The Laguna Beach Unified School District board has signed off on a major pool overhaul at Laguna Beach High School, clearing the way for a larger competition pool and a new two-story support building. The existing pool is scheduled to close on June 6, with demolition and construction set to begin on June 15 and wrap up in June 2027. That timeline means students, local swim and water polo teams, and community users will be without an on-campus pool for roughly a year while the work is underway.
In a Jan. 27 press release, the district said the board's Jan. 8 vote approved about $18.8 million in construction contracts, plus authorization for up to $2.2 million more in construction-phase services and oversight. The package covers demolition, pool construction, concrete work, plumbing, electrical work and related site improvements. The release also notes that construction staging will rely on parking spaces along Park Avenue so both traffic lanes can stay open, and that work will be coordinated to avoid regular school traffic patterns and city-declared Red Flag days. The district said the schedule was structured to minimize disruption to student programs and community use, according to the Laguna Beach Unified School District.
Funding and timeline
District figures and local coverage say about $20.4 million has been set aside for the project so far, with officials warning that contingencies could push the final bill as high as $25 million. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the plan relies on an $11 million general-fund transfer in the current fiscal year, a $4 million transfer in fiscal year 2026-27 and about $5.4 million from capital reserves. District leaders told the board they would look to other resources, including property tax revenue and Proposition 2 matching funds, to close any remaining funding gap. According to district officials, postponing the project by a year could drive costs up an estimated 8 to 10 percent.
What’s being built
The approved design centers on a 45-meter, 16-lane competition pool, surrounded by new site work, a pool deck, concrete bleachers and public restrooms. Plans also call for a 6,692-square-foot, two-story building with locker and shower areas and equipment storage. Board President Sheri Morgan described the project as a "long-term investment" that will update facilities she and others said have been in service for decades. In its release, the district framed the modernization as both a priority for student programs and a valuable community asset, according to the Laguna Beach Unified School District.
Neighbors and athletes weighed in
Parents, coaches and swimmers urged the board to press ahead, arguing the existing pool has reached the end of its useful life and created persistent scheduling headaches for teams. Public testimony highlighted a failed heating system in late November and a malfunctioning scoreboard that forced a home water polo game to track the score on a whiteboard. Speakers also warned that lane shortages have kept the school from hosting CIF Southern Section playoff matches in recent seasons. Those accounts loomed large in months of public comment leading up to the unanimous vote, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
Next steps
Demolition and equipment removal are slated to begin immediately after schools break for summer, and the district says it will maintain pedestrian access around campus throughout construction. Officials plan to keep refining the project budget and schedule while pursuing additional funding and working with nearby school districts on interim pool access so Laguna Beach High teams can continue practices and competitions during the build.
