Malibu resident Kathy Wisnicki attended her last Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board meeting last Thursday, leaving Malibu representation on the board vacant for the first time in 30 years. Now, more than ever, many Malibu parents feel they are negligible within the district and therefore are beginning to push harder for separate school district.
Wisnicki, who served on the board from 2004-2008, said she decided not to run for reelection to the school district board because of personal issues and time concerns. She said that while she wants to stay involved with the school district, she hopes to spend more time with her family.
“It is very difficult for a Malibu resident to campaign in Santa Monica,” Wisnicki said. “It’s more than a full-time job.”
Wisnicki said she is considering running for a spot either on the school district’s Financial Oversight Committee or the Measure BB Advisory Committee, which advises the district on how to spend the $268 million bond approved in 2006 for renovating and upgrading district schools. Wisnicki had served as the committee’s school board liaison since the committee was formed. She said she had heard an unidentified Malibu seat would soon become vacant.
A portion of the BB money is slated for upgrades at Malibu High School, which include a new library, parking lot and administration buildings. The library will be two-stories, with a new career center and classroom. In an earlier interview with The Malibu Times, Joe DiMercurio, school librarian said this construction should start in June 2009.
School Board members Maria Leon-Vazquez and Jose Escarce also ran for re-election and won their seats. Newcomer Ben Allen, who was the top vote getter in the election, will replace Wisnicki on the board. Allen served previously on the Financial Oversight Committee.
“I think Ben Allen is going to be a great board member,” Wisnicki said. “He’s committed to listening to Malibu and understands many of our issues.”
But Wisnicki added that forming a separate Malibu school district might be in the future. “It’s time to look at the feasibility of separation,” Wisnicki said. “If it’s financially viable, then I think it would be in our best interest to separate … but the separation will take several years. It requires signatures, approval from the county and then the state.”
It’s been a year of controversy and change for the school board. Former School Superintendent Dianne Talarico left the board at the beginning of the summer to move to a school district in Northern California, after serving less than two years in the position. Tim Cuneo has replaced Talarico as interim superintendent, while the board looks for a full time replacement.
Issues heated up this past spring over the district’s special education program after a audit and pressure from parents encouraged the board to reevaluate the program. The issue further divided Malibu and Santa Monica, as many Malibu parents said they were pleased with special education in Malibu schools, while Santa Monica parents were not.
Concerns in the district may not be over. At a meeting earlier this month, school officials said the dire state budget situation may mean mid-year cuts in the local district.
Wisnicki said her four years on the board was memorable, even through the conflict.
“I’ll miss serving on the Board of Education. I had a lot of opportunities I wouldn’t have otherwise had and I enjoyed solving problems,” Wisnicki said. “I think having my children in the [district] classrooms gave me a more realistic view. It’s very easy to think globally, but with children in the classroom, you’re better able to evaluate how things are working.”
Laura Rosenthal, who served on the BB committee with Wisnicki and is currently circulating a petition on the matter of separation, said of Wisnicki, “I think Kathy has done an exceptional job representing not only Malibu but everyone else in the district. She really made it a priority to understand the budget and how to spend money but still make cost cutting moves. She has spent so much time and energy on the school board-more than any other board member I know.”