March 6, 2012 — Malibu’s secession from the School District will take a lengthy process that ultimately will hinge on finances and a decision by state officials on whether to bring the plan before the voters of Santa Monica and Malibu, the School Board learned last week.
But Malibu officials told the board during last Thursday’s information session that despite the complicated process that will take more than a year, Malibu residents seem ready to move forward.
The process, which is called unification, “is a lengthy legal process with a lot of checks and balances along the way,” said Matthew Spies, a spokesman with the Los Angeles County Board of Education.
A territory wishing to secede from another district would need to submit a petition to the 11-person County Committee on Reorganization for review, Spies said. After that, public hearings in both Santa Monica and Malibu would be held.
Then, the Committee would conduct a feasibility study to answer questions about the effect the break up would have on each territory, including the financial impacts.
However, the final decision would lie with the State Board of Education, Spies said. Even if everything were to go smoothly, it could take at least a year before the State would consider the split.
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Advocates for Malibu Public Schools 