Pt. Dume Charter Petitioners Wait to Make Next Move; No Chance of Charter School for Fall

will be part of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District for at least one more school year. The charter school petitioners said Tuesday they had not decided whether to send their case to the state Board of Education, but if they appeal the county Board of Education's rejection of their petition, it would not be done in time to open a charter school in the fall.

The petitioners have until early August (180 days after the county board's Feb. 8 denial) to decide whether to file an appeal.

"After careful consideration and input from various stakeholders, we've decided to wait before filing our appeal with the state,” co-lead petitioner Robyn Ross wrote in an e-mail to Malibu Patch. “We have 180 days to file, and will be monitoring the activities and political climate at both the district and state levels during that time."

If an appeal is filed, no adjustments can be made to the charter petition except for technical details that focus on the state being the potential authorizer rather than the SMMUSD or the county. If the petitioners want to create a revised document, the process must start again with a submission to the school district.

The district board rejected the petition because, members said, it included a plan that would have a negative effect on the school's financial health and programs, among other concerns. The appeal to the county board was rejected for similar reasons (although the board members did not discuss the item prior to voting; they supported a staff recommendation that had this language).

The petitioners had originally planned to open the charter school in the fall. They began the process to make Point Dume an independent school last year because of a fear the district would close the school due to declining enrollment. SMMUSD officials have denied closure is on the table.

Another reason for the charter request is that the petitioners want the school to be in charge of its finances while money is tight due to the state's reduced financial support for education.