Laguna Beach Unified announces new principal for Top of the World campus

The Laguna Beach Unified School District announced Tuesday the appointment of its newest principal, Thomas Turner, to Top of the World Elementary School.

Turner was approved by the district’s school board at a special meeting on June 21. He will be replacing Meghan Schooler, who will serve as a principal in the Folsom-Cordova Unified School District.

Laguna Beach Unified School District officials said in a statement Turner brings with him about 30 years of experience in education, having worked at school, district and county levels. Turner most recently held the role of executive director of educational services at the Orange County Department of Education.

As Top of the World principal he will oversee a school of about 540 students, according to district spokeswoman Anakaren Ureño.

“I loved being a principal and took advantage of my time at OCDE to learn more about teaching and learning and how make schools better,” said Turner. “I am eager to return to school leadership in order to work directly with students, teachers and parents. I look forward to connecting with the Top of the World community and learning more about their phenomenal school. All of my work with LBUSD in the past has been so great and becoming part of that team will be amazing.”

Jennifer Moss, currently district coordinator of special education mental health services at Capistrano Unified School District, will be also be joining Laguna Beach Unified. In her new role as program specialist for special education services, she will help support the coordination and implementation of the local district’s special education programs.

Moss has worked in education for 26 years, with two decades of those being in the classroom.

“We are fortunate to be part of an exceptional school district that consistently attracts highly qualified educators. It speaks to the caliber of our current leadership team and the desire of exceptional leaders to join it,” Supt. Jason Viloria said in a statement. “We are excited to welcome Tom Turner and Jennifer Moss to our team, whose diverse experiences and perspectives will be invaluable as we continue our commitment to excellence as a top-achieving district in the county and state.”