SMMUSD To OK $54m MHS Job Tonight, As Divorce Moves Along

Malibu High School’s new 54 million dollar reconstruction contract goes before the Santa Monica-Malibu school board tonight … in Santa Monica.

McCarthy Building Companies is ready to start major construction at the front of the school as soon as the ink is dry.

A new two-story classroom complex at the eastern end of the school … and a striking new administration building and library at the front of the school … are major features.

Eight years after major construction began at Santa Monica High … replacement of antiquated and obsolete buildings at Malibu is finally a reality.

The school board tonight will also vote on a plan to widen morning view Drive in front of the school … to provide a drop off and pick up lane on the street.

In the major issue tonight maybe another step towards the district divorce.

Santa Monica school board members are being asked by the superintendent to okay a divorce in parent fund raising activities.

Santa Monica parents aren’t happy that 95% of the monies raised by the Santa Monica education foundation has come from Santa Monica parents … with only 5% of monies raised from Malibu parents.

Malibu parents are still angry from a decision 10 years ago … when the school board decided to take money raised at Malibu’s financially well-off schools … to equalize educational offerings at disadvantaged kids campuses in Santa Monica.

Because Malibu parents have basically boycotted the education foundation … money has been flowing from the Santa Monica parents to the Malibu schools.

The school board tonight will discuss splitting the fundraising efforts … and either creating an overall Malibu school fund raising organization … or letting the Malibu high school shark club take that role.

The school board will also take a formal vote on splitting Santa Monica and Malibu into two separate improvement districts.

This would allow voters in either city to approve bond issues and property taxes that would be earmarked for each respective city.

The last two districtwide bond issues have a infuriated Malibu Parent activists … who estimate that as much as $70 million of Malibu property tax money has been funneled to rebuild Schools with in the city limits of Santa Monica.