The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District and the City of Malibu will hold separate votes in December on three foundational agreements that would pave the way for the district's division into two independent entities, marking a critical milestone in a decade-long separation effort.
The agreements include a Property Tax Revenue Sharing Agreement, an Operational Transfer Agreement and a Joint Powers Agreement. Together, they outline how financial resources, operations and services would be divided or shared between a newly formed Malibu Unified School District and Santa Monica Unified School District.
SMMUSD's Board of Education will consider the agreements at a special meeting Dec. 1 from 5-8 p.m. at the district office, 1717 4th St., Santa Monica. The Malibu City Council will vote on the same agreements Dec. 8 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 23825 Stuart Ranch Rd. Both meetings will also be available via Zoom, with links posted 72 hours in advance on the respective agencies' websites.
The Property Tax Revenue Sharing Agreement defines how existing and future property tax revenues will be distributed between SMMUSD and the successor districts to ensure financial stability for both. The Operational Transfer Agreement details how staffing, facilities and operational functions will be allocated to ensure a smooth transition. The Joint Powers Agreement establishes a shared entity responsible for overseeing implementation and compliance with the agreements governing the planned division.
"It took considerable work from many people to reach this milestone, one that brings us to the unprecedented step of both entities voting on the separation agreements," said Jon Kean, SMMUSD school board member and unification subcommittee member. "We appreciate the ongoing support and understanding of both communities as we have worked in a coordinated, transparent effort toward an outcome that prioritizes students and ensures that educational needs have always been at the forefront of this process."
Malibu Mayor Marianne Riggins said she looks forward to the upcoming hearings.
"I'm excited that we are reaching this important milestone in Malibu's efforts to form an independent school district," Riggins said. "A tremendous amount of hard work from our community, staff, and partners has gone into getting us to this point. Malibu and SMMUSD share a commitment to equity, fairness, and local control in education, and ensuring high-quality education for students in both communities."
Both SMMUSD and the City of Malibu have maintained that students in both communities will receive comparable, high-quality education from day one in independent districts, guided by principles of equity, fairness and local control in education.
Malibu has long desired its own district but current separations efforts began when the City of Malibu submitted a petition through a 2015 resolution to form its own school district separate from Santa Monica. After years of negotiations, community hearings and mediation sessions, the proposal has faced significant obstacles.
A feasibility study prepared by the Los Angeles County Office of Education Division of Business Advisory Services concluded that a proposed reorganization on Malibu’s terms failed to meet eight of nine state criteria required for establishing an independent school district in California.
The study found the proposal would have "a substantial negative effect on the fiscal status of the remaining Santa Monica USD" and "would not promote sound fiscal management."
County officials rejected that effort but the two sides continued to discuss a negotiated divorce acceptable to both sides. The lengthy process has been marked by sporadic negotiations between the city of Malibu and the school district. The parties engaged in extensive mediation sessions attempting to forge agreements on revenue sharing, operations and other critical aspects of the potential separation, though no binding agreements were reached during those earlier efforts.
Supporters of the split, primarily Malibu residents, argue that separation would allow each community to govern its schools according to local needs and priorities. Opposition has centered on financial concerns, with questions about how resources, funding and assets would be divided between the two proposed districts.
The Malibu area has been part of SMMUSD for more than 70 years, with students attending Santa Monica area schools for more than a century. If approved, the reorganization would create two independent school districts, replacing the current combined district structure.
More information on the unification process is available at smmusd.org/our-district/superintendent/malibu-unification or malibucity.org/musd.