It’s been a stellar year for Malibu High School.
MHS garnered numerous awards for excellence during the 2002-2003 school year, including being placed in the top 10 percent of all state high schools, receiving the California Department of Education’s highest commendation as a 2003 Distinguished School, and garnering awards in journalism for the school’s newspaper and staff members.
The latest accolade came last week with Newsweek magazine’s designation of top-ranking U.S. high schools. In the nation, Malibu High School ranked 117, and was behind only 16 other California high schools.
Principal Michael Matthews sees that high level of success as a direct result of a community dedicated to excellence, as well as the school coming of age for award eligibility.
“We just got accreditation four years ago,” Matthews explained, “and this was the first year we were able to be considered for the Distinguished School award.”
The school began as a middle school in 1963. It expanded to include high school students in 1992, with the first graduating class in 1996. Since the school’s inception, Matthews said the faculty and administration focused on keeping the challenges high for the students. “In Malibu, we’re competing with private schools. One way we try to help motivate every student is by opening advanced placement classes to all students who want to take them,” Matthews said. These higher-level, accelerated courses are boosters on college applications.
Another key factor to the school’s success is a supportive Malibu community. “Our community has been extremely supportive,” Matthews said. “They’ve voted for $20 million in construction bonds over the last 10 years. That was critical to meeting the needs of the students.”
Dan Bishop, father of MHS incoming junior Samantha Bishop, stressed that it is high levels of education that makes a society thrive and boosts property values. In this parent’s mind, the school gives back to the community what the community invests in the school.
“Some people believe that a wealthy community naturally will have an excellent public school system,” Bishop said. “But it’s the other way around; housing prices and real estate values track good schools.”
With tax cuts and losses in public funding plaguing the California school system, Matthews finds more than just an academic challenge ahead. He acknowledged that the next battle will be in the voting booth. “Now we’re facing a budget crisis,” he said. “We’re tightening our belt. It’s a matter of wait-and-see with the issue on the ballot.”
Not one to dwell on obstacles or rest on his laurels, Matthews is intent on maintaining the school’s success by setting higher goals next year. “We can always do a better job. We still have 10 percent of the students reading below the 50th percentile. We want to raise the bar for all of our students.”