Former LBUSD Admin Re-emerges at Capo

Deni Christensen, who recently resigned as assistant superintendent at Laguna Beach Unified, has returned to the school district from whence she came. 

Capistrano Unified rehired her at Wednesday's school board meeting, returning as an executive director "on special assignment." A spokesman for the district said he did not know what that special assignment is. 

Christensen originally left Capo to take the position of assistant superintendent of instructional services at Laguna Beach in June 2012.

Last month, critics of Laguna Beach Superintendent Sherine Smith, also a CUSD alum, lodged charges of cronyism for hiring buddies and seemingly arbitrarily giving them raises and new titles.  

Although no specific allegations were brought against Christensen, she told the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot that she didn’t want to get caught up in the controversy.

"I don't want to be in a situation where people view my hiring as cronyism within the district," Christensen told that paper. "I don't want to be part of a distraction. The teachers don't need that and the kids don't need that. I want what's best for the district and the kids."

Just this week, another former Capo administrator, Gerald Vlasic, who served as Laguna’s director of human resources, resigned his position as well. Vlasic was an elementary principal in Capo from 2003-09.