Schools
Santa Monica City Council Asks Committee To Deny Malibu District
Santa Monica City Council calls on the Los Angeles County Committee on School District Organization to deny separating the school district.
SANTA MONICA, CA — The Santa Monica City Council Tuesday submitted a letter to the Los Angeles County Committee on School District Organization calling for its members to deny the City of Malibu’s current petition to separate from the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, citing that the terms are not equitable for all students.
The Council requests this denial after a report crafted by committee staff and a consultant published Sept. 2 concluded that eight out of the nine criteria for separation set by the committee have not been substantially met.
“The analysis clearly illustrates that the proposed reorganization would have a substantial negative effect on the fiscal health of the remaining Santa Monica USD," according to the report.
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The Santa Monica City Council reaffirms its support for separation if terms are favorable to the educational advancement of all students.
“Such a denial only terminates the Malibu Petition," the council wrote. "It does NOT preclude the communities working together to create an independent Malibu School District in a way that is fair and just to students in Santa Monica schools and that provides a robust and equal educational opportunity for both Malibu and Santa Monica students.”
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The committee will have its next hearing Saturday. Information, including agenda and participation details for the virtual meeting, are available on the website.
The Santa Monica City Council Tuesday night considered a 13 item “supporting the denial of the City of Malibu’s October 12, 2020 petition to split the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District into two separate districts based on the substantial negative effect of the proposed reorganization on the fiscal health of the remaining Santa Monica Unified School District.”
A petition to stop the separation is also circulating.
In March, the council said it would support separation if the terms were equitable for students in both districts. However, councilmembers say a proposed Malibu Unified School District raises questions over diversity — with a majority of white students benefiting from separation.
"The Santa Monica City Council will continue to advocate for what is just and what serves the common good of Santa Monica and Malibu students and families alike," Mayor Sue Himmelrich said in March. "Slashing diversity and per pupil funding for Santa Monica students alone is inappropriate and will damage academic and social equity across all of the students and families served by SMMUSD."
In October 2020, Malibu City Council voted unanimously to move forward with creating a Malibu Unified School District, separate from Santa Monica.
"Having sent our children to local Malibu schools, this issue could not be more dear to our hearts," said Councilmember Karen Farrer and Councilmember Rick Mullen, members of the City's School District Separation Ad Hoc Committee, in a statement. "We are disappointed in the SMMUSD negotiations but are encouraged by the work that has been done and are very excited to be moving the City's petition for unification of a Malibu Unified School District forward."
Read the full letter from Santa Monica City Council to the Los Angeles County Committee on School District Organization.
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