Santa Monica City Council Submits Letter Ahead of September 18 Hearing on School District Separation
September 14, 2021 11:44 AM
Update: City Council approved in a 5-0 vote, the September 14 13 item referenced below.
SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Today, the Santa Monica City Council submitted a letter to the Los Angeles County Committee on School District Organization (“Committee”) calling for its members to deny the City of Malibu’s current petition to separate from the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District given that terms are not equitable for all students.
The Council requests this denial after a report crafted by Committee staff and a consultant published September 2 concluded that eight out of the nine criteria for separation set by the Committee have not been substantially met. That report states: “The analysis clearly illustrates that the proposed reorganization would have a substantial negative effect on the fiscal health of the remaining Santa Monica USD.”
In its letter, the Santa Monica City Council reaffirms its support for separation if terms are favorable to the education advancement of all students. The letter states: “Such a denial only terminates the Malibu Petition. 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.”
The Committee hearing is Saturday, September 18 at 9 a.m. The agenda and participation details for the virtual meeting are available at https://www.lacoe.edu/Business-Services/News-Announcements/ID/867/Public-Hearings.
At its meeting on Tuesday, September 14, the Santa Monica City Council will consider 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.”
There is currently a petition circulating and information on that can be found here.
Letter to the Los Angeles County Committee on School District Organization >
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Media Contact
Constance Farrell
Communications & Public Information Manager
Constance.Farrell@santamonica.gov