Supt. defends schools’ closure

Laguna Beach Unified School District Supt. Robert Fraisse defended the district’s decision to close its schools due to fire danger at its Tuesday board meeting.

Fraisse said although he knew the decision wasn’t entirely popular, he believed the schools made the proper decision given the circumstances.

“Thank you for taking such a strong leadership role,” parent Thasa Zuziak said. “I know it was an inconvenience to some people, but to me, it went beyond a safety issue. I’m sure that it was not a very popular decision.”

“Hey, my car’s still packed,” quipped Trustee Ketta Brown.

“I commend you and your staff for the action that you took,” Clerk El Hathaway told Fraisse.

All district campuses reopened Wednesday, following two days of closures, but the district remained on high alert.

“This is a very, very challenging time for California,” Fraisse said. “We are so much more fortunate than other communities that we see in the news.”

But he was realistic about the fire season’s potential.

“We have a long way to go in our fire system before we can breathe a sigh of relief,” Fraisse said.

A report given to the district by a fire consultant contained some “sobering facts,” Fraisse said.

Since the report was submitted, the district has cut down many trees and shrubs around vulnerable campuses to create more defensible space, Fraisse said. New findings conclude that the sites are now safe should the students be required to “shelter in place” in an emergency.

“We have received an amazing level of support from our fire partners,” Fraisse said.

David Horne of the Greater Laguna Coast Fire Safe Council described a plan at the meeting to install a solar-powered camera at Top of the World that would monitor the wilderness in case of fire danger.

He also presented to the district one of the red and yellow flags that are hung throughout town on red-flag days.

Top of the World Elementary School, El Morro Elementary School and Thurston Middle School were closed Monday, following the Santiago fire’s advent the previous evening.

Anneliese’s Schools followed the same closure protocols as the district, said Elise Higley, administrative grade school director at Anneliese’s.

St. Catherine Catholic School remained open this week.

School buses were kept at the ready beside Top of the World Elementary Wednesday in case they were needed for an immediate evacuation.

The buses give the ability to evacuate all of Top of the World in seven minutes, Fraisse said.

“Top of the World was the highest threat [to students] in this situation, with Thurston obviously being a threat as well,” district spokesperson Darrin Reed said.

The two sites are located on inland hillsides. El Morro Elementary also poses a risk, as it is located adjacent to a natural park.

Laguna Beach High School was originally kept open because of its more urban location, but the district decided Monday evening to add it to the closure list; all four school sites were closed Tuesday.

“There were a number of different factors in the decision,” Reed said.

These included high winds and temperatures, low humidity and the close proximity of the Santiago fire, Reed said.

Conditions were unhealthy throughout the county, with particulates and smoke drifting west from the blaze.

The district made its decision after consulting with the fire department and city, as well as an independent fire consultant, Reed said.

The Laguna Beach High School Associated Student Body Council worked out a protocol for evacuations with Austin and Assistant Superintendent Nancy Hubbell on Monday.

In situations in which district schools will be evacuated to the high school, ASB members will serve as helpers, having books and games available and acting as escorts for students, including leading bathroom breaks and taking students to their parents. Two students will be in charge of sound and video equipment in the school gyms. Scott Wittkop’s silkscreening class will create brightly-colored shirts to identify the workers. The majority of the protocol comes directly from ASB Council recommendations.

All Anneliese’s Schools campuses except Aliso School on Wesley Drive were closed Tuesday. Aliso remained open for emergency childcare services.

The schools are directed by the fire department in emergency situations; they use the city’s summer trolleys to evacuate students.

Should an emergency occur outside Laguna Beach, all students will be sent to the schools’ Manzanita campus, 758 Manzanita Drive, or to the neighboring Laguna Beach High School. In case of fires or emergencies within city limits, the children will be taken to an out-of-town location of the city’s choice.