Group Wants Malibu Appointee on School Board

Since Kathy Wisnicki decided not to run for re-election in 2008, there has not been a Malibu resident on the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District's Board of Education. Many Malibu residents say this has left the city without a voice in a district that is headquartered in Santa Monica and focused on the significantly larger city. A group of local education leaders say a remedy would be for the SMMUSD to allow an unelected Malibu resident to serve on the Board of Education in an advisory role.

Mayor Pro Tem Laura Zahn Rosenthal, who was involved in education activism long before she was elected to the in 2010, said the grassroots group Advocates for Malibu Public Schools has been meeting for the past nine months about various issues, including getting a Malibu appointee on the school board. The group includes representatives from each of the Malibu public schools.

Rosenthal said that the appointee would not be allowed to vote on board items or participate in closed session discussions. But the person would be able to speak on Malibu issues from a Malibu perspective, something Rosenthal said is desperately needed on the board.

"You can represent everyone in the district, but it's a lot harder for them to understand or know what's going on in Malibu,” Rosenthal said. "They don't live here and aren't here all the time."

Rosenthal said Advocates is pushing to get the proposal on the board agenda within the next two months. City Council member Lou La Monte announced at last week's council meeting that SMMUSD Board Vice President Ben Allen said he would try to get the item on the agenda soon. La Monte has met with all the board members on this issue.

"We're trying to get someone from Malibu on [the Board of Education] on a more permanent basis," La Monte said. "We're asking them to do something that's never been done before."

Allen and board member Nimish Patel said they were interested in the idea, but it is unclear how exactly the position would function. They said Superintendent Sandra Lyon and the district's attorneys would need to weigh in on the legal issues. 

"The idea would be an advisory thing, selected by a group of folks," Allen said. "We just need to figure out what the next steps are."

Patel said having a Malibu face on the board could prompt more local residents to attend and participate at SMMUSD meetings.

"How do we empower a community that feels their concerns aren't being taken in? We need to find the right mechanism and feel like their voices are being heard," Patel said.

Board member Ralph Mechur said he does not support this proposal. He noted that Malibu residents have the opportunity to be on the board by getting elected. No Malibu resident ran in 2008. Patrick Cady, a Malibu resident and former Santa Monica High School teacher, ran in 2010, placing sixth in the eight-candidate contest.

"It's not part of our charter," Mechur said. "I don’t even know if it's legally permissible to do that. At this point, I don't see myself supporting anyone but elected officials and [student] representatives to sit on the dais. I think [the proposal] raises more problems than solves problems."

Mechur said he is disappointed that few Malibu residents come to board meetings—even when they take place in Malibu. When a board meeting took place at  in May, three Malibu residents showed up, and one of them was Rosenthal. Mechur encouraged Malibu residents to attend meetings and to contact school board members through email and telephone to foster better communication.

He said, "I think there's ample opportunity to let the board know what their opinions are on particular issues." 

Editor's Note: In a previous edition of this article Ben Allen was quoted as saying the Malibu appointee would be "elected by a group of folks." He said the appointee would be "selected."