Proposed Malibu Unified School District

Latest STATUS Update

Saturday, September 18, 9 AM

PRELIMINARY HEARING ON MALIBU'S PRELIMINARY PETITION

Community members are urged to join the effort to create an independent Malibu Unified School District by attending the virtual County hearing on Saturday, September 18, 9:00 AMand giving public comment. 

The meeting will be conducted in accordance with the Los Angeles County Office of Education's County Committee on School District Organization's Virtual Public Meeting Agenda and Guidelines.

Meeting link: https://lacoe-edu.zoom.us/j/88550713007?pwd=alVDb1JGT2pMMnNUb2FLZHduVURmUT09.

Password: 687093

To join the webinar by phone, call 669-900-9128.

Be prepared to log on and use the “raise your hand” feature to secure your time to speak.

City's Preliminary Petition to form an independent Malibu unified school district SUBMITTED to LACOE

View the City's preliminary petition for unification of a new Malibu Unified School District submitted to the Los Angeles County Office of Education's (LACOE) County Committee on School District Organization (County Committee) submitted in April 2021.

The LACOE County Committee held a public hearing on the City's petition to form an independent Malibu Unified School District (MUSD) on Saturday, April 17, 2021. (View video of the meeting). The County Committee ultimately decided to continue the hearing to Saturday, September 18, 2021. 

LACOE County Committee on School District Organization Staff's Preliminary Report on the City's Petition

On September 2, 2021, LACOE County Committee staff distributed its preliminary report on the City's petition. The County Committee staff also released a Spanish language version of the report's executive summary. 

Proposed financial terms of separation

SM-MUSD and Malibu both agree that the District should be separated but are not aligned on the financial terms of separation. The City has proposed to allocate funding in the same way that other school districts throughout California receive funding. 

• Watch this video to understand how property taxes are used to fund public schools in California.
• Watch this video explaining the financial analysis in the City's proposal.

Concerns about SM-MUSD’s interpretation of the City’s proposal led to a meeting in May 2021, at which representatives from the City and SM-MUSD discussed the proposal and answered questions. Read the memo summarizing the meeting, including areas of agreement and disagreement between the two parties, and get all the facts.

CITY RENEWS REQUEST TO SM-MUSD FOR BINDING ARBITRATION

On May 27, 2021, the City Attorney sent a letter via email to the SM-MUSD renewing its request for the parties to participate in a binding arbitration that would lead to a negotiated agreement on how the school district should separate. To date, the SM-MUSD has not responded.

Community Participation

Community members wishing to show their support for this effort to give Malibu residents local control over local public schools can get involved in the following ways:

STAY INFORMED

The separation process is complex. This page offers accurate facts and straight answers. To receive updates directly, subscribe for e-notifications from the City and stay informed on what is happening.

TELL US YOUR STORY

The City is collecting testimonials about personal experiences with Santa Monica-Malibu public schools. Submit your testimonial and endorse the City's application to form an independent MUSD.