SMMUSD discusses budget adjustments
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education addressed the issue of cutting the district budget at its meeting last Thursday. Some of the ideas discussed included increasing the student-to-teacher ratio to lessen the amount of full-time employees. This would not mean the firing of teachers, but rather when a certain number of teachers leave the district at the end of the year, less than that amount of instructors would be hired to replace them.
Because less money is coming in from the state due to declining enrollment, the district is being forced to dip into its reserve to fund some of its expenses. That reserve is quickly vanishing, and by the end of the 2009-10 fiscal year, district projections have the SMMUSD facing a $7 million shortfall.
The budget discussion continues this Wednesday at district headquarters, located at 1651 16 St. in Santa Monica. The meeting begins at 6 p.m.
The school board will be presented with a 2007-08 budget proposal at its meeting on May 3.
Accident injures one at Malibu Inn
A man was seriously injured Saturday around 1 a.m. in an accident on Pacific Coast Highway in front of The Malibu Inn involving a Porsche vehicle and a half semi truck.
A witness, who did not want to be identified, said he and other people saw the accident take place as they were sitting outside the restaurant. The witness said he went to aid the injured man who was driving the Porsche, as other witnesses tried to call 911 on their cell phones. With no one able to reach emergency services, the witness drove to the local fire station on Malibu Road and told firefighters there that an accident took place. The witness, who returned to the accident scene, said it took at least 12 minutes for any emergency services to show up. He said the accident occurred at 1:01 a.m. Fire Department Spokesperson Maria Grycan said a dispatch call to the local fire station headquarters came in at 1:07 a.m. and emergency personnel arrived at the scene at 1:11 a.m.
Grycan said cell phones are problematic when making 911 calls. All emergency calls from cell phones in Los Angeles County areas (excepting the City of Los Angeles) are automatically routed to the California Highway Patrol, which then reroutes the call to the appropriate departments in the area of an accident or emergency, she said. And since the CHP gets so many 911 calls, the circuits often are busy, or callers receive please wait messages. Grycan said the City of Los Angeles has avoided this problem by implementing a plan that directs all 911 cell phone calls directly to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Grycan recommended that if residents of the Malibu area cannot find a landline to make a 911 call, they should program the Fire Department dispatch number (310.456.6603) into their cell phones to report fire or medical emergencies. Calls to this number will go directly to the local fire station dispatch.
The injured man was taken to a local hospital, Grycan said. She could not comment on the extent of his injuries. Lost Hills/Malibu Sheriff’s officials, who make reports on accidents that take place on Pacific Coast Highway, did not return calls about the accident.
Supplies needed for cultural event
A collection will take place in Topanga on May 3 to gain supplies for a May 6 Hopi Celebration at the Wright Organic Resource Center in Malibu. The celebration event will include 30 Hopi dancers, artists, singers and runners, who will be coming to share their hopes, visions, songs and prayers. Volunteers are also needed for set-up and day-of-event activities. The Wright Organic Resource Center is located at 24680 Piuma Rd. For more information, call 310.288.2541 or send an e-mail to hopicelebration@yahoo.com
Teen art showcase
The Malibu Library is hosting an opening-night reception for teens and their families on Friday that will feature a display of local teen art, literary pieces and performances. The event is free. The Malibu Library is located at 23519 Civic Center Way. For more information, call 310.456.6438.
Flea market fundraiser in Palisades
Fancy Feet Dance Studio in Pacific Palisades, which caters to several Malibu residents, is having a flea market fundraiser on Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The flea market will be held in the parking lot of the studio, located at 881 Alma Real Drive in the Pacific Palisades.
All proceeds generated will be used to help send Fancy Feet Dance Studio dancers to New York for special dance training. The event will include games, dance performances, food as well as items for sale. For more information, call 310.459.7203.
Packages to be sent to soldiers
A packing party will take place on May 29 to prepare care packages for U.S. soldiers overseas. New and used DVDs are requested. To donate DVDs or to volunteer for the party, call Cindy Linke at 310.457.4510 or 310.403.3780.
Measure S senior exemption process begins
Senior citizens ages 65 and older who own and occupy their property as their primary residence can apply for an exemption from the $225 Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District parcel tax approved by voters in 2003.
Those who have never applied for the exemption should call Dawn Smithfield at 310.450.8338 ext. 269 to request a first-time application. They can also be printed from the Web site at www.smmusd.org. At the site, click “Senior Exemption,” then “Application for Senior Exemption.” Completed and signed original applications must be returned, along with the required proofs of age and property ownership, by July 31.
For those who have previously applied, a renewal form will automatically be sent to them next month. It must be completed, signed and returned by July 31. Those who do not receive their renewal form by June 10 should call Smithfield.
SMMUSD accepting applications for Measure BB committee
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education is accepting applications to fill vacancies on the newly re-named Measure BB Advisory Committee (previously known as the Ad Hoc Facilities Committee). The application deadline is May 31 and the board is expected to make its appointments in June.
The purpose of the committee, according to the school district, is to provide the Board of Education and district staff with the community’s perspective regarding school site construction projects using funds from Measure BB, the $268 million facilities bond measure approved by voters last November. The committee will include as many as 15 members.
An SMMUSD press release stated that it will look to include members of the community “who will bring different views to the committee, including relevant expertise (technology implementation and requirements, construction, safety, curriculum/fine arts, environmental concerns, issues regarding cultural relevance), cultural backgrounds, geographical areas of the district, representatives from both Santa Monica and Malibu, SEIU, Santa Monica College and the teachers union.”
The Committee will meet at least once per month at a location to be determined.
Applications may be obtained from the SMMUSD Web site at www.smmusd.org or in the superintendent’s office at 1651 16 St. in Santa Monica.
-Jonathan Friedman and
Laura Tate