Malibu breaks off school-sharing negotiations with SMMUSD

The on-again, off-again attempt to separate Malibu schools from Santa Monica is on-again, off-again, after the city of Malibu announced it is making a new attempt to split the district without negotiating terms with Santa Monica officials.

On Friday, the city of Malibu announced it would move forward with its original 2017 school separation petition to create an independent Malibu Unified School District, just weeks after the city and the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) subcommittee reached an agreement. ). on a ready-made unification package.

Unanimously approved by the Malibu City Council, Malibu will submit an independent feasibility study to the Los Angeles County School District Organization Commission, adding to the original petition. The city says the update “does not negate” the original petition but “is based on financial and operational assumptions that made the separation possible” under terms previously agreed to with SMMUSD.

City officials said the move was due to the SMMUSD Board of Education’s failure to approve a completed separation agreement within the district’s deadlines. The board first discussed the package item during its meeting on October 24, expressing the need for further discussion before proceeding to the vote.

“Malibu has worked in good faith to reach an agreement with SMMUSD that would provide a fair and equitable distribution to both communities,” said Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart. “However, due to the Council’s failure to meet established deadlines, Malibu will now proceed with the process independently.”

Separating a school district is a complicated process, but it can be accomplished by decree from county education officials. However, Malibu and SMMUSD are pursuing a negotiated split by entering into agreements to share funding and resources.

During revenue-sharing talks earlier this year, SMMUSD general counsel David Soldani said the agreement was the result of “hundreds of hours” of mediated negotiations between Malibu and the district and that “as with all negotiated agreements, there is some give and take.”

Malibu officials said that in an effort to work with the district, Malibu offered concessions to ensure a smooth process once the two sides came to an agreement on basic financial aspects.

Malibu said the feasibility of the alternative incorporates much of the financial and operational foundations developed over the past several years, while adhering to the guiding principles that (1) establishing an independent Malibu Unified School District is in the best interest of all students; AND (2) both Malibu USD and Santa Monica USD will receive sufficient funding to provide a similar level of service as existed before the separation.

Negotiations almost broke down over the summer when Christine Wood, a lawyer representing the city of Malibu, asked the LACOE committee to schedule a public hearing on her original petition. Wood said the request for a hearing on the original petition was about “the lack of urgency that (SMMUSD) gives to this process.” However, at the August LACOE meeting, Wood changed his statement, telling the committee that both sides had made “substantial progress” on the agreements.

The two sides issued a joint statement in September announcing that their subcommittees had agreed to the proposed school separation package. The package consisted of three key elements: a revenue sharing agreement, an operational transfer agreement and a shared powers agreement.

Malibu officials added that the creation of an independent Malibu USD will prioritize the educational needs of Malibu students, reflect the unique needs and values ​​of the community, and provide Malibu residents with local control over educational decisions.

The County Commission will consider the City’s petition at two upcoming public hearings, the first of which will be held in the SMMUSD District Office Boardroom on Friday, November 8. There will be an audition next week, November 13, at Malibu High School. Both will take place from 6:00 p.m.

SMMUSD officials said they cannot comment on developments at press time and will issue a statement on the matter on Monday.

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