Malibu school officials have completed the first phase of emergency power installations across all four campuses, addressing a critical need highlighted by 22 days of school closures during the 2024 fire season.
Superintendent Dr. Antonio Shelton announced that all Malibu campuses now have generators installed to provide backup power during outages, fulfilling a promise made at a previous board meeting. The work was completed by the end of September, just before the typical start of major fire season.
"All Malibu campuses now have generators installed to provide backup power in the event of an outage," Shelton reported. "This work included new automatic transfer systems at Malibu Elementary and Malibu High along with quick connect generator systems at Webster Elementary and the Malibu High Field Circuit."
The installations come after a devastating 2024 fire season that forced the district to close all or some Malibu school sites for 22 days due to fire evacuations, poor air quality from smoke, road closures and power outages. Many of the power outages resulted from Southern California Edison's Public Safety Power Shutoff events, which cut electricity during high wind conditions to prevent additional fires.
The district's Board of Education recently continued Emergency Resolution No. 25-05, which allows officials to bypass normal procurement procedures to expedite the power system installations. The emergency resolution was originally adopted on August 14, 2025, and will remain in effect until the work is complete.
Under normal circumstances, the district would be required to follow specific procurement steps for subcontractors under the design-build statute. However, emergency conditions allow the district to work directly with Schneider Electric Buildings Americas Inc. and subcontractor Ambient Electric Inc. to ensure installation by late September 2025.
The power outages and resulting school closures have drawn sharp criticism from the Malibu community, with parents and students expressing frustration over what they view as years of inadequate planning and delayed action by district leadership.
One student noted that last year, due to fires, students "missed many days of school due to lack of power at the school." Parents criticized the "length of time it took to get generators," with one parent saying they were surprised there were no generators available during recent outages, especially following previous fires including the Woolsey and Palisades fires.
Community members described bureaucratic obstacles that slowed progress. One parent claimed a district employee "ignored months of emails" regarding generator installations and incorrectly stated that necessary permits from air quality and city officials were not possible. The parent eventually contacted the agencies directly, who confirmed they would allow and facilitate generator installation.
The Parent Teacher Association stepped in to provide batteries and lighting for classrooms at a cost of $9,000, which one parent called "an embarrassment for the district," to prevent children from attending school in the dark.
Despite the generator installations, parents continue to express concerns about emergency planning and communication. One speaker acknowledged the presence of generators but noted there has been "no clear communications about what will be done differently to keep our kids safe next time" during power outages.
The community has called for a "clear playbook for emergencies" so families understand how they will be notified and how missed instructional days will be handled during events like road closures or fires.
Looking ahead, permanent generators for all four circuits are currently in production and expected to arrive in mid-November, with installation to follow. The district is also designing a longer-term solution: a solar farm and battery backup system for Malibu Middle and High Schools, with construction scheduled to begin in late fall 2026.
Southern California Edison has warned of potentially increased Public Safety Power Shutoff events in Malibu this year due to impacts from last year's fire season and continued high fire risk.
District staff have been trained to operate the new generator systems and are prepared to respond quickly during outages, officials said. The improvements aim to reduce or eliminate school closures caused solely by power outages, though other factors like fire evacuations and air quality issues remain outside the district's control.