Current SMMUSD School Board Member Oscar de la Torre’s recent victory in the Santa Monica City Council race means his seat on the seven-member board will soon become open.
As per school board rules, de la Torre’s replacement, who will serve out the remaining two years of de la Torre’s term, will be selected by the other members of the school board, not elected by the public—and those board members are now taking applications for review.
If you’d like to toss your hat in the ring, you can find the application at www.smmusd.org/Page/6279. It must be submitted by the 4:30 p.m. deadline on Thursday, Dec. 17, to be eligible. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, citizens of California and registered voters residing inside SMMUSD district boundaries. SMMUSD employees may apply but must resign from their positions if elected.
Prospective candidates will undergo reviews and interviews before the board publicly announces and appoints its selection at a public Zoom meeting on Thursday, Jan. 14.
The board is and has always been Santa Monica-dominated due to Santa Monica’s much larger population compared to Malibu’s. Only one of the current members, Craig Foster, resides in Malibu.
“The chance of [the SMMUSD board] picking a Malibu resident is approximately zero,” KBUU News wrote on Wednesday, Dec. 2.