The City Will Submit an Updated Feasibility Study to the County Committee on School District Organization, Supplementing Its 2017 Petition
The City of Malibu has decided to move forward unilaterally with its petition to separate from the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) following a breakdown in negotiations. The Malibu City Council voted unanimously to pursue school district independence after the SMMUSD Board did not meet agreed deadlines to finalize a separation agreement.
The City will now submit an updated feasibility study to the Los Angeles County Committee on School District Organization, supplementing its original 2017 petition. This new study excludes prior financial concessions Malibu had offered as part of negotiations with SMMUSD. Malibu officials assert that the plan maintains the financial and operational assumptions previously established for creating an independent Malibu Unified School District (MUSD) and ensuring stability for both the proposed MUSD and the reorganized SMMUSD.
“Malibu has been working in good faith for a fair and equitable separation,” said Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart. “But due to missed deadlines by the SMMUSD Board, we’re now moving independently, submitting an updated feasibility study without previous financial concessions.”
Malibu’s proposal, developed through years of discussions, outlines that both districts would remain fiscally solvent and provide services at pre-separation levels. The proposal is expected to be reviewed in public hearings on November 8 at the SMMUSD District Office in Santa Monica and November 13 at Malibu High School.
In response, Jon Kean, Vice President of the SMMUSD Board, said, “We are very close to completing this process. It’s crucial we take the necessary time to address all stakeholders’ needs, especially those of historically marginalized groups and special needs students. What some see as delay, we see as due diligence.”
Despite reaching significant milestones toward separation last month, the latest setback highlights the complexities of dividing resources and governance between the two communities.
Last month, the SMMUSD and Malibu subcommittees had agreed on a proposed package that included three major components: a Revenue Sharing Agreement, an Operations Transfer Agreement, and a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) Agreement.
The Revenue Sharing Agreement aimed to allocate both current and future revenues fairly between SMMUSD and the proposed Malibu Unified School District, ensuring financial stability for both. The Operations Transfer Agreement outlined how personnel, operational practices, and other resources would be divided between the two districts. Meanwhile, the JPA Agreement established a shared governance structure to oversee the separation’s implementation and help maintain collaboration on critical issues affecting both communities.
