The debate over an independent Malibu school district is officially going before LA County education officials this week, the latest step in an agonizingly slow process that began nearly 20 years ago.
Since The Malibu Times’ records were digitized sometime in 1999, nearly 500 stories, briefs, calendar listings and photographs have been tagged on our website referencing the fight for an independent school district. From 2004 (“Malibu school district campaign begins”) to 2020 (“Malibu ends ‘bad faith’ negotiations over school district separation”), a generation of students has come and gone since the idea was first raised of an independent local school district. Now, after six years of failed negotiations and hundreds, if not thousands, of hours studying, rallying, debating and crunching numbers, the City of Malibu, representing students at local public schools from the 90265 zip code, will have its day in court.
All Malibu residents, those with school-aged children and those without, are invited to attend the online hearing before the LA County Office of Education Committee on School District Organization on Saturday, April 17, 2021, at 9:30 a.m.
An “awareness night” Zoom meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, April 14, at 6 p.m., where community members can learn more about the debate and hear from the city’s experts.
Information on the awareness night as well as the LACOE hearing is available by visiting the city’s website: malibucity.org/782/Proposed-Malibu-Unified-School-District.