Ketta Brown reelected to school board, joined by two newcomers

Trustee Ketta Brown is headed back to the Laguna Beach Unified School District board after earning the most votes of the four candidates in Tuesday’s election, according to the Orange County Registrar of Voters.

The incumbent competed against three challengers for three seats on the five-member board of education. .

Brown, who garnered 4,234 votes, will be joined by Dee Perry, a longtime district teacher, who earned 3,513 votes, and Carol Normandin, former owner of an executive search firm, who won election with 3,136 votes.

Annette Gibson, a registered nurse, finished fourth with 2,496 votes and did not earn a spot on the board. Current trustees Betsy Jenkins and Theresa O’Hare did not seek reelection.

Brown, who is wrapping up her second four-year term, is also the treasurer for the districtwide Parent Teacher Assn., auditor of the Laguna Beach High School PTA and teacher of an after-school cooking class for students at Top of the World Elementary.

“I’m grateful,” Brown said in a phone interview Wednesday. “I’m happy to continue the work we started and feel like there is a lot left to do.

“I love this job. I can’t think of a better way to spend my time.”

A prime focus for Brown is educating parents on the new Common Core state testing standards, which go into full swing this year. The retired financial analyst is particularly concerned with how the math curriculum will be affected by Common Core, which places a greater emphasis on writing and interpretation.

Perry worked at Thurston Middle School, El Morro and Top of the World elementary schools during 35 years with the district until retiring in 2010. She ran unsuccessfully for the school board in 2012 but said in past interviews that the experience helped shape her strategy this fall.

“I want to have more of a sense of humor this time and take help when offered,” Perry told the Coastline Pilot in August.

Greater transparency regarding district spending, along with increased focus on art in the classroom, are priorities for Perry.

Normandin has three children in district schools and for nearly 10 years has been a volunteer organizer at SchoolPower, a Laguna Beach-based education foundation that raises money privately for the district.

Normandin built her campaign on a platform of hiring and retaining top-achieving teachers and maintaining the district’s financial strength.