The River Street Marketplace will be an outdoor community gathering space, a project that has been in the works for several years, that will feature rustic and native Californian-inspired architecture, with six buildings around a central green area for pedestrians to congregate.

The project will feature various dining concepts and retailers, local art work, a butcher, a cheese shop and a full bar and brewery. It will also hold an area of communal tables for outdoor dining.

Construction on the 60,000-square-foot development is slated to finish around early 2024, said Dan Almquist, the founder and CEO of Almquist Developers, with tenants of the marketplace to begin opening throughout the first months of the new year.

“It has been such a personal journey,” said Almquist, a San Juan Capistrano resident. “I have been working on this for almost 10 years now. It is really neat to see all the thought and work that has gone into it, and right now, it feels really good to have people express their excitement for the project.”

Overall, 35 retailers or restaurants are expected to occupy the River Street Marketplace, said Almquist. And that includes Bred’s Hot Chicken, Capistrano Brewing, Free People, McConnell’s Ice Cream, Mendocino Farms, Toes on the Nose and Ubuntu Café.

“I know I speak for many residents when I say that we cannot wait,” said Mayor Howard Hart. “I am supremely confident that with the amount of thought and effort Dan Almquist and his team have put into this project. San Juan Capistrano will benefit for generations.”

The vision for the project, said Almquist, is creating a gathering place for the community to come together.

“As you see it come to life, I know that is what it is going to be,” he said. “It will be really impactful for not only San Juan Capistrano but south Orange County as well.”

Built in the Los Rios district of San Juan Capistrano, one of the oldest neighborhoods in California, the River Street Marketplace will feature agrarian architecture broken up across smaller buildings. It will have walkways for pedestrian use throughout the marketplace.

The project is located in the heart of downtown San Juan Capistrano next to Zoomars at River Street Ranch, a petting zoo that the Almquist family also owns.

This project has been in discussion since 2016 after Almquist Developers, previously known as Frontier Real Estate Investments, pitched the concept to the City Council after it purchased the property Ito Nursery, which shuttered in 2021. Then, Almquist billed it as a “legacy project” that could make San Juan Capistrano a dining destination.

The City Council originally approved the project in October 2019, and the project’s footprint was eventually reduced — and extra green space added — to address residents’ concerns about traffic and noise, among other issues.

For Almquist, it has been all about establishing trust with the community.

“Everything that happened, in retrospect, was an opportunity for everyone in the project to get comfortable with each other, and we ultimately ended up with a better project,” said Almquist. “Change is hard, and San Juan Capistrano is constantly changing. I understand that people are going to have hesitations and questions, and it is on us to foster the relationship and do things in a transparent and forthright way.”

Developers officially broke ground on Feb. 16, 2022, with an expected completion date of late 2022 or early 2023, but wet weather pushed the project back about a year, said Almquist.

Besides River Street Marketplace, Almquist Developers has been in the process of constructing similar developments in Whittier and downtown Fullerton and is in talks to collaborate with the Great Park in Irvine. Almquist Developers has additionally assisted in the developments and updates of other local spots in the San Juan Capistrano, such as Capistrano Plaza, Mayfield Restaurant and Marketplace, Breezy’s and Heritage’s Barbecue.

Here is a list of some (but not all) bakeries and markets in Orange County where you can get your hands on pan de muertos for the annual holiday, which falls on Wednesday, Nov 1 and Thursday, Nov. 2.

Anaheim: Brizuela’s Bakery (1721 W. Katella Ave., suite R), La Reina Market (508 N. East St., Anaheim), Max’s Baked Goods (3414 W. Ball Road, suite J), Northgate Market (929 S. Euclid St.), Panaderia La Pequena (888 W. Lincoln Ave.), Panaderia Los Volcanes (2659 W. Lincoln Ave.)

Buena Park: Panaderia Indio (8204 Commonwealth Ave.), Porto’s Bakery (7640 Beach Blvd.), Northgate Market (1120 S. Bristol St.)

Costa Mesa: La Espiga De Oro (805 W. 19th St.), Panificadora Bakery (2200 Harbor Blvd., suite E120)

Dana Point: Buena Vista Market (34065 La Plaza)

Fullerton: Panaderia Y Pasteleria (2230 W. Orangethorpe Ave.)

Garden Grove: Estrella De Mexicali (12859 Chapman Ave.)

Huntington Beach: Chelos Panaderia (18029 Beach Blvd.)

La Habra: La Central Bakery (764 W. La Habra Blvd.), My Bakery (350 N. Harbor Blvd.), Northgate Market (1305 W. Whittier Blvd.), Panaderia y Pasteleria la Mexicana (1951 E. La Habra Blvd., suite 1A)

Lake Forest: Efren’s Bakery (24601 Raymond Way, #7), El Molino de Oro (23532 El Toro Road)

Orange: El Molino De Oro (728 N. Tustin St.), La Espiga De Oro Panaderia Carniceria (East Wilson Avenue), La Reina Market (909 N. Tustin St.), La Poblana (604 W. Chapman Ave.)

Placentia: Mil Hojas (642 W. Chapman Ave.)

San Juan Capistrano: El Molino De Oro (31886 Plaza Drive), Mercado El Rey (32252 Camino Capistrano) and El Campeon Bakery (31921 Camino Capistrano, #14)

Santa Ana: Cafe Cultura (324 W. Fourth St.), El Gallo Giro (1442 S. Bristol St., #1A), El Metate Panaderia (1338 W. First St.), El Panadero (1818 S. Standard Ave.), La Rancherita Bakery (2709 Westminster Ave., suite B), Northgate Market (230 N. Harbor Blvd., 1120 S. Bristol Street, 1010 South Main St.), Panaderia La Mejor (1331 E. First St.), Panaderia Paloza (1701 E. McFadden Ave.), Rosas Pasteleria Y Panaderia (1009 S. Fairview St.), Tlaxcala Bakery Panaderia (1208 S. Standard Ave.), Soy Concha Bakery (709 N. Bristol St., suite J)

Stanton: Leobardo’s Bakery (11841 Beach Blvd.), Panaderia Cortez (7506 Cerritos Ave.)

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  The double-height foyer has twin semi-circular staircases. (Photo by Toby Ponnay)

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  Anthony Trimino speaks at an anti-vaccination protest rally in 2021. (Photo by David McNew/ AFP via Getty Images)

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  The great room connects to the gourmet kitchen and breakfast nook, which features a fireplace. (Photo by Toby Ponnay)

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  The living room. (Photo by Toby Ponnay)

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  One of two offices. (Photo by Toby Ponnay)

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  The putting green. (Photo by Toby Ponnay)

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  The backyard pool and spa. (Photo by Toby Ponnay)

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  The San Juan Capistrano house has a columned entry. (Photo by Toby Ponnay)

A San Juan Capistrano home owned by Anthony Trimino, the ad agency CEO who ran in the 2021 California governor recall election, has relisted for $6.495 million.

The asking price is 21% higher than the $5.385 million the one-time gubernatorial hopeful and his wife, Jennifer, paid for the property in December 2021, records show. According to county documents, the couple bought the house from Jim Bellino of “The Real Housewives of Orange County” fame.

MLS records show the Triminos originally listed the home in March for $6.995 million, removed it in September and then relisted it on Oct. 19 at the current asking price.

Sited on a 1-acre lot in the guard-gated Hunt Club neighborhood, the 6,082-square-foot classical-style house with an imposing columned entry dates to 1986 and recently underwent a two-year renovation. It has a double-height foyer with twin semi-circular staircases, six bedrooms and seven bathrooms.

A frameless glass door leads to the all-white living room with a fireplace and illuminated built-ins.

In the formal dining room, there’s a custom ceiling and an expensive built-in buffet with a wine refrigerator.

The great room seamlessly connects to the gourmet kitchen, anchored by a waterfall-style island. Its stainless-steel appliances include a built-in Sub-Zero refrigerator and a six-burner Wolf range. A fireplace warms the breakfast nook.

There are two offices, including one accessible by a staircase.

The upstairs primary suite features a built-in wine refrigerator, a freestanding tub and a luxurious steam shower with Accoya wood and book-matched slabs of stone. A deck offers scenic views of the surrounding hills.

Designed for large gatherings, the backyard boasts resort-style amenities such as a pool and spa with water accents and an electric cover, a pickleball and basketball court, a putting green and an outdoor kitchen equipped with a pizza oven and a grill.

Tim Smith and Jeff Golden of Coldwell Banker Realty hold the listing.

Trimino, 48, is president and CEO of Traffik, an Irvine-based advertising agency. He was among the list of Republican candidates who hoped but ultimately failed to oust Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in a special recall election in 2021.

In 2022, the incumbent governor was re-elected for a second term.

Since its inception in 2008, the farm has grown from hundreds of visitors each year to more than 75,000 people who visit the center annually. Many local farm-to-table restaurants buy directly from the farm, with roughly between 3,000 to 5,000 households purchasing their food at the farm stand for seasonal vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers.

In addition to the organic farm, visitors can check out the fermentation lab, a breakfast-lunch cafe and the property’s wood-frame Congdon House built in 1878. Materials used to construct the home include redwood lumber that made its way by boat from San Francisco and sandstone slabs pulled from the nearby Mission. Today the Ecology Center uses the homestead as its main office, which also serves as a charming anchor to the surrounding farm.

The Ecology Center also made a name for itself, in part, due to its recurring Community Table dinners, an al fresco dining experience featuring noted chefs and culinary superstars like farm-to-table movement pioneer Alice Waters (“This is an oasis,” Waters told Ecology Center founder and executive director Evan Marks during her inaugural visit to the farm in 2016), Valle’s Roberto Alcocer, Samin Nosrat of “Salt Fat Acid Heat” fame, Michael Campbell of Pacific Pearl Catering Co. and Marcelo Hisaki of Restaurante Amores in Tecate, Baja California.

Most recently, the Ecology Center opened Campesino Cafe in June, a breakfast-lunch eatery that serves meals straight from the nearby farm. Depending on the season, its menu features items like goat’s milk yogurt parfait with granola, berries and honey; fermented vegetable and salanova lettuce salad with guajillo chile; or squash blossom salad with raw squash and green onion.

In 2022, the center worked with the city to extend its license agreement for a total of 40 years. The 15-year anniversary party, which is free, happens Saturday, Nov. 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Find it: 32701 Alipaz (at Camino Del Avion), San Juan Capistrano

(Records through Oct. 22)

1. Mater Dei 35-3: The Monarchs swept Palos Verdes in the first round of pool play in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs.

Previous ranking: 1

2. Huntington Beach 28-6: The Oilers opened Division 1 pool play with a sweep of Alemany. They play at home against Los Alamitos on Tuesday .

Previous ranking: 2

3. Beckman 28-5: The Patriots beat Santa Monica and Marina to advance to the quarterfinals of the Division 3 playoffs.

Previous ranking: 3

4. Los Alamitos 31-6: The Griffins lost to second-seeded Mira Costa in the first round of Division 1 pool play.

Previous ranking: 4

5. JSerra 27-10: The Lions beat Long Beach Millikan and Rancho Cucamonga to advance to the quarterfinals in Division 2.

Previous ranking: 5

6. Orange Lutheran 24-13: The Lancers defeated Etiwanda and Aliso Niguel to reach the Division 2 quarterfinals.

Previous ranking: 6

7. Dana Hills 20-2: The Dolphins beat Cypress and Redlands in the Division 3 playoffs.

Previous ranking: 8

8. Newport Harbor 18-15: The Sailors beat Chaminade and Santa Margarita, last week’s county No. 7 team, in the Division 2 playoffs.

Previous ranking: Not ranked

9. San Clemente 19-13: The Tritons defeated Santiago of Corona, lost to La Canada in the Division 2 playoffs.

Previous ranking: 9

10. Edison 18-12: The Chargers defeated St. Joseph of Lakewood, Vista Murrieta in the Division 2 playoffs.

Others considered: Aliso Niguel 13-13; Canyon 20-3; Capistrano Valley Christian 27-3; Corona del Mar 17-11; Santa Margarita 18-12; Sunny Hills 27-2

Notable this week: Undefeated Tustin breaks into the Top 10 for the first time this season after shutting out Pacifica 49-0. … San Clemente advances from No. 5 last week to No. 3. … Servite moves up to No. 4 after a 50-42 win over Santa Margarita. … Los Alamitos climbs to No. 7 and will face No. 9 Edison this week for the Sunset League championship.

1. Mater Dei 8-1 (75 points)

The Monarchs shook off a shutout loss to St. John Bocsco with an impressive 55-13 win over Orange Lutheran in Trinity League play. Senior running back Ajon Bryant rushed for 155 yards and two touchdowns and junior linebacker Nasir Wyatt had three sacks. Mater Dei is likely to be the No. 2 seed in Division 1 of the CIF-SS playoffs.

Previous ranking: 1

2. Orange Lutheran 5-4 (72)

The Lancers had the misfortune of being the team in Mater Dei’s way after the Monarchs lost to St. John Bosco. The Lancers, who play Bosco this week, are in third place in the Trinity League with a 2-2 league record.

Previous ranking: 2

3. San Clemente 8-1 (69)

The Tritons are 2-0 in the four-team South Coast League after last week’s 35-18 win over Capistrano Valley. Senior quarterback Dylan Mills turned in one of his better games, completing 16 of 19 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns, both to junior Cole Herlean.

Previous ranking: 5

4. Servite 5-4 (66)

Junior quarterback Leo Hannan threw for 343 yards and four touchdowns in a 50-42 win over Santa Margarita. Sophomore cornerback Tristin Ordaz had eight solo tackles and broke up two passes. Servite finishes the regular season facing JSerra at Cerritos College on Friday.

Previous ranking: 6

5. Santa Margarita 5-4 (62)

Sophomore Trent Mosley had 351 all-purpose yards, including 221 receiving yards, and made three solo tackles for the Eagles in their 50-42 loss to Servite. They play Mater Dei this week.

Previous ranking: 3

6. JSerra 4-5 (59)

The Lions lost to the No. 1 team in Calpreps’ state rankings, St. John Bosco, 42-20. JSerra is 1-3 in the Trinity League, with the victory against Orange Lutheran. The Lions probably need to beat Servite this week to get into the playoffs.

Previous ranking: 4

7. Los Alamitos 7-2 (57)

The Griffins scored 60 points for a school-record fourth time and for the third week in a row in a 63-13 league win over Huntington Beach. Los Alamitos plays Edison this week at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach to decide the Sunset League title. Both teams are 4-0 in the Sunset League.

Previous ranking: 8

8. Mission Viejo 6-3 (56)

Junior Dijon Lee Jr. scored a touchdown on an interception return and another TD on a pass reception in the Diablos’ 36-0 win over Tesoro in the South Coast League. Zachary Foeldi had two of Mission Viejo’s five interceptions.

Previous ranking: 7

9. Edison 6-3 (50)

The Chargers beat Fountain Valley 56-7 for their 19th consecutive win over the Barons. Junior Julius Gillick rushed for 158 yards and a touchdown on only eight carries, and freshman quarterback Sam Thomson threw three touchdown passes for the Chargers.

Previous ranking: 10

10. Tustin 9-0 (49)

The Tillers are the only undefeated team in Orange County. They beat Pacifica 49-0 last week to improve to 4-0 in the Empire League. Tustin rushed for 331 yards, led by Eimesse Essis, who ran for 112 yards and two touchdowns on six carries. The Tillers are home Friday against Cypress in a game for the Empire League title.

Previous ranking: 11

11. San Juan Hills 8-1 (45)

Previous ranking: 9

12. Newport Harbor 4-5 (41)

Previous ranking: 12

13. Tesoro 5-4 (38)

Previous ranking: 13

14. Villa Park 8-1 (37)

Previous ranking: 16

15. Corona del Mar 4-5 (32)

Previous ranking: 14

16. Yorba Linda 6-3 (30)

Previous ranking: 15

17. Trabuco Hills 6-3 (29)

Previous ranking: 21

18. Cypress 6-3 (22)

Previous ranking: 17

19. Capistrano Valley 7-2 (20)

Previous ranking: 17

20. Western 8-1 (18)

Previous ranking: 19

21. Foothill 6-3 (14)

Previous ranking: 22

22. El Modena 5-4 (14)

Previous ranking: 20

23. El Dorado 4-5 (9)

Previous ranking: 22

24. La Habra 5-4 (6)

Previous ranking: 24

25. Laguna Beach 8-1 (4)

Previous ranking: 25

Also receiving votes: Crean Lutheran 6-3 (1)

About the poll: There are three voters in the weekly poll. Points are awarded for each spot in the poll. Starting with 25 points for a No. 1 ranking.

The Braves improved to 8-1 overall and 4-0 in the Trinity League. St. John Bosco will play Orange Lutheran (5-4, 2-2) at Orange Coast College on Oct. 27.

Bosco led 21-10 at halftime and 28-13 heading into the fourth quarter. The Braves scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to pull away to a 42-20 win.

Bosco started the game on offense and led 7-0 midway through the first quarter. However, Bosco trailed JSerra 9-7 early in the second quarter.

Braves senior quarterback Caleb Sanchez responded to the adversity by throwing a touchdown pass to senior receiver Stacy Dobbins, which gave Bosco a 14-10 lead. Sanchez threw another touchdown pass to senior receiver Tommy Maher, which extended Bosco’s lead to 21-10 before halftime.

JSerra (4-5, 1-3) added a field goal early in the second half, which cut Bosco’s lead to 21-13 with 5:29 left in the third quarter. Bosco recovered a muffed punt by JSerra. Bosco senior running back Chauncey Sylvester Jr.’s touchdown run put the Braves up 28-13 with 3:24 left in the third.

JSerra was in a position to make the content a one-score game again but the Lions fumbled a few yards from the end zone. Notre Dame linebacker commit Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa hauled in the fumble recovery.

Sanchez threw another touchdown pass to sophomore receiver Madden Williams, which extended the Braves lead to 35-13 with 9:57 left in the fourth.

Friday’s win was Bosco coach Jason Negro’s 200th career victory, according to Cal-Hi Sports.

Enjoy them now, because most of these league rivalries are very unlikely to be around next season.

They could continue as nonleague games, but it’s more fun when a playoff berth or a league championship is at stake.

Orange County high schools agreed this past spring to reassemble its football leagues and conferences after this season. With the exception of the Trinity League teams, all of the Orange County 11-player football teams will placed into one basket. CalPreps’ ratings will be used to place teams into leagues. This is a football-only plan. League and conference memberships will be different for other sports.

If the 2023 football season was over, what would the leagues look like in 2024?

Let’s do this … but first a couple of items to know …

Again, the Trinity League is excluded. The four football teams with the top ratings by CalPreps will be in one league, then there will be 10 six-team leagues, and the bottom five teams in one league.

The league names have not been finalized, so the working titles are Orange County Football Conference A (OCFC A) and Orange County Football Conference B (OCFC B),etc. For this exercise, we’re going with “leagues.”

The previous two years of ratings will be used to place teams into leagues, weighted at 65 percent for the 2023 season and 35 percent weighted for the 2022 season.

Going into this week’s games, with rounded-off ratings totals, here are what the leagues would look like in 2024 (league members listed in alphabetical order):

League A: Edison, Los Alamitos, Mission Viejo, San Clemente.

League B: Corona del Mar, Newport Harbor, San Juan Hills, Tesoro, Villa Park, Yorba Linda.

League C: Capistrano Valley, Cypress, El Modena, Trabuco Hills, Tustin, Western.

League D: El Dorado, Foothill, Huntington Beach, La Habra, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills.

League E: Crean Lutheran, Dana Hills, Fountain Valley, Irvine, Northwood, Orange.

League F: Aliso Niguel, Canyon, El Toro, Santa Ana, St. Margaret’s, Troy.

League G: Brea Olinda, Esperanza, Kennedy, Segerstrom, Sonora, Sunny Hills.

League H: Beckman, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Marina, Valencia, Westminster.

League I: Buena Park, Calvary Chapel, Pacifica, Portola, University, Woodbridge.

League J: Estancia; Katella, Los Amigos, Ocean View, Rancho Alamitos, Santa Ana Valley.

League K: Anaheim, Bolsa Grande, Costa Mesa, La Quinta, Loara, Santiago.

League L: Century, Godinez Magnolia, Saddleback, Savanna.

The margins could be tight when teams are placed into football leagues for the 2024 season. Through eight games of this season, using the Calpreps ratings, Irvine’s rating is 4.79 and Aliso Niguel’s is 4.78. So if the 2023 season was over now, Irvine would be the bottom team in League E and Aliso Niguel would be the top team in League F.

NOTES

CIF-SS football playoff brackets will be released Oct. 29 at 10 a.m. The 8-man football playoff brackets will be released Oct. 29 at 1 p.m. …

Yes, Orange County has 8-man football. Sage Hill, in Newport Beach, is in the Prep League and is 4-2 overall and 0-1 in league and averages 48 points a game. Vista Meridian, in Santa Ana, plays a freelance schedule and is 1-4. …

The CIF-SS Division 1 football championship game will be played at the Coliseum on Nov. 24. The first CIF championship football game played at the Coliseum was in 1923 when Long Beach Poly defeated Glendale 15-8. The most recent CIF final at the Coliseum was in 1997 when Long Beach Poly beat Mater Dei 28-25. …

It looks like the Pacific Coast Conference schools will present a proposal at Monday’s releaguing meeting that would exclude Rosary from its group. This past spring Orange County schools included Rosary in the Pacific Coast group in the approved releaguing plan for all sports outside of football. The Freeway League, which would be broken up in the passed proposal, has indicated that it would present a proposal that would keep its membership intact. …

Holly Barker of Trabuco Hills and Evan Noonan of Dana Hills, so far, are making it easy to select the Orange County boys and girls cross country athletes of the year by winning or finishing high in just about every race they enter. Barker won last weekend’s Orange County Championships and earlier finished first in the Central Park Invitational. Noonan finished first in the Orange County Championships, the Woodbridge Classic and was third in the Clovis Invitational. …

The CIF-SS Division 1 girls volleyball playoffs started Wednesday. Mater Dei swept Palos Verdes in three sets (the first was a tough one, 27-25), Los Alamitos lost to Mira Costa in three sets and Huntington Beach swept Alemany (and another tough first set there, with the Oilers winning 28-26). Division 1 pool play resumes Tuesday with Los Alamitos at Huntington Beach. Huntington Beach beat Los Alamitos in their two Surf League matches. …

Newport Harbor’s girls flag football team had its closest win of the season Wednesday, a 14-12 victory over Edison. Newport Harbor is 21-1, with the loss to Woodbridge, which Newport Harbor defeated a couple of weeks later.

As it was written, the Capistrano Unified parental notification policy focused on mental health, saying a designated school counselor would notify a student’s family “when they have reasonable cause to believe that doing so will avert a clear and present danger to the health, safety or welfare” of students.

But after being asked for clarification during the discussion on Wednesday, Oct. 18, Trustee Lisa Davis, who proposed the policy, said students’ gender identity would also result in parental notification.

The board voted 4-2 to reject the policy, with Davis and Judy Bullockus the two yes votes.

“We are all doing what we think is best for our own children,” said Trustee Michael Parham. “Because we are so engaged, we are rarely caught off-guard when it comes to our own children. I haven’t heard any anecdotes tonight where teachers are not deliberately telling you something about your child here in the district. So that to me suggests our system in place is working.”

Superintendent Chris Brown, when asked, said anecdotal data showed “zero complaints about not letting parents know about gender identity in students.”

But Bullockus, citing an article written by a local psychologist who said there is a need for more discussions between parents and children since the pandemic, said: “I believe that this policy is collectively caring for students in this world of many health issues that they are facing.”

“Empathy is what parents need most in their relationships with their children,” she said. “I don’t believe you should kick parents out of the door. I think parents could use some coaching, so let’s work and teach with parents.”

Trustee Gila Jones, who voted against the policy, was not in favor of using the word “notification” to describe the policy but suggested using “engagement” instead.

“Engagement suggests that it is a partnership,” said Jones. “I do not think that parents are the enemy, not for a minute. I also do not think that there is anyone in the district who thinks that as well.”

Although he could not vote, student board member Tyler Pearce said he was against the proposal and wanted to “stand in favor of the students who would be directly affected.”

“I do believe that this is an outing policy,” said Pearce, a student at San Clemente High. “This parental notification policy is unnecessary, divisive and deep-rooted in political and personal agendas. We need to stop creating this umbrella of mental illness to refer to certain communities. Is it actually a mental health crisis? Or is it our generation who are so compelled to express their own identity and parents born in a different generation?”

“Times are changing; so should opinions,” said Pearce.

The Capistrano Unified board chose to restrict public comment to just over an hour — and gave students the opportunity to speak first.

Student speakers were at times emotional and passionate, with many walking away in tears or turning to the crowd to hype people up. The majority of those who spoke were students — a change from what has been seen at other local school board meetings where parental notification policies have been discussed.

“I am proud of the students who spoke today who were able to see through … the misinformation,” said Parham, a trustee who voted against the policy. “I think we are doing a great job of teaching these students critical thinking skills because they came well prepared and taught us grown-ups a little bit more about the next generation and what they are capable of.”

Assemblymember Bill Essayli, R-Corona, who pushed for parental notification policies in the legislature, was one of the few adult speakers who had a chance to voice his opinions during public comment.

“Parents have the constitutional right to raise their children,” said Essayli. “They are not spectators. I think that it is so disrespectful that you took a whole hour to listen to children than the parents who took the time off to be here tonight. They are the taxpayers, the voters, the people that you answer to. You spent time listening to children who are being used as political pawns from the left to emotionally manipulate and advance an ideology.”

Capistrano Unified’s proposed policy was first presented by Davis during the board’s September board meeting. Then, Davis said, “This policy brings parents into the conversation regarding some of the most important aspects of a child’s life.”

The proposed policy was written with verbatim language that was used in the approved parental notification policy at Placentia-Yorba Linda School District.

It said: “Due to the current nationwide mental health crisis exacerbated by the global pandemic, the Capistrano Unified School District recognizes the need for frequent, ongoing and oftentimes immediate communication between school administration, staff, and parents/guardians. Furthermore, with reports of depression, anxiety and suicide rates at an all-time high among public school students, action is needed to address this emerging crisis and support the health and welfare of district students.”

Andrew Fredriksz, a previous school counselor at Capistrano Unified, said that he is against the policy in a letter sent to Board President Krista Castellanos earlier this week.

“While parent rights are extremely important and they should always be contacted regarding life-changing decisions regarding their children, reporting to parents how a student identifies does not fall under life-changing decision-making,” said Fredriksz, now a counselor at Laguna Beach Unified. “The risk of outing a student in a household where they will not be accepted and may have a negative impact on their mental health is a greater concern in this discussion.”

“I have a lot of respect for the board,” said Fredriksz. “They are unfortunately caught in divisive culture politics as are the students.”

Fredriksz said he does not believe a parental notification policy will be enacted at Laguna Beach Unified.

“Laguna Beach Unified does a great job of cultivating a community where everyone is heard — families, students and staff,” said Fredriksz. “There seems to be a foundation of respect between everyone which helps promote productive conversations.”

Orange Unified was the first Orange County school district to adopt the policy in early September, and Placentia Yorba-Linda soon followed suit, becoming the second district to approve the policy last week. Many parental rights activist groups say they will attend Tustin Unified’s next meeting on Nov. 13 to encourage the policy to be addressed there.

In districts that have adopted these policies, situations that would warrant parent notification include requests to use different names or pronouns or requests to change sex-segregated programs (like athletic teams or changing facilities) that differ from the student’s “assigned biological sex at birth.”

The policies also include notification guidelines if a student reports self-harm, suicidal ideation or injury to others.

Capistrano Unified has 63 campuses, making it the largest district in Orange County. The district includes the cities of San Clemente, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo, Mission Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita.

This story has been updated.

Like the policy adopted by Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified earlier this month, the proposal is written to solely focus on mental health concerns and has no mention of gender identity. Parental notification policies recently enacted by other California school districts have included a set of guidelines outlining how school administrators or staff will inform parents that their student may be transgender, such as if they request to use different pronouns or changing rooms that differ from their “assigned biological sex at birth.”

Capistrano Unified’s proposed policy says “parents/guardians will be notified if a student is exhibiting symptoms of depression, anxiety, a dramatic shift in academic performance, social withdrawal or other significant changes affecting a student’s well-being.”

Multiple sections of the proposed policy are verbatim to what was enacted by PYLUSD on Oct. 10, with the emphasis placed on mental health concerns. But PYLUSD Superintendent Alex Cherniss said there could be instances when a teacher or school staff member would notify a parent if they became aware that a student desired or began to transition genders, requested to go by a different pronoun or expressed distress because their gender expression does not match their gender identity.

It’s not yet clear if that is also the intent behind Capistrano Unified’s proposal.

The policy comes at the request of Trustee Lisa Davis who did not respond to a request for comment. During a September meeting, Davis did not go into details about what would be included in the policy but said, “As educators, we are mandated reporters, so we are already mandated to report on anything that is concerning over the safety of a child.”

“Due to the current nationwide mental health crisis exacerbated by the global pandemic, the Capistrano Unified School District recognizes the need for frequent, ongoing and oftentimes immediate communication between school administration, staff, and parents/guardians,” the proposed policy reads. “Furthermore, with reports of depression, anxiety and suicide rates at an all-time high among public school students, action is needed to address this emerging crisis and support the health and welfare of district students.”

The proposed policy states that district employees, administrators and certificated staff are to “collaborate with parents in evaluating the needs of students having academic, attendance, social, emotional, or behavioral difficulties and in identifying strategies and programs that may assist such students in maximizing their potential.”

It specifically instructs district officials to involve a principal or school counselor as soon as they become aware that a student may have suicidal intentions based on their verbalizations or acts of self-harm. In this instance, the principal is to immediately secure medical treatment or mental health services, keep the student under continuous adult supervision until a parent or appropriate support agency is able to intervene and notify law enforcement and other emergency assistance if suicide is actively being threatened.

Capistrano Unified’s proposal also says officials should notify parents if their child is in possession of a prohibited substance, experiences sexual harassment or is involved in a verbal or physical altercation.

In other districts that have adopted these policies, situations that would warrant alerting a parent include requests to use different names or pronouns or requests to change sex-segregated programs (like athletic teams or changing facilities) that differ from the student’s “assigned biological sex at birth.” Those policies also include notification guidelines if a student reports self-harm, suicidal ideation or injury to others.

Capistrano Unified would become the latest California school district — and third in Orange County —to enact what’s been dubbed a parental notification policy if adopted on Wednesday.

Orange Unified was the first Orange County school district to adopt the policy in early September; PYLUSD became the second last week. And many parental rights activist groups say they will attend Tustin Unified’s next meeting to encourage the policy to be addressed there.

Capistrano Unified has 63 campuses, making it the largest district in Orange County. The district includes the cities of San Clemente, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo, Mission Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita.

The Capistrano Unified board is set to meet at 33122 Valle Rd. in San Juan Capistrano at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.