SMMUSD’s Malibu Facilities District Advisory Committee reverses course and opts to build 50-meter pool
SMMUSD’s Malibu Facilities District Advisory Committee held a lengthy meeting on Oct. 21, ultimately reinstating its plans to build an Olympic-size, 50-meter pool at Malibu High School. In doing so, committee members emphasized that the District needs help coordinating joint-use agreements with the City of Malibu and soliciting private donations to contribute to building both the planned aquatic center and the performing arts center.
Sitting in a meeting room at the impressive new high school, a group of concerned citizens from the local swimming community and parents of students who swim strenuously prevailed upon committee members, insisting that the body reverse the decision it made at its March meeting to only build a 40-meter swimming pool instead of a 50-meter, Olympic-size pool, a decision the committee made based on construction and maintenance cost concerns.
When Measure MM passed in November 2024, 62.3% of those voting approved the issuance of $395 million in bonds to finance school facilities improvements for Malibu schools. Phase 3a of the multi-phased, multi-year school campus construction project envisioned an aquatics center.
Testifying residents and swim coaches at the meeting insisted that only a 50-meter swimming pool is adequate to meet the needs of both the school’s student swimmers and the community. Many stated that they understood the bond effort had always contemplated constructing an Olympic-size pool that would be 50-meters long and 25 meters wide, with the length being the primary feature for “long-course races.” Currently, the school has a smaller, 40-meter pool.
Lengthy attendee testimony and committee deliberations
Summing up the project estimate differences between building a 40-meter versus a 50-meter pool, committee chair Carl Randall stated, “If the committee agrees to a 50-meter pool, we will need additional funds. Looking at the difference between a 40-meter and a 50-meter pool, the difference in hard costs is about $3.5 million, and the difference in soft costs is just over $5 million.”
The Malibu Times sought clarification regarding what was encompassed in “soft costs.” Steve Massetti, SMMUSD’s bond program manager, explained the term encompasses, “designers, inspectors, construction managers, geotechnical engineers, furniture, fixture, and equipment.”
The concept of building only a 40-meter pool engendered vociferous objections from Malibu’s swim community, representatives of whom were in attendance at the meeting.
“Constructing only a 40-meter pool is ludicrous,” stated Bill Sampson, president of the Malibu Township Council, an active swimmer and parent of a daughter who swam and played water polo at MHS in years past. “The school should have a 50-meter pool. Forty meters is silly and substandard.”
Pamela Conley Ulich, a parent who sent her now-grown children to private schools because her family deemed the facilities in Malibu schools deficient, noted that many Malibu parents decide to send their children to private schools so they have better aquatic experiences and may be better positioned for aquatics sports scholarships for college. She also noted that because Malibu only has a 40-meter pool, many swimmers must travel to nearby communities several times a week to train in larger pools to be better-positioned in competitive swimming.
“Look at this building we are in — it’s pretty fantastic!” Conley Ulich stated. “You’ve got to build a pool to match the state-of-the-art facilities we see in this new school. You’re going to gain students who won’t go to private school if you build a larger pool.”
Melissa Siekierski, a Malibu resident, made an incisive statement advocating for the larger pool, making five salient points others in attendance deemed convincing. “You should build once and build right, future-proofing an investment on a 50-meter pool with a 50-plus-year horizon as that will expand access and equity by allowing for simultaneous community and student use. The larger pool increases lane capacity and allows for scheduling flexibility, thus advancing the city’s goals of inclusion and health equity for all ages and abilities.”
Continuing, Siekierski added, “A 50-meter pool enables the school and city to host regional and swim meets and tournaments, meaning that over time, the larger facility can pay for itself through monies earned in increased event hosting and high utilization — it’s a smart investment that delivers maximum community value per taxpayer dollar.”
Finally, she noted, “Expanded access to learn-to-swim, senior wellness and adaptive aquatics programs strengthens community connection, health and price and thereby creates a gathering place that fosters health, connection, and civic pride for generations to come and therefore, choosing the 50-meter pool reflects a strategic, forward-looking investment in our community’s future.”
Addressing financing concerns, Conley Ulich admonished the committee to “Finish strong! The community is supporting you. We could do a joint use agreement with the library — there’s $26 million sitting in the library fund! The city allocated $4 million for the skate park recently. The city will be able to find a way for the $6 million we may need long-term for this pool.”
Ultimately, the committee decided to build the 50-meter pool, emphasizing that the school district will need funding assistance and suggesting that committee and community members advocate the district to enter into joint use agreements with the City of Malibu, as those two parties currently have, and also solicit private donations to contribute to building both the planned aquatic center and the performing arts center.
Readers who are interested in reaching out to committee members to brainstorm about possible private donations can contact any of these committee members: Carla Bowman-Smith, Lou La Monte, Lisa Lambert, Caren Lieb, Melissa Mastripolito, and Chair Carl Randall. SMMUSD’s liaison is Steve Massetti and SMMUSD board liaisons are Stacy Rouse, Jennifer Smith, and Laurie Lieberman. The City of Malibu’s ex officio member, Reneika Brooks, was not in attendance as her last day working for the city was Oct. 22. Her replacement has not yet been announced by the city.