FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LAGUNA BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
CONTACT: ANAKAREN UREÑO
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT
949-497-7700 EXT. 5232

March 28, 2025

Laguna Beach Unified School District Board of Education approves final environmental report for LBHS pool modernization

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. – At its regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, March 20, the Laguna Beach Unified School District Board of Education adopted a resolution approving the Final Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) for the Laguna Beach High School Pool Modernization Project. The adoption of this resolution completes the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review, which requires that public school districts assess environmental impacts before moving forward with major construction.

As part of this review, CEQA specifically considers factors such as noise, aesthetics, and neighborhood character. Adjusting project proposals in response to community input is an integral part of the process leading up to the adoption of a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND). Over the past two years, the project has undergone a number of changes to address concerns in these areas, including amendments to Board Policy 1330, which now requires Board of Education approval for large events, and the reduction of the pool size from 50 meters to 45 meters. Additional community input was collected during the public review period, with responses provided by the independent experts who conducted the review and prepared the CEQA reports.

“Even though school districts follow a different set of rules than cities, we still face many strict requirements with capital improvement projects,” said LBUSD Board President Dee Perry. “At the same time, we want to be sensitive to our citizens and make sure the architecture fits in with our community. We’re thankful to the community members who have taken the time to share their feedback. As we move forward, it will be important to keep working together and listening to concerns so this project reflects what’s best for our students and our community.”

Several design commitments have been incorporated to further support noise and neighborhood impact mitigation, such as solid shade structures on both the east and west sides of the pool, a potential sound wall on the east side, concrete bleachers, and a community restroom building to support city-run aquatics programs. Community concerns shared during the March 20 Board of Education special meeting will also be considered as the project moves into the next phase. These include logistical planning to maintain safe access to Park Avenue during construction and additional strategies to lower sound levels during athletic events. 

“The City Council is pleased to see the pool move forward.  We are excited to partner with the District to provide programs like senior aquatics, swim lessons, and recreational and lap swim once the new pool is complete,” said City of Laguna Beach Mayor Alex Rounaghi. “Our partnership has lasted a long time, and we’re excited to see what this next chapter brings for great aquatics in Laguna Beach,” he concluded. 

With the environmental review complete, the project now enters the construction document phase, during which architectural and engineering plans are developed. These documents must meet state requirements for safety, accessibility, and structural integrity and will be submitted to the Division of the State Architect for review and approval, as required for all public school facilities in California.

For more information on the LBHS Pool Modernization Project and to view the IS/MND documents, please visit www.lbusd.org/facilities.

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