December 1, 2011 — The Santa Monica-Malibu School Board voted unanimously to move forward with their controversial district-wide fundraising policy at a tense meeting Tuesday night.
The School Board decided to develop a centralized fundraising plan that would bar Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) from raising money to pay for teachers or other personnel as well as “premium programs” at specific schools. Instead, the board will create a centralized organization that will pool the money and redistribute it amongst all the schools in the district.
It will not affect donations for school supplies or other materials, like computers. PTAs can still raise money for field trips, as well, according to Board member Ben Allen.
“My job is to ensure that all students in our district have equitable access,” said Superintendent Sandra Lyon Tuesday.
Changing the board policy is just about changing the direction and “painting with broad strokes,” Superintendent Sandra Lyon said Tuesday. The actual rules – and details – would have to be established by an administrative regulation.
The initial step would be to form a Superintendent’s Advisory Group made up of 30 representatives of various groups in the community, including PTA Council members and members of the African American Parent Student Staff Support Group, to better flesh out the details of the plan, including what constitutes a “premium program.”
Advocates for Malibu Public Schools 