County Committee To Consider Malibu School Unification

MALIBU, CA — The Los Angeles County Committee on School District Organization will meet Wednesday to discuss Malibu’s proposal to form an independent school district. Representatives from Malibu and the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District will have the opportunity to address the committee, according to their agenda.

The commission will consider the nuts and bolts of Malibu’s tax-sharing proposal, as well as SMMUSD’s rejection of it. It will also consider the three hours of testimony given at an April 17 hearing, when official representatives from SMMUSD, Malibu, and hundreds of callers presented two opposing cases.

Malibu parents, alumni, and teachers gave testimony about how they felt neglected by the district, which they criticize as Santa Monica-centric. “Santa Monica-Malibu School District does not treat each school equally: not with education, and certainly not with physical safety,” one Malibu parent said during the meeting. “They are Santa Monica residents who serve voters of Santa Monica.”

In April, SMMUSD finally conceded that Malibu should have its own district, but rejected the city’s “best, final offer” to transfer additional property taxes for up to 10 years from the date of school separation, if Santa Monica per-pupil funding falls below current levels, claiming that it would result in $30 million in cuts to Santa Monica schools, a claim Malibu disputes.

The day before the April 17 meeting, the SMMUSD board voted down another proposal to let the Committee on School District Organization and its consultant School Services of California hammer out a settlement, and be bound by its terms.

Many Santa Monica residents have claimed that a Malibu district would be overwhelmingly white, and hurt students of color. “[Malibu’s] current plan would increase racial segregation and amplify existing inequities by reallocating funding in an unfair manner,” Victor Leon, director of education equity for the ACLU of Southern California, said during the April 17 meeting. "Specifically, the petition will create a new district that includes more white students and more higher-income students, and it will provide those students with a greater share of funding. It would create a dual-track system of education, drawing resources away from the students who need it most."

Representatives from SEIU Local 99, the union representing 50,000 education workers, the Santa Monica-Malibu Teachers Association, and other progressive groups also spoke out against Malibu’s proposal.

Wednesday’s meeting will begin a process where the committee will decide whether to accept or reject Malibu’s petition. If the committee accepts, it would enter the committee's review process, which includes multiple local public hearings, a staff feasibility study, and an environmental analysis. If approved, the finalized proposal will go to voters. However, an appeal to the state board of education could significantly delay proceedings.

The meeting will take place over Zoom Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. The meeting ID is 861 9810 0117, passcode 028856.

Note: A previous edition of this story referred to the Los Angeles County Office of Education. In fact, the Los Angeles County Committee on School District Organization will decide Malibu's proposal. Patch regrets the error.

See also:

Santa Monica-Malibu Disunified: 2 Sides Face Off At Hearing

SMMUSD Board Rejects Another Malibu Proposal

Malibu Proposes Third Party Negotiate School Separation

SMMUSD Board Votes Down Malibu's 'Best And Final' Offer

Will Santa Monica Students Pay The Price If Malibu Separates?