As changes continue to rock local schools, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education voted to confirm Patrick Miller as the 2019-20 Malibu High School principal at its meeting on March 21.
Miller, who currently serves as Webster Elementary School principal, also served as the Spanish teacher and, later, the assistant principal at MHS.
At the meeting, SMMUSD Superintendent Dr. Ben Drati said, “Mr. Miller brings a long-held spirit and enthusiasm for students, parents and staff of Malibu High School and will be able to hit the ground running.”
“I’m humbled by the opportunity to return home for a second time and to be trusted with the responsibility to care for a place that, to me, is very special, full of special students, families and staff members,” Miller said in front of the board.
He went on to thank Webster students and staff for his two-year experience, and said he will “remain committed to Webster” throughout his final three or so months at the elementary school.
For the first time ever, Malibu Middle School will get its own principal; Melisa Andino, who currently serves as the assistant principal of MMS, was tapped for the position.
At the school board meeting, Andino said she was excited to be “working on building that middle school identity that we’ve been wanting to do.”
Miller takes over for current MHS principal Dr. Michelle “Cheli” Nye, who made a surprise announcement to parents that she would be stepping down at the end of the 2018-19 school year. Nye was the first full-time female principal at Malibu High School.
Next door, seven-year Juan Cabrillo Elementary School principal Dr. Pamela Herkner—who took over as principal of Point Dume Marine Science School as the two elementary schools begin the process of merging—is also retiring at the end of this school year.
Currently, no principals have been announced for Malibu’s two public elementary schools, Webster and the new Juan Cabrillo-Point Dume school.