Los Alamitos Unified board approves agenda, honors teachers, staff and student champions

The Los Alamitos Unified School District board approved the meeting agenda by voice vote and spent the session honoring students, teachers and staff for awards and service before moving into a closed session.

Principal Christiana Krauss introduced the district''recognized 2026 junior prom world champions, saying the team "delivered a flawless performance to claim the gold on the global stage" at the ICU World Championships on April 24 and listing athletes and coaches gathered for recognition. The board purchased commemorative gold medals for the team'coaches, the board noted.

Deputy Superintendent Andrea Reid described the district's five'year professional development cohorts and the veteran teacher recognition program, saying the cohorts combine coaching, district signature practices and classroom supports. She and other leaders called multiple teachers to the stage for five'year and veteran recognitions.

The Greater Anaheim SELPA, which includes Los Alamitos Unified, brought forward Community Advisory Committee award recipients. A SELPA representative highlighted paraeducators and parent leaders who improved access and supports for students with disabilities, singling out Monica Mariano and Allison Medford for paraeducator work and Laura Gillies and Andrea Mora for PTA leadership that added sensory supports and other accommodations at events.

Megan Avalos, a fifth'grade teacher at Rossmore Elementary, was presented as one of six Orange County Teachers of the Year; the board said county education representatives surprised her classroom with a recognition and monetary award earlier this month.

The district named Jenny Bain program specialist in special education as district employee of the year, praising her 13 years of service across preschool through adult transition programs and her role guiding behavior programming and instructional assistants. Bain told the board she is "honored to be receiving this recognition" and thanked colleagues for their support.

Dan Bennett was recognized as the district administrator of the year. Presenters noted his two'decade career in the district, leadership in education technology and career technical education (CTE) pathways and a recent Orange County administrator award. Deputy Superintendent Andrea Reid said Bennett "is a true teacher at heart" who helped expand pathways and training; Bennett thanked the board and staff for support.

The board also honored Virginia Wilson as the district''wide Hero of the Heart for long service to the Los Alamitos Unified School District. Speakers recounted Wilson's role in district unification, decades of board service and work on the personnel commission and federal impact aid efforts. In her remarks Wilson said, "My journey started 50 years ago. I dreamed of a unified school district," and she thanked family and colleagues for their support.

Before the recognitions concluded, President Diana Hill moved to approve the night's agenda; the board approved the motion by voice vote. President Hill then announced the board would go into closed session.

The board did not take additional formal actions recorded in the public portion of the meeting beyond approval of the agenda and the recognitions. No ordinance, resolution or contract decisions were recorded in the public remarks portion of the transcript.