Palm Springs Unified School District

The Board of Education this evening named Laura Meusel for the position of Assistant Superintendent of Student Services. Ms. Meusel began her career in education in August 2001, in the Bay Area. She taught middle and high school English for six years. In August 2007, Ms. Meusel began her administrative career in which she served as a secondary assistant principal before becoming a secondary principal. During her time as a site administrator, she has led a variety of innovative learning programs, such as Adventure STEM. In July 2019, Ms. Meusel was promoted to the position of Administrator Educational Services charged with leading the Oak Grove School District’s mental health, social-emotional learning, student transfer processes, and even served as the District’s Public Information Officer. In July 2021, she joined the PSUSD as the Executive Director of Student Services. She has been instrumental in structuring a high-functioning system designed to provide quality mental health services to the scholars of PSUSD. Through her efforts, PSUSD is unique among California school districts by developing a model SARB process and successfully implementing effective processes for billing, to name a few, which has allowed PSUSD to create sustainable programs.

Congratulations Laura! Job well done! ⭐️🎉

The Board of Education this evening named Karilyn Dangleis as Assistant Principal (Athletic Director) at Cathedral City High School. Ms. Dangleis began her career in public education as a Physical Education teacher in Baldwin Park USD in 1993. In 1999, she joined PSUSD as a physical education and dance teacher at CCHS. Since 2016 she has served as the certificated librarian for CCHS while coordinating the IB Extended Essay program and the IB Creative Activity Service program. During the second semester of last school year, Ms. Dangleis was assigned as the interim AP/AD at CCHS.

Congratulations Karilyn!⭐️🎉

The Board of Education this evening named Estella Briceño as Coordinator, Early Childhood Education. Ms. Briceño has served families and communities for 26 years beginning in Long Beach, CA with Children’s Home Society of California. In 2002, she became a Child Care Liaison for the Riverside County Office of Education assigned to work with families in Indio, and in 2008, she was assigned to serve as a Child Care Coordinator with the Department of Public Social Services. Since 2017 she has served as Regional Manager for Riverside County, First 5 Riverside where she has been providing leadership and oversight to family resource centers, ensuring high quality service delivery and alignment with organizational goals and community needs.

Welcome to the PSUSD family!👏🎉

The Board of Education this evening presented its “Making a Difference Award” to Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills.When Chief Mills arrived in Palm Springs as our chief of police in 2021, he brought more than just three decades of law enforcement expertise; he brought a philosophy rooted in empathy, transparency, and a relentless focus on the social conditions that shape our community. He has built a trust with our scholar by being a consistent presence in our schools, moving beyond traditional policing to become a mentor and advocate for the youth of Palm Springs. He has championed programs that bridge the gap between law enforcement and the next generation, ensuring that our youngest citizens feel seen, heard, and protected. 👮‍♂️

His leadership in Problem-Oriented Policing has directly addressed the safety and well-being of our campus environments, making our schools not just safer, but more supportive places to learn. By prioritizing community engagement and LGBTQ+ advocacy, he has modeled the inclusivity and respect we strive to instill in every PSUSD scholar.⭐️

In recognition of this work, the Palm Springs Boys and Girls Club honored Chief Mills with their Community Superhero Award at their 2024 “Be a Hero for Kids” Halloween Bash. A regular participant in the PSPD’s “Shop with a Cop” event each year, Chief Mills created the “Paddles for a Cause” pickleball tournament in 2024, which raised over $25,000 over the past two years for the program, which provides scholars in need with holiday gifts that they get to pick out. 👏

Partnering with Do the Right Thing Founder Dr, Terri Ketover, Chief Mills has been front and center honoring Coachella Valley scholars for their good deeds and positive behavior each month by hosting the ceremonies at the Palm Springs Police Department and being present to recognize and congratulate all of the honorees.🥇

Chief Mills has truly made a difference in the lives of our scholars, families and entire community, and we could not be more grateful.🎉🌟

The Board of Education this evening thanked and commended NCMS parents Norma and Ricardo Flores for their involvement in school site activities and events. Most recently Mr. and Mrs. Flores accompanied scholars from NCMS at their SkillsUSA competition in Atlanta and put together a special promotion celebration for the eighth graders at the competition who were unable to attend the school’s celebration. 👏🏆

Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Flores for all of your support. We appreciate you!

The Board of Education this evening commended and recognized the SkillsUSA team from Palm Springs High School who won gold at the state competition and were the first team to qualify for national competition in the TV News Production category. 📺📹

Congratulations to Jazmine Recinos, Alyson Master, Nick Thompson and
Wayne Clemons. We are so proud of you! ⭐️👏

The Board of Education this evening recognized and commended our SkillsUSA teams from Nellie N. Coffman Middle School who won gold awards at state competition qualified to compete in the national Skills USA competition in June where they brought home top honors in various categories. 🏆🥇

Congratulations to the following stellar scholars:

Nellie N. Coffman Middle School:
Raquel Alaniz
Ashlyn Chavez
Ethan Contreras
Ophelia Flores
Kayla Garcia
Bianca Guerrero
Maleah Jaramillo
Geraline Gil Mora
Ryan Moran
Mateo Olivo Cruz
Gilberto Salomon-Lugo
Anissa Stodolka
Nolan Thibodeaux
Melanie Torres

Way to go Cougars! We are so proud of you! 👏⭐️

Open to all!! Please join us!!

Mark your calendars! My College Fair is coming back September 17, 2026 — a fun and inspiring event designed to help young students explore their future and discover the possibilities that await them. Your future start here!

So happy to welcome one of our Community Liaisons and an Assistance League Coachella Valley leader to talk about a special and meaningful project for our District girls on this week's "You Learn Something New Every Day Podcast." Take a listen:

https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/bryce116/episodes/484---Assistance-League-of-Coachella-Valley-Philanthropic-Chair-Sue-Derago-and-PSUSD-Liaison-Deanna-Bretado-Chavez-e3n6gjj/a-acqilju

Our CYES scholars were so excited to pick out a brand new backpack thanks to the Walter Clark Legal Group who donated a wide assortment of colors and designs putting big smiles on all of our Explorers. We greatly appreciate your support!🎒👏