Meeting date: October 1, 2026
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education on Thursday approved a contract amendment authorizing construction of battery storage systems at two Malibu elementary schools as part of a broader push to make the district’s Malibu campuses energy-independent during power outages. The board also approved charges for two district advisory committees and adopted a resolution in support of Safe Schools Month.
Key Votes and Decisions
Alternative Power Project — Malibu Schools (Amendment 7)
The board approved Amendment 7 to the district’s agreement with Schneider Electric, covering construction costs for battery energy storage systems at Malibu Elementary and Webster Elementary as the second phase of the alternative power project. The first phase — microgrid controls that allow campuses to switch to backup generator power during outages — is set to begin construction Oct. 12, according to district staff. The batteries, once installed, would become the primary backup power source; the generator would serve as a secondary source. The project also includes a larger one-megawatt battery and a new energy control center at the Malibu Middle School and High School campus, along with hillside solar development.
Total project cost to date across seven amendments is just over $7.5 million, according to Schneider Electric Program Manager Mark Starkey. The district has secured Investment Tax Credit funds projected to return approximately $2.2 million directly for the battery systems alone. Projected energy savings over 20 years are estimated at just under $7 million, based on a 5% annual utility cost escalator. The item was approved via roll call vote.
Board Member Stacy Rouse questioned flood and erosion risk at the Webster Elementary site, where K-rails remain in place following a 2024 fire event. Schneider Electric staff said they would assess the battery placement before the Oct. 12 mobilization and would consider additional erosion controls.
Resolution 26-12 — Safe Schools Month
The board adopted Resolution 26-12, committing the district to regular emergency drills, review of school discipline procedures, and advocacy for state and federal funding for mental health staff and gun violence prevention measures. Board Vice-President Laurie Lieberman read the resolution’s operative clauses before the vote. Board Member Richard Tahvildaran-Jesswein had stepped out of the room at the time of the vote. The item passed as heard.
Resolution 26-13 — Williams Act Compliance
Following a required public hearing — opened and closed by separate votes, both carried — the board adopted Resolution 26-13, certifying that all district schools meet the Williams Act requirement for sufficient instructional materials. A district staff member, identified in the transcript only as a presenter, reported that all schools were found to be in compliance and credited principals from McKinley and Malibu Elementary schools with conducting in-person audits.
Application for Exemption — Classroom Teacher Expenditure Requirement
The board approved submission of an application to the Los Angeles County Office of Education for exemption from the state requirement that unified school districts spend 55% of specified funds on classroom teacher salaries. Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Gerardo Cruz told the board the district fell short of the threshold by 7.66% for 2025-26, a gap driven by spending categorical and COVID recovery funds on equipment, technology, and other non-salary items as intended by those funding sources. Cruz said the exemption has been granted for six to seven consecutive years and noted that 31.3% of unified districts statewide now require similar exemptions — up from 9% when the Local Control Funding Formula took effect. He told the board the district now expects to need the exemption for roughly five years beyond the previously projected endpoint of 2028-29, due to an additional $12 million in categorical funds recently received. Board Member Jennifer Smith noted that districts avoiding the exemption often do so by spending one-time funds on ongoing teacher salaries, which forces staff reductions later — a practice this board has declined to follow. The item carried.
2026 Charges — Financial Oversight Committee
The board approved the 2026 charges for the Financial Oversight Committee. Board Member Jon Kean, who moved the item, described them as continuations of prior-year charges. The item carried.
2026 Charges — VAPA District Advisory Committee
The board received and discussed, but did not take a separate vote on, the proposed 2026 charges for the Visual and Performing Arts District Advisory Committee. Board Members Leon-Vazquez and Tahvildaran-Jesswein, who serve as board liaisons to the committee, said the group had recently held elections and was undergoing governance training. Kean said the current charges read more like a mission statement than specific directives and urged more precise charges for the 2027-28 cycle; both liaisons said revisions are planned.
School Presentation
Malibu High School Principal Adam Almeida and Assistant Principal Denise Johnson presented an overview of the school’s instructional priorities and outcomes. Almeida reported a 4% increase in CASP scores in both English and math — exceeding the school’s 3% target — and said it marked the first time in six years that more than 50% of Malibu High students met or exceeded state math standards. He attributed the gains to a coordinated testing approach, community and PTSA support, and a campus-wide focus on project-based learning.
Closed Session Report-Out
Board President Alicia Mignano reported three special education settlement agreements approved in closed session. Settlements DN1003 and DN1004 each provide compensatory education funding not to exceed $615,000 for the 2026-27 school year. Settlement DN1005 covers reimbursement of $420.09 for a privately purchased augmentative communication device, attorney’s fees not to exceed $4,500, and a return to district programming with a triennial evaluation scheduled for spring 2027. Mignano said DN1003 and DN1004 were approved; DN1005 was also approved, on a motion by Board Member Jennifer Smith, seconded by Lieberman.
Union Reports
A representative of SMMCTA raised ongoing HVAC failures at Malibu Middle School and Malibu High School, noting that both buildings have experienced heating and cooling problems since opening. A second speaker, identified as a teacher at Malibu Middle School and an SMMCTA executive board member, described conditions during construction including noise and inadequate passing time for students traveling between campuses.
Ryan Emerson, representing SEIU Local 99 via Zoom, said the district’s bargaining team had proposed a 2.5% wage increase to classified workers, which he called inadequate. Emerson cited individual workers facing long commutes and financial hardship, and criticized the district’s contracting practices, while also acknowledging recent progress on healthcare eligibility expansion and overtime issues.
Public Comment
Kevin Keegan, who identified himself as co-author of the first California State PTA resolution on artificial intelligence in education, urged the board to organize a two-day policy conference in November to address AI’s impact on workforce preparation and school curriculum.
A speaker who identified himself as Joe Bowers-Disney and as a parent of a student with ADHD raised concerns about the adequacy of documentation and data supporting IEP recommendations and special education service delivery. Board members asked him to submit his comments by email for follow-up.
Next Steps
- Phase one construction at Malibu Elementary and Webster Elementary begins Oct. 12.
- DSA approval for phase two battery installation at Webster Elementary is anticipated by mid-October.
- Schneider Electric plans to submit the Malibu Middle/High microgrid package to DSA Oct. 14 and the battery package Nov. 15; hillside solar design is targeted for DSA submission before year’s end.
- The district’s exemption application will be submitted to the Los Angeles County Office of Education.
- VAPA DAC liaisons will bring revised charges for board review ahead of the 2027-28 cycle.
- Superintendent Antonio Shelton invited the community to a State of Our Schools event Oct. 7 at Santa Monica High School, beginning at 5 p.m.
