For Immediate Release
March 28, 2017
Contact: Heather Glaser, City Clerk
Phone: 310-456-2489 ext. 228
Email: hglaser@malibucity.org [mailto:hglaser@malibucity.org]
Malibu City Council Receives Final Report from Malibu Unification Negotiations Committee and Urges School Board to Adopt It
(Malibu, CA) - During the March 27 Council meeting, the Malibu Unification Negotiations Committee (MUNC) presented its final report to the Malibu City Council, which expressed the City’s approval of the proposal set out in the report, commended MUNC for its work, and urged the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) Board to approve the recommendations in the report.
“I think the MUNC members did a spectacular job of negotiating this important issue in good faith, striving for what is best for the students and families of both Malibu and Santa Monica, and I hope the School Board feels the same way,” said Mayor Lou La Monte. “This marks an important step in Malibu’s efforts to establish its own public school district and have greater local community control and involvement over our children’s education.”
MUNC has been working on the process of Malibu separating from the SMMUSD to create its own school district. The members of MUNC gave a detailed presentation of their final report summarizing terms for the potential separation of SMMUSD into two districts, and offered community members the opportunity to ask questions and give public comment. Dr. Ben Drati, Superintendent of SMMUSD, also attended the meeting.
The School Board will discuss the final report at its next meeting scheduled on April 20, 2017. The final report was presented to the SMMUSD Board of Education at a Special meeting on March 7, 2017 in Santa Monica.
MUNC was formed in December 2015 to negotiate terms and conditions of the potential separation of SMMUSD into two school districts. The Committee was made up of three members appointed by Malibu’s then-City Manager Jim Thorsen to represent the interests of the Malibu students and community, and three members appointed by the SMMUSD Board of Education to represent the interests of Santa Monica students and community.
The Committee met weekly from March 2016 to March 2017, resulting in the unanimous adoption of the final report and agreement of terms for separation, including budget impacts, division of assets and debts, bond related items, properties, and environmental liability issues.
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