Several candidates admit there has been a lack of communication between the school board and Malibu.
By Jonathan Friedman / Assistant Editor
At what is expected to be the sole candidates’ forum prior to November’s Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education election, the contenders on Monday discussed the growing division between Malibu and the much larger City of Santa Monica. This polarization comes at a time when there are no Malibu residents running for a seat, leaving this area without a representative on the board for the first time in nearly 30 years.
“I do think it is a problem,” said candidate Ben Allen when asked about this issue. “We’ll have to make sure we’re getting Malibu folks in other roles of leadership, including the PTA Council. It really means that the board members and the district administration need to go into overdrive and learn about the Malibu issues, and do right by Malibu and do outreach here.”
Allen is one of four candidates running for three seats on the seven-member board. The others are fellow newcomer Chris Bley, and incumbents Jose Escarce and Maria Leon Vazquez. Ralph Mechur is running unopposed to complete a term he began last summer as a replacement for Emily Bloomfield. He did not attend the forum, which took place at Malibu City Hall.
Kathy Wisnicki, Malibu’s only representative on the board, decided not to run for re-election because of personal reasons and because she said she did not believe she could win because of the division between the cities.
The candidates were asked about a belief by many in Malibu that the city is an afterthought for board members.
“There is a perception out there that board members are not showing up,” Bley said. “And when I come out, the statements that have been made to me are that board members have not been coming out. And I think that’s the key.”
Escarce said he understands why the perception exists, but he said he believes it is inaccurate. “Our board has worked cohesively to ensure all our schools are well served,” he said. “The Malibu schools in particular are truly exceptional schools. And I believe that the board has ensured that the Malibu schools have excellent programs.”
Leon Vazquez said there has been a lack of communication between the district and Malibu for the last few years. She blamed the problem on both sides.
“I think it has to be not just the expectation of Santa Monica board members who come out to Malibu but also Malibu [residents] to come express whatever the needs of Malibu are all about. I don’t think that communication has been in place the last few years. So we really need to open this up and explore what we need to do to better communicate.”
The polarization has created a new call for Malibu to form its own district. This sentiment has come up several times throughout the years, but a true effort has never gone past an initial discussion stage. Currently, a group called Malibu Unified School Team, or MUST, is gathering signatures in the community to get the county to do a feasibility study on a Malibu school district. No candidate opposed this effort.
“Without exploring it [whether it is feasible to create a Malibu school district], the truth is we’ll never know,” Escarce said. “And certainly the citizens of Malibu [and] the children in our schools are entitled to know … For me, one thing I would want to be reassured is that the education that could be provided by an independent school district would be at least as good as the one we are currently providing, which I believe is excellent.”
Bley said he understands why Malibu would want its own school district, but he said he hoped if elected to the board he would be given “the chance to repair the damage that’s been going on.”
The relationship of Malibu and Santa Monica began a downward spiral last fall when an advisory committee recommended the Measure BB construction funds for Malibu High be reduced. The Board of Education accepted this recommendation. Only after an uproar from Malibu residents did the board reverse its decision in February. Another conflict came over special education when the program’s head, Tim Walker, was forced to resign in the spring. This action was hailed by many in Santa Monica and bashed by many in Malibu.
The candidates were asked about why there was such a drastic difference of opinion on the quality of the special education program under Walker’s leadership. Escarce said he believed it was because there is a stronger network of support for special education parents in Malibu than there is in Santa Monica, as well as a difference in personnel.
Bley, who said special education is the most pressing issue in the district, said it was another sign of the big differences of the two cities. He said he would work to change the district’s special education program so that is acceptable to both cities.
The debate will be broadcast on City TV channel 3 Saturday at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. It will then be broadcast beginning Monday until Election Day at 5 p.m. every day but Sundays.