The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District has had a rough couple of months. Before the recent round of wildfires had caused massive upheaval throughout the Westside, the “Franklin Fire” had caused schools in Malibu to close last month. Damage to one elementary school campus caused it to be closed through the winter break. Then, just two days after it re-opened, it closed again.
Yesterday afternoon, SMMUSD announced that barring any unforeseen circumstances, all SMMUSD schools would be open when school’s return from the extended Martin Luther King Day weekend on Tuesday. Santa Monica schools had re-opened earlier this week.
“We understand that many Malibu families and staff have a strong interest in returning to school as quickly as it is safe to do so,” wrote Superintendent Antonio Shelton in a letter to parents yesterday. “Our Board of Education and our leadership feel strongly about this as well.”
In addition, the “TK/Kindergarten Roundup” for Santa Monica will go forward nextThursday, January 23, 2025, at Santa Monica elementary schools. This annual event allows parents to meet school staff, explore early learning programs, and begin the registration process for the 2025-26 school year. (The event for Malibu schools was postponed until February.)
In the letter to parents, Shelton laid out the criteria the district used to decide when it is/was safe to re-open. While crews continue to clear debris from some campuses, it was safe access to and from the campuses that caused the greatest concern.
“A big challenge from a safety standpoint continues to be road closures. Currently, PCH, Malibu Canyon and Topanga Canyon are closed. This presents a very difficult situation for our Malibu staff, who come from the north and from the south, in addition to the local area. It also presents a challenge for our students who use our bus services and some families. The lack of multiple options for access presents a safety concern in the event of an emergency,” the letter continued.
While re-opening is planned for Tuesday, a change in circumstances could cause the district to change course. A final decision on reopening will be announced on Sunday night.
