Malibu’s Rotary Club hosted a debate forum among the seven people running for four seats on the Santa Monica-Malibu Board of Education.
Julie Collier, founder of the Parents Advocate League, moderated the debate at Pepperdine University and nearly 40 people attended.
“The discussion often became heated, especially when the subject was PCBs found in Malibu schools … and what the best course of action should be to test for and eliminate them,” a release from the Rotary Club stated. “Some in the audience did not feel the current board has done enough, that the teachers and children should not go back into the buildings, and should instead be relocated to temporary trailers, until all tests show there is no hazard.”
Candidates were unanimously in support of better representation for Malibu, which has not had a representative on the board since 2008. If the only Malibu candidate, Craig Foster, is not elected, the candidates said they were open to the idea of a Malibu liaison being appointed to attend all board meetings.