Placentia Yorba Linda Unified School District

The Placentia-Yorba Linda school system has tapped a former Irvine and Laguna Beach superintendent to replace its 13-year schools chief, James O. Fleming, who is retiring June 30. At first glance, it's a curious career move for Dennis M. Smith, now superintendent in urban Orlando, Fla. Smith, 48, left the high-achieving Irvine schools three years ago, seeking a bigger school district where students face more educational challenges.