City of Long Beach accelerates coastal storm repairs
Boardwalk and bulkhead repairs are now estimated at $3.6 million, as the City of Long Beach moves sand ahead of winter high tides.
Two hosts walk through the week’s edition in conversation — long beach details storm repairs, costs, district reviews deficit spending and fiscal, and what’s coming next. Generated by Aware, from this week’s verified summaries.
The city manager said restricted tidelands and emergency reserves, not the general fund, will pay for the beach work.
The next high tides are shaping the city's repair schedule. At a briefing, the City of Long Beach described storm damage along the coast and said it is using emergency provisions to speed repairs, including night work and 24-hour operations. The city manager put storm-response labor at $525,000 and materials, supplies and contracted services at approximately $1.5 million. Those costs cover work such as fencing, cleanup, pumps and security. The city tripled its pump capacity.
The city has authorized up to $700,000 to move sand, and the contractor's scope has doubled. Crews are pushing to move as much as possible by October 24. The city manager said boardwalk and bulkhead repairs are now estimated at $3.6 million, up from an initial $1.5 million expectation. The storm destroyed more bulkhead than anticipated. It was not designed to serve as a seawall, and the city plans to rebuild and strengthen it.
The City of Long Beach says restricted tidelands and emergency reserve money, not general fund dollars, will pay for beach work. A separate $11.4 million dredging project had already been budgeted from marina funds and approved before the storms. Design is starting on an unfunded $1 million low-profile rock revetment. Next, crews will pump and move sand and begin boardwalk and bulkhead repairs where it is safe. The city is seeking state and federal reimbursement and expects to provide an update next week.
District reviews deficit spending and fiscal stabilization plan
The Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education heard that the district is in its third year of deficit spending. District staff said a $30 million stabilization plan for the current year has narrowed the gap between revenue and spending but has not closed it. Declining enrollment remains the largest factor, and staff said they are looking for further savings during the school year, including hiring fewer people.
Asked what would have happened without the savings measures, district staff said the deficit would have reached $100 million, requiring much larger reductions in a single year. Staff said continued deficit spending could draw down reserves and increase the risk of state receivership. The measures taken so far give the district more time to adjust, rather than eliminating the need for further action.
District staff said their projections use the best information available, including expected funding changes, attendance and rising costs. Members of the Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education were asked to review fiscal prioritization principles by October 21. The district's next challenge is deciding how to close the remaining gap while accounting for continued enrollment decline.
Board of Education extends public comment
The Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education voted unanimously to extend public comment so 15 additional speakers could be heard. They raised concerns about library access, classroom heat, school choice, technology and spending, while one speaker sought support for a chess program.
The extended session gave residents more time to put specific school conditions and program requests before district leaders.
Board of Education hears opposition to school closures
The Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education heard opposition to proposed school closures, including at Edison Elementary School. Families and staff questioned enrollment and capacity figures, safe routes to other schools and special education transfers; district staff described supports that would be available if closures are approved.
Any closure decision could change students' trips to school and the services available when they arrive.
Teachers describe hot classrooms and disrupted lessons
Teachers told the Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education that heat mitigation at Patrick Henry Dual Language Academy disrupted instruction. One reported student illness in classrooms without air conditioning; another said a temporary room had 24 seats for 29 students and lacked equipment needed to teach.
Temporary cooling spaces may offer relief from heat without providing enough room or equipment for lessons.
Families ask district to restrict classroom AI
Students, parents and teachers urged the Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education to restrict generative AI in classrooms. Speakers cited concerns about cheating, learning and student safety, and asked the district to limit screen use and block YouTube on student devices.
The requests would affect how students complete assignments and which tools they can access at school.
- Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education. A speaker commented on budget projections and spending priorities, praising conservative projections but criticizing cuts to staff working directly with students while administrative/supervisory spending increased, and citing specific line items such as communications, travel, consulting, legal costs, and superintendent search expenses.
- Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education. A parent described difficulties enrolling a student at Poly as the school of residence, stating the family followed procedures but was told there was no room, resulting in missed school due to transportation and placement issues. The parent asked the board to review the school choice/capacity process and practical accessibility of alternatives.
- Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education. Multiple speakers (students, parents, and teachers) urged the district to stop or strictly limit generative AI in classrooms, citing survey results, cheating concerns, impacts on learning and creativity, environmental impacts, and child safety. Speakers also requested blocking YouTube on student devices and implementing immediate moratoriums rather than waiting until 2027–2028.
- Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education. A retired librarian and volunteer urged the district to increase library staffing and services, citing California’s low librarian-to-student ratio and describing limited access to book checkout schedules at schools.
- Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education. Speakers urged support for a proposition funding measure described as providing 15% of the state budget for districts since 2012, with 89% going to TK–12 and the remainder to community colleges, and warned that expiration would worsen funding and lead to harder decisions.
What we didn’t fit in this Sundays edition
LONG BEACH had 89 more items this week. Here are sixfour — the rest are on Aware.
- GOVERNANCEBoard reports approving closed-session settlement terms. The board reported approving settlement terms in closed session, including a workers’ compensation matter. The public report did not provide further details about the case.
- GOVERNANCEPublic Comment: School Choice Enrollment Process and Lack of Placement at Poly (Capacity/Transportation Impacts). A parent described difficulties enrolling a student at Poly as the school of residence, stating the family followed procedures but was told there was no room, resulting in missed school due to transportation and placement issues. The parent asked the board to review the school choice/capacity process and practical accessibility of alternatives.
- GOVERNANCEPublic Comment Cluster: Support for Proposition Funding Measure (Prop 3 referenced by speakers). Speakers urged support for a proposition funding measure described as providing 15% of the state budget for districts since 2012, with 89% going to TK–12 and the remainder to community colleges, and warned that expiration would worsen funding and lead to harder decisions.
- GOVERNANCEPublic Comment: Budget/Unaudited Actuals and Spending Priorities Critique. A speaker commented on budget projections and spending priorities, praising conservative projections but criticizing cuts to staff working directly with students while administrative/supervisory spending increased, and citing specific line items such as communications, travel, consulting, legal costs, and superintendent search expenses.
- GOVERNANCEPublic Comment: Library Staffing and Library Services Reduction Concerns. A retired librarian and volunteer urged the district to increase library staffing and services, citing California’s low librarian-to-student ratio and describing limited access to book checkout schedules at schools.
- GOVERNANCEPublic Comment: Request for Support to Fund Chess Programs (Stand Up Get Chess). A speaker representing a chess organization requested help raising $68,000 to fund chess classes at 10 elementary schools and five middle schools, citing 10,368 student class hours and 74 trophies from tournaments last school year.
- GOVERNANCEPolicy Review: Board Policy on Naming Schools (Information item; action planned for October 21). Staff presented an informational update on revising the school naming policy (originally adopted in 2015), developed with a committee connected to the school formerly known as Chávez. Board members asked about public participation, equity/inclusion criteria, expedited renaming, and risks of naming schools after individuals.
- GOVERNANCEBoard approves consent calendar with member exceptions. The board approved the consent calendar after questions about minutes, technology contracts and management contract extensions. Member Lopez voted in favor with exceptions for specified technology and senior management items.
- GOVERNANCEBoard visits schools and reviews how instruction is monitored. The superintendent and board reported on visits to Nelson Middle School and Signal Hill Elementary, including observations of reading instruction and student engagement. District leaders also described using school-level data, walkthroughs and coaching to monitor instructional practices and target support.
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