have now,” she said.

O’Hare is president of the high school’s performing arts boosters and is a past president and board member of SchoolPower. She is also involved with school bond committees and site councils.

Her priorities are maintaining budget reserves and reducing class sizes.

All three victors each took at least 20% of the vote; Jeff Elghanayan summed in with 15.7%, while Kelly Cornwell followed with 14.5%.