Laguna Beach Unified School District board lets students speak first, keeps second public‑comment period

President Morgan moved that the Laguna Beach Unified School District board “move to bring public comment on non agenda items to the beginning of the agenda reserving for students only this evening and hold the board policy of 20 minutes,” and the motion was seconded, the record shows.

The proposal touched off a short dispute over whether a formal motion was necessary. One board member noted that students had already been allowed to speak early in past meetings and asked why the motion was required. President Morgan said the motion was intended to formalize the practice for this meeting: “We are moving non public nonagenda items. We are keeping a section of nonagenda items at the end. Tonight, we are leaving the front the first session for students only,” Morgan said.

Another board member offered a related motion to move non‑agenda public comment to the start of future meetings so “students, faculty, parents, and members of the public can participate in the democratic process.” That motion was seconded and discussed alongside the president’s proposal.

A fellow board member questioned limiting students to 20 minutes and sought clarity about how the change would affect meeting end times. During debate a member objected that a motion seemed unnecessary because students had historically been permitted to speak first. The discussion included an appeals‑to‑fairness argument: “Forcing citizens to wait till the end of our meetings, 11:00 or midnight, is unfair and undemocratic,” one member said.

After roll‑call voting, the board chair announced the student‑first motion passed 3 to 1. The board then took a separate roll‑call vote and adopted the agenda as changed — reserving the first public‑comment period for students this evening and retaining another comment period at the end of the meeting — and subsequently moved into closed session.

The board did not take further formal action on changing long‑term public‑comment policy at the meeting; members discussed the future‑meeting motion during the same exchange but the transcript records formal approval only of the student‑first arrangement for tonight and adoption of the amended agenda. President Morgan confirmed that students had been notified that they would speak first at tonight’s meeting.