This is what I have found out about why we are talking about remediating the schools when there is money and approved plans for building new schools:
Malibu Community Alliance (MCA) lost its legal battle regarding the field lighting at MHS in October 2012.
In June 2013, MCA filed an appeal with the California Coastal Commission (CCC) against the City Council Building Plan approval regarding the lights and fixtures in the new buildings and new parking lot — nothing to do with the field lights. Filing the appeal with the CCC caused severely longer delays than if it were filed with Malibu. They knew that. There is no lighting code in Malibu, however the lighting plan the District created uses the same guidelines established for National Parks. It is the lowest lighting you can go before being in the dark. Ironically, MCA is still not satisfied with the District’s improved lighting plan and is trying to enforce a non-existent lighting code.
MCA is requesting another “lighting plan” from the District, although the current plan has been approved by all government agencies. The District does not want to spend more money to fulfill this request of MCA. To add insult to injury, there isn’t anyone in the District who handles the Malibu building issues and the District is very busy with construction on five of its schools in Santa Monica. So here we are, stuck with a disintegrating toxic campus, and no one to help us.
We must insist that MCA puts the children ahead of their desire to go backwards. I am sure that the people who supported them did not know at the time that they were depriving children of a safe, modern school.
Malibu has a new six million dollar library and the town employees have a state-of-the-art building while the children are in an old, dilapidated and poisonous school. We must insist that they move forward with temporary classrooms and build a new the school.
Jean Kingman