Dear MBUSD Parents and Community,

Welcome back to another exciting school year! As we embark on this journey together, I want to thank our dedicated staff, exceptional students, wonderful families, MBEF, MBX, PTAs, community members, and local partners who make up our school community. 

I, along with District leadership, visited our eight campuses on the first day of school, and it was so wonderful to see the positive energy in our classrooms and hallways. We look forward to continuing to uphold the high expectations and commitment to excellence that makes MBUSD exceptional, providing top-notch education and support for our students every day. I am eagerly looking forward to seeing you at meetings, school sites, and community events soon!



Today’s issue highlights the first day of school, our annual service pin recognition ceremony, and the latest Mira Costa Aquatics Center renovations.

MBUSD 2023 Opening Day

On Monday, we officially kicked off the 2023-24 school year with nearly 1,000 staff members! The day was filled with excitement and energy as we welcomed everyone back. The morning started with Mira Costa student Samantha Probst singing the National Anthem and Mira Costa Bands performing! The day was centered around collaboration and professional development. 

Thank you to our community partner, Kinecta, for providing a delicious BBQ lunch and to Beach Cities Health District for joining us!

Thank you for your Service!

During the Opening Day celebrations, we honored staff members for their commitment to MBUSD during our service pin recognition ceremony. 135 employees reached anniversary milestones. We provided a commemorative service pin for each five-year anniversary with the District up to thirty-five years. 

Congratulations to all recipients for your commitment and contributions to our District! We appreciate everything you do to support our MBUSD community.

Click the image below to view all the honorees! 

#MBUSDFirstDay2023

Thank you to everyone for sharing your #MBUSDFirstDay2023 stories! It truly has been exciting to see all of the memories. You can check out our back-to-school pictures here, and don’t miss out on all of the Instagram story highlights here. 

If you would like to share photos, please tag us! We will make sure to continue to share your pictures.  

Senior Sunrise

The Senior Class of 2024 started the first day of school bright and early by attending the 3rd annual Senior Sunrise event at Waller Stadium. It’s an opportunity for seniors to reconnect with old friends and meet new Mustangs. 

Principal Dr. Karina Gerger, Vice Principal Jessica Lubs, and student leaders spoke at the event! Check out some of the highlights!

Mira Costa Sophomore Donne Ward Aspires to be a Neurosurgeon



This summer, Donne Ward had the opportunity to meet Dr. Keith Black, the Department Chair of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai. The unique opportunity was presented to Donne during his participation in the Cedars-Sinai Women’s Guild Simulation Center for Advanced Clinical Skills program. 

Mira Costa Aquatic Center Upgrades Make a Splash



Take a look at the pictures below! The Mira Costa High School Aquatic Center has undergone a significant transformation as part of its door replacement project. The improved facility now boasts twelve new doors with modern door frames and hardware. 

In addition, our maintenance team worked through the summer to refresh and repaint the facility’s exteriors, including removing old awnings. We appreciate the Aquatics Boosters for providing funding to support this phase of the project! 

MBUSD in the News

We love seeing our superstar students and staff in the news! Here are some features for the week:

Girls’ Volleyball Preview: Mira Costa Seeking First Section Title Since 2007

Mira Costa's Charlie Fuerbringer brings home the gold



Mira Costa Students Receive Highest Girl Scout Honor

Annual MBUSD Retired Staff Brunch Returns!

It’s been a cherished tradition for retired MBUSD teachers, administrators, and staff to celebrate the first day of school. After three years of hiatus, the brunch returned this week at Urban Plates in the Manhattan Village with 32 retired MBUSD professionals in attendance! Former educators say it’s an opportunity to share memories and appreciate their life-long friendships.

A few of them included former Pennekamp Principal Dale Keldrauk, Pacific Principal Rhonda Steinberg, MBMS ASB & Social Studies Teacher Ro Schreiner, and Pacific School Education Support Specialist Nancy Rosenburg, to name a few. In this gathering of colleagues, former teacher Ro Schreiner served MBUSD the longest with an incredible 51 years of commitment to our District. Thank you to everyone for their service!

From Left to Right: Dale Keldrauk, Rhonda Steinberg, Billie Jean Knight, Deborah Hofreiter, Nancy Rosenburg

Check out our Social Media Directory

Following our eight schools on social media and our District accounts make it convenient for you to get real-time updates, news, and information!

Stay Updated! Download MBUSD App!



If you haven’t downloaded the MBUSD app, please do so!

You can go to an Apple or Google Play store to download the app by searching Manhattan Beach Unified or MBUSD. Once you download it, you will see a home page asking you to set up the schools you would like access to and announcements from, including the District.



You can toggle between the District and each school site screen from the top of the app. All elementary school sites have the same buttons, while MBMS and Mira Costa’s features cater to our families and students there. The app offers 42 languages from which to choose.

You can update your app settings, and you can learn what is happening at the District and school site level every morning by push notifications! 

Join the MBUSD Family!

We are hiring classified and certificated staff. We’re looking for individuals with a passion for helping students discover the joys of learning and creating a safe and engaging learning environment. If you are looking for a meaningful career with excellent benefits, flexibility, and stability, MBUSD is the place for you! 

Click the links below to learn about the variety of MBUSD job openings currently available.

Classified Job Opportunities

Certificated Job Opportunities

Reminder: Labor Day Holiday is Coming Up!

The District office and school sites will be closed on Labor Day, Monday, September 4. 

Have a wonderful weekend! The next Superintendent's Newsletter will be published on Friday, September 1.

Sincerely,