Negotiations for Independent Malibu School District Progressing

City of Malibu and Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Complete draft of key deliverables

By Sam Catanzaro

Negotiations between Santa Monica and Malibu to create an independent Malibu school district are progressing, according to city officials this week.

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District and the City of Malibu have completed a draft of one of three important documents necessary in the plan to create two distinct school districts – Malibu Unified and Santa Monica Unified.

At the March 13 Malibu City Council meeting, Deputy City Attorney Christine Wood gave updates on the progress made since November. According to her statement, they have drafted a tentative revenue-sharing agreement, outlined an operational agreement detailing what assistance Malibu will need from Santa Monica’s school district, and anticipate beginning work soon on a joint powers agreement creating a third-party public agency to manage the transition.

Wood added that while progress is being