Meeting date: October 29, 2026
Santa Monica-Malibu school board members on Thursday took a first look at a Safe Routes to School policy that would put the district’s work with the cities of Santa Monica and Malibu on student travel safety into written board policy. The board is scheduled to act on it Nov. 19.
Safe Routes to School policy
A district staff member presenting the policy and its administrative regulation (item 5142.2) said the district has no such policy now. For families, the policy would commit the district to partner with each city’s Safe Routes program, take part in the cities’ Bike It or Walk It days, work with local law enforcement on enforcing traffic laws near schools, and keep safe routes in mind when designing or upgrading school buildings.
The regulation lists four district strategies. Board Member Jon Kean asked about comments the board received saying the document was missing items. District staff member Carey Upton said the district’s version leaves out parts of the model language from the California School Boards Association that direct the district to do things it cannot, because the cities, not the district, manage streets and apply for most Safe Routes grants. Upton said the policy will return Nov. 19 as written. The presenter said the district also plans to contact the cities about restarting earlier efforts and adding them to the regulation.
Board Vice-President Laurie Lieberman said she wants the board to receive regular crash information from the cities, which keep those statistics, and a presentation from the city on its Vision Zero traffic safety program. She said the wording matters less to her than building a process for getting the information. Upton said the district can request the data. A district staff member said the policy provides for quarterly reports to the board, with the content depending on what the cities will share.
Board Member Maria Leon-Vazquez asked about school drop-off planning and about crossing guards. Upton said the city of Santa Monica has had fewer crossing guards since the pandemic and is hiring, and that the next guard hired would go to Ocean Park. Board Member Stacy Rouse asked about Malibu. Upton said talks there are less formal than Santa Monica’s quarterly meetings and that the policy would help formalize them.
Two residents spoke on the item. One asked for stronger wording naming a district point of contact for Safe Routes work and for regular crash reporting. The other supported the policy and pointed to California Vehicle Code provisions that allow lower speed limits near schools.
Heating and cooling in new buildings
Superintendent Antonio Shelton updated the board on cooling and heating problems at the new Malibu High School and Santa Monica High School buildings. Public speakers and a teachers union representative raised the problem, and a resident asked who is accountable and when conditions will be fixed.
Shelton said the main chiller at Malibu High School failed, a temporary chiller was brought in, and parts for the repair should arrive within two weeks. He said the chiller at Malibu Middle School has been replaced and a replacement system for its music building is on order. He said Siemens is doing an overall assessment of the new spaces, AC Pros is reviewing heating, and crews work on weekends because repairs cannot be made while classes are in session. Shelton said some individual classrooms may keep having problems and the district will address them as they arise. No board action was taken.
Technology working group
Shelton said the district’s Instructional Technology Working Group has reached preliminary findings only, and no changes are in effect. According to Shelton, 64% of working group members favored disabling general YouTube browsing in grades TK through eight while allowing videos that teachers embed, and 76.9% favored purpose-driven technology guidelines. He said the group meets again Nov. 12 and the board is expected to hold a December study session. Three parents urged tighter filtering, limits on free-time device use, and blocking YouTube in all grades. Kean asked for data on technology use outside instruction time, and a staff member said it will go in the Friday memo.
Votes and decisions
- The board ratified a contract amendment for the Franklin Elementary School early education classroom and site improvements project; the motion carried.
- The board adopted a resolution declaring School Administrator Week; the motion carried.
- The board adopted a resolution recognizing United Against Hate Week; the motion carried.
- The board adopted a resolution acknowledging National Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month; the motion carried.
Everything the board did
- Franklin Elementary amendment: Upton said the $408,000 amendment covers the added cost of switching to a grass field as part of a field study, and that more information on the study will come to the board.
- Consent calendar: Lieberman said she would recuse herself because one of the independent contractors listed is a law firm that employs her niece’s husband, and she wanted to avoid any appearance of a conflict.
- Closed session: Board President Alicia Mignano read the terms of a special education settlement: a $6,000 independent evaluation, 30 hours of tutoring, 30 hours of counseling, an assessment by district staff, and $4,500 in attorney fees.
- Microgrids: Shelton said microgrid controls at Malibu Elementary and Webster Elementary should be finished by late November, weather permitting, and that Schneider Electric estimates about $210,000 in annual utility savings across three Malibu sites.
- Veterans Day: Shelton said district offices will be closed Nov. 11.
