Gerrymandering Alleged In SMMUSD School Board Election Proposal

MALIBU, CA — Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District officials are sounding off against a proposal to change the way school board members are elected in the two-city district, calling the plan an attempt at illegal gerrymandering.

The proposal, outlined in a resident-submitted petition, calls for eliminating the SMMUSD Board of Education's system of seven at-large members, all of whom are voted in by residents of both cities, in favor of a system where board members run in seven specific geographic districts.

Under the proposed new system, residents would vote only for board members running for their district's seat once every four years. Currently, at-large board members serve staggered four-years terms.

SMMUSD officials say the proposed districts appear to have been drawn with the "unlawful objective of gerrymandering."

“The map submitted as part of the petition not only targets sitting incumbents, including a long-serving Latina, but in two areas, it combines parts of Malibu with Santa Monica that are very different from one another and don’t logically match. They are not even adjacent to each other,” school board member Alicia Mignano said in a statement.

Additionally, district officials say that any changes to the way school board elections are conducted must be done through a change to the Santa Monica City Charter.

“The maps accompanying the SB 442 petition do not comply with state law. The petition itself seeks to limit voters to choosing just one school board member every four years. This contrasts sharply with the district's existing at-large system, which has consistently resulted in the election of school board members from diverse backgrounds and allows broad voter participation, encouraging candidates to consider the needs of all of our communities and students. I urge parents, staff, students, and community members to make their voices heard at the upcoming hearings," state Sen. Ben Allen said in a statement.

The Los Angeles County Committee on School District Organization will conduct two hearings on the proposed district maps submitted as part of the petition: Jan. 31 at 6 p.m. at the Malibu Campus of Santa Monica College and on Feb. 10 at 9:30 a.m. in the SMMUSD District Office boardroom, 1717 4th St. Santa Monica.

The petition is unrelated to the ongoing effort to separate Santa Monica and Malibu into separate school districts, which is not expected to be completed for several years.

The proponents of the petition are listed as Jennifer deNicola of Malibu and Patricia Crane of Santa Monica. You can view the full petition and maps here.