SMMUSD Announces New Name For Combined Elementary School

MALIBU, CA — The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education approved naming the newly combined Juan Cabrillo Elementary School and Point Dume Marine Science School as "Malibu Elementary School" at a special board meeting on May 30 in Santa Monica, SMMUSD announced Wednesday.

The new Malibu Elementary School will be where Point Dume Marine Science School was previously. The school will welcome students, teachers and staff from both schools for the new 2019-20 school year beginning in August, the press release said.

SMMUSD invited community members, teachers, parents and students to suggest a name for the
new school in May. The list of nearly 300 names was reviewed by a Malibu Naming Task Force, who picked the top five suggestions.

The top five names were:

• John and Amanda Ballard Elementary School;
• Malibu Elementary School;
• Ocean Elementary School;
• Surfside Elementary School;
• and Westward Elementary School.

Nearly 60 percent of the teachers, staff and parents voted Malibu Elementary School as their top choice, according to SMMUSD. The new Malibu Elementary School principal Christopher Hertz starts July 1, and will help select a mascot and colors with students and staff when school opens in August, the press release said.

Malibu Elementary School is located at 6955 Fernhill Dr, Malibu, CA 90265.