SM vs Malibu School District Divorce Takes Major Step Thursday
Written by 991KBU on July 18, 2018
One of the first concrete steps to divorce the Santa Monica and Malibu school districts will take place tomorrow night.
The school board will decide on setting up separate facilities districts … one in Malibu … one in Santa Monica.
That means resident in either city will be able to vote on school bonds … with the taxes raised and money spent in each separate city.
The practical effect of this will be an end to the raid on Malibu tax revenues by Santa Monica school construction needs.
An estimated $70 million has been transferred over the past decade from Malibu to Santa Monica … as the Santa Monica dominated school board has been rebuilding decrepit campuses in both cities.
In Malibu this summer … about a third of Malibu high school is being rebuilt.
And the parking lot at Webster elementary school the Civic Center is being rebuilt … most of it is being paved for the first time.
At its meeting tomorrow in Santa Monica … the district is calling for separate bond elections for both the Malibu and Santa Monica portions of the school district next November.
The district has done a poll of Malibu residents … and found that it will get the minimum 55% yes vote for a bond issue in Malibu.
Board member Craig Foster says the bond issue will probably be around $150 million … with proceeds primarily earmarked to rebuild the two thirds of Malibu high school that was built more than 50 years ago it is now functionally obsolete.
By splitting the school district into 2 facilities districts … School board members hope to remove opposition from Malibu that might have blocked a district wide vote.
Five of the seven school board members must vote yes on this for it to pass.
It’s on the agenda Thursday night in Santa Monica.
