MHS Septic Woes and Field Lighting Plans Require More Funds

• Mystery Sewer Lines Need Study

BY SUZANNE GULDIMANN

Malibu High School’s Measure BB-funded septic system upgrade and permanent athletic field lighting plan are expected to receive additional funding at the Santa Monica-Malibu School District board of education’s May 21 meeting.
At the same meeting, the board will discuss a staff recommendation to “realign the Special Education budget to reflect historical expenditure patterns with a reduction of $700,000,” and to cut an additional $300,000 from district-wide contracted services in an effort to offset the district’s financial woes.
According to the agenda, line items in the budget that could be eliminated or reduced could potentially include the district’s communications consultant, certificated personnel support, legal costs, district policy support, a facility permit consultant, and technology consultants.
The Special Education reductions could come “as a result of analysis reviewing several years of expenditure patterns in Special Education.” According to the staff report, “There were some very specific areas that were consistent from year to year.” These areas included: legal costs, non-public school and non-public agency contracts and instructional assistant allocations.
The board of education is also expected to vote to increase some class sizes, including an increase of three students per class for grades K-3 for a total ratio of 23:1. Staff reports that the “state has reduced penalties for going over the 20:1 level, making this a financially viable option.” According to the agenda, staff anticipates that “these changes will result in a reduction of approximately $1.9 million in expenditures in the 2009-10 school year,” and will not require certificated layoffs.
While the district scrambles to cope with the budget crisis, the measure BB juggernaut, which can be used only for building and safety improvements, moves forward. The controversial MHS permanent field lighting plan is expected to receive an additional $35,000 for Culbertson and Associates to “expedite and coordinate the review by the California Coastal Commission.”
The lighting plan, which is an “add alternative” that can only be built if adequate funding is available after the “core” projects have been completed, has received vocal criticism from the Malibu Park community.
An analysis of existing septic systems at the Malibu Park campus that is required as part of the Measure BB improvement project at the high school has uncovered “additional sewer lines in the area near the Bus Barns not previously known to the district,” according to the agenda. Staff is recommending the board approve an additional $1900 for the Drew Lewis Company to perform “sewer drain line surveys and investigation services,” for a total contract amount of $9900.
Additional funds are also on the agenda for the firm of Topanga Underground for septic system investigations at Webster Elementary School in the amount of $30,000 for a total contract of $210,021. Topanga Underground is also expected to receive an additional $30,000 for septic system investigations at Pt. Dume Marine Science Elementary School, for a total contract amount of $240,021.
Webster’s aging wastewater system recently received a notice from the Regional Water Quality Control Board, and district consultants have previously indicated that the Point Dume system may also be found to be in violation.
The public portion of the SMMUSD meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m., on Thursday, May 21, in the Santa Monica City Council Chambers: 1685 Main Street, Santa Monica. The agenda is available on the district’s website at smmusd.org