County Panel To Explain Why It Ignored Malibu’s Divorce Analysis

Malibu may have been given a break by a panelist on the committee that is evaluating the city’s petition to break Malibu off of the Santa Monica dominated school board.

The only substantive action at Wednesday night’s meeting of the LA County Office of Education committee was a request by board member Charles Davis for an explanation from the county’s consultant, about why Malibu’s financial plans for the complicated split have not been analyzed. 

This came up at the start of a hearing last night … in front of the Los Angeles County Office of Education Committee, called LACOE.  It was … in effect … another round in divorce court.

Malibu officials say the committee that is analyzing the proposed independent Malibu school district has not been given Malibu’s analysis of the law.   Malibu councilman Mikke Pierson told the county committee that their analysts have not even addressed Malibu’s claims … that the divorce petition meets nine criteria set out in state law.

NEWSCART 73886 LACOE MP

“After hearing the LAECO staff report at the September preliminary public hearing, our team was surprised that the data and information that was provided in our petition, and preliminary feasibility analysis submitted back in April, did not appear to be considered as part of the LAECO staff report.”

A consulting firm called School Services has been hired by the county committee to come up with an analysis of whether Malibu has met the nine specific criteria … set by the state … to form a separate school district.

And at the end of the meeting … at least one committee member said he wanted to see how Malibu’s claims were analyzed … if they were analyzed at all.  Board member Charles Davis:

NEWSCART 73885 LACOE DAVIS

“I just wonder how they came to that – and the third question I have (is that) Santa Monica keeps saying that Malibu has not done an educational plan or something like that. My question is … has Malibu been able to get from Santa Monica the statistics that they would need in order to come up with a plan. They cannot put a plan together without some data from Santa Monica. And I would suspect – to be fair – that they need to get this information.”

And that is a major issue brought up by Malibu.  Malibu claims that the key financial data that they need to make their case … is being withheld by the Santa Monica school board and its negotiators.

As for the public … as many as 192 people tried to testify last night … there was 45 minutes from each side … 90 seconds each …

Malibu’s public speakers may be best summarized by this quick-speaking woman … who gave her name as Carmen.

NEWSCART 73884 LACOE CARMEN

“In what kind of school district are teachers afraid to voice their support for a split, out of fear?
In what kind out of school district can an entire community slanders another, simply for wanting to have a greater say in their children’s educations?

“And in what kind of school district are local political forces and their agendas given greater political weight than the heartfelt pleadings of parents?

“And in what kind of school district is lengthy and costly litigation the preferred option to every challenge, including mitigating toxins that were proven to be harming the health of children and staff?

“And in what kind of school district are the students parents and teachers of one community constantly given second-class treatment and furnished substandard programs materials and services compared to another community while insisting that they pay proportionately twice as much for the privilege of that humiliation?

“That district would be a SMMUSD.”

Santa Monica … basically shaming Malibu for being … Malibu.

NEWSCART 73883 LACOE SMVOX

VOICE 1: “Santa Monica is much more racially and ethically diverse than Malibu, a largely affluent white enclave.”

VOICE 2: “I am speaking on behalf of Familias Latinas Unidos of Santa Monica. We want to let you know that we are continuing to oppose the petition of the City of Malibu due to that it is harmful for our students.”

VOICE 3: “I’m here to reaffirm that the city Council has adopted a resolution to support the denial of this petition. And we did this because we are a community that place is the highest values on equity and inclusion.”

And … Malibu isn’t … the clear implication.  That last speaker was Santa Monica Mayor Sue Himmelrich.

What next?  Another public hearing … sometime is December.

And as we said …. one LACOE board member asked the county staff to answer three questions:  to please evaluate the 30 million dollar alimony payment that was offered by Malibu, to analyze the Education Plan offered by Malibu … which the county’s consultants have yet to do…

And … perhaps most importantly … to explain why Malibu’s detailed … technical … philosophical and financial arguments for a separate school district have not been looked at by the consultants guiding the county panel.

It’s important to remember … the LA County of Education committee can at any time vote no. And if it votes no … the Malibu petition is dead at that point.