Speakers 5:2 In Favor Of Dume School Absorbing Cabrillo
Written by 991KBU on April 27, 2018
Not a huge crowd last night … as the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District met with residents around the Point Dume elementary school campus.
But there was some unhappiness voiced.
School district officials held the meeting to make the case for a very fast shift … closing Juan Cabrillo Elementary School this summer or next … and moving the kids to Point Dume.
The idea is to make room at Cabrillo for displaced middle school and high school students … as Malibu High may be demolished and reconstructed.
Traffic engineer Brian Marchetti … hired by the district … says the traffic mitigation plan … is not even started.
But it might involve shuttle buses.
NEWSCART 77536 :TRAFFIC ENGINEER :20 QQQ:
“Our shuttling students from different areas, and obviously there are logistical issues with getting that done.
“Looking to see if that is feasible, either shuttling from Cabrillo school here to minimize the vehicles coming in to the neighborhood,
“The actual literal vehicle to do that has not been settled on, whether its a school bus, whether it’s a shuttle bus.”
Reaction was mixed … one resident said the presentation by the school district was the most disorganized thing he had ever heard.
But if there is significant opposition on the point … opponents were not speaking out against the plan last night …. at least during the first hour of the meeting.
One person said she understands that the enrollment at Point Dume at one time was 300 … it since slipped to under 200.
But she says the school was way different when it was a neighborhood school … as opposed to a magnet for elementary kids over all of western Malibu … which it would be if Cabrillo closes.
NEWSCART 77538 SCHOOL :11 QQQQ A NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL
“Even though there was 300 students, there wasn’t the traffic.
“A lot of people walked to school.
“We never had buses, we’ve never had buses in this neighborhood, because it was supposed to be a neighborhood school.”
But other Point Dume residents …. whose kids have grownup and out of Point Dume school …. said the idea of improving Malibu High … and creating a middle school at Juan Cabrillo … makes sense.
Elizabeth Anthony .
NEWSCART 77537 :12 QQQ I SAY GO FOR IT.
“I would rather live in a neighborhood with a little bit of traffic inconvenience, at drop off and pickup, and a vibrant school.
“I think moving forward right now is really important, so I say ‘go for it’.”
People on all sides of the issue said they were concerned with the rushed process here.
And school board member Craig Foster … and Superintendent Ben Drati … agreed it is moving at a breakneck pace.
Plans to close Cabrillo … move kids to Point Dume … and move middle school and part of the high school students to the Cabrillo campus … they were only announced publicly this week.
The school board has to decide on May Third whether to continue spending money on patchwork repairs at Malibu High … or press forward with a plan to go out for a bond issue … tear the school down … and start over.
And all of this may hinge … on whether votes in Malibu will pass the first Malibu-only school bond election … and that is no small issue.
