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his wife Marie bought the Dolphin Company , about 300 Laguna acres , for $ 17,010 , and ten years later transferred 6.5 acres to the Catholic Church for a school .

St . Catherine ’ s opening was announced in a 1957 South Coast News headline : “ New Catholic School Opens for 200 Students in Laguna Beach .” A brick school building with five classrooms and an auditorium that could later be divided into three more classrooms , was built for $ 175,000 . The student body would include fifty or so Laguna kids previously bused to Mission Basilica School in Capistrano .

Four teachers , nuns from the St . Joseph of Carondelet order in Los Angeles , would teach grades one to eight ( apparently grouping two grades together until enrollment grew ).

A convent was later built to house the sisters , but times changed . A 1971 South Coast News headline warned : “ Departure of Nuns May Close School .” The school survived the shortage , attracting nuns from St . Martin ’ s Priory in Rapid City , South Dakota , who must have loved Laguna ’ s weather . The convent finally closed in 1992 when the school , by necessity , converted to lay teachers , which raised costs . The convent house was used for retreats until it was lost in the 2008 reconstruction of the school at the cost of $ 18 million . The handwriting was on the wall : Costs were rising just as the

birthrate was falling . A perfect storm of Covid-related problems and declining enrollment , complicated in the view of some by “ a lack of leadership ,” forced the closing of St . Catherine ’ s School in 2020 after 63 years .

Over the years , a multi-generation family had grown around “ this small Catholic school with a vision as big as the sea .” In talking to parents and former teachers , the most common response to the closure was , “ we are heartbroken .” Three years on , those who were part of St . Catherine ’ s still aren ’ t over the closing . A long-time teacher recalls , “ so many triumphs , so many joys , so many funny stories .” One parent remembers St . Catherine ’ s as “ the happiest place ” and another as “ the hidden jewel by the sea .” Students remembered building playhouses on

the hill above the school , forming a children ’ s community . One recalled the joys of PE classes . Students would run to the top of the hill , down to the beach , and into the ocean .

School traditions included their version of the Pageant of the Masters , renamed “ The Master ’ s Pageant ,” where students performed kid-sized versions of paintings , including “ The Last Supper ” by Leonardo da Vinci . Seagulls were part of student life , always a threat to unattended lunches . You could collect a reward at the office , a quarter or some candy , if a passing gull pooped on your hair .

After the 2008 rebuilding of the school , a time capsule was buried for retrieval at the seventy-fifth anniversary in 2032 .

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to thank our City negotiating team , city manager Shohreh Dupuis and the Police Employees Association for diligently working together toward an agreement that is strongly supported by our police employees and offers them the elevated compensation and quality of life enhancements they deserve for the great work that they do to protect us every day .”

The terms of the agreement are the

highest ever offered to the LBPEA in recognition of their work – and provides a total compensation package that is expected to put Laguna Beach second in Orange County for police office compensation , in hopes it will have an immediate impact in attracting and retaining department personnel .

The labor agreement provides an approximate 19 percent increase in police officer salary and benefits , with 10 percent effective Jan . 1 , 2023 and 13 percent increase in professional staff ’ s salary and benefits over the contract ’ s three-year term .

Some of the agreement highlights include , a 15 percent increase in salary for officers over three years plus 1.5 percent increase in salary for Peace Officers Standards & Training ( POST ) certification . also , a 12 percent salary increase for professional staff over three years , an increase in the city ’ s contribution to Retirement Health Savings and an increase in pay for specialty assignments , including the school resource officer , detective officers and sergeants , department training officer , and the corporal and sergeant supervising the

Neighborhood Enhancement Team .

The LBPEA agreement is expected to increase the budget by approximately $ 400,000 in the fiscal years of 2022-23 , $ 1.1 million in 2023-2024 , and $ 1.7 million in 2024-25 .

The tentative agreement will go before the Laguna Beach City Council for consideration at its Jan . 10 , 2023 meeting . If approved , the agreement will be effective from Jan . 1 , 2023 through Dec . 31 , 2025 .

The LBPEA is a professional labor organization representing approximately 91 City of Laguna Beach Police Department employees .