The Board of Education on Thursday voted to cut one house from Santa Monica High School’s celebrated House System, effectively transferring one principal to Malibu High School and reducing several other positions.
The board did elect to keep two advisers and one outreach specialist for at least another school year, a change from the superintendent’s original recommendation. The three positions would have saved the district a combined $220,000.
The reduction of the system from six houses to five is part of a series of measures the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District has been considering to close a revenue shortfall of more than $10 million over the next 18 months due to state funding cuts. Other measures include increasing class sizes and reducing the special education budget.
The controversial decision to reorganize the House System has been met with resistance from parents who argue its success over the past several years. Some have said that Santa Monica High School has been unfairly targeted during the round of cuts. Administrators have said that all schools are being affected by the district’s budget issues through class size increases.
melodyh@www.smdp.com
