We appreciate Santa Monica Next’s coverage of SMMPTA Council’s legislative study on artificial turf and its decision to publish a link to the full report (“Coastal Commission Staff Fumes at ‘Unpermitted’ Turf Replacement at Ocean Park School House,” July 28). As Santa Monica-Malibu Council of PTA executives, we spotted some misstatements of fact and wanted to offer a correction on those.
The Council turf study (2026) represents many months of careful research, discussion, and collaboration by the Council’s appointed turf study committee. Several statements in your article which describe SMMPTA Council’s process in managing the study report process do not accurately reflect what occurred. Specifically, the article states: “Staff pushed back against some of the recommendations of the report and some of the language was softened before it was accepted by the school board (without the report’s author’s knowledge of the changes).”
The following clarifications are offered to accurately describe SMMPTA Council’s Process.
First, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) did not and does not influence, “push back” on or provide input into SMMPTA Council’s recommendations.
As is customary during the preparation of a legislative study, SMMUSD staff provided information in response to questions from the turf study committee regarding existing facilities, maintenance practices, and other objective matters related to school sites.
That information helped inform the committee’s work, but SMMUSD staff did not participate in drafting the report, recommend its conclusions, or influence SMMPTA Council’s deliberations and decisions in any way.
Second, the “language was softened” at the suggestion of SMMPTA Council members during Council deliberations, not at the request or suggestion of SMMUSD staff, the Board of Education, or any outside party. Although the turf study committee included both SMMPTA Council members and other community stakeholders, only Council members and Council liaisons participated in the January and February Council Association meetings to discuss and vote on the turf study committee’s report and recommendations.
Following consultation with California State PTA leadership, Council was advised that it could not alter the study committee’s recommendation and is required to vote on the recommendations as presented, without modification. Accordingly, the original recommendation was restored and subsequently approved by the full Council Association at its February meeting.
Third, the Board of Education neither accepts nor approves SMMPTA legislative studies, nor does it determine the language or recommendations they contain. Under California State PTA procedures, legislative study reports are considered and adopted by the Council Association. Once adopted, they become the official positions of
SMMPTA Council, and all included units (schools) within Council. After adoption by the Council Association, the report is shared with Board members, relevant SMMUSD staff, PTA leaders at each school site for distribution to their school communities, and school leadership for their information and consideration.
Finally, there is no one author of the turf study committee report. There were in fact eight authors of the report, with the Legislation Chair serving as lead author. Understandably and appropriately, the five members of the study committee who are not members of PTA Council would not be aware of Council’s proceedings regarding the study committee’s report and recommendations.
We respectfully request that Santa Monica Next revise the paragraph quoted above to accurately reflect SMMPTA Council’s legislative study process and the factual sequence of events. We appreciate your commitment to accurate reporting and believe these clarifications will help readers better understand both the independence of SMMPTA Council’s legislative studies and the procedures under which they are developed, considered, and adopted.
We would be happy to answer any questions or provide additional information regarding SMMPTA Council’s legislative study process.
Sincerely,
Erin Inatsugu, President
Casper Casparian, VP Education
Santa Monica-Malibu Council of PTAs
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