SANTA MONICA—Craig Foster, president of Advocates for Malibu Public Schools, has been chosen as the representative for the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District on the Los Angeles County Committee on School District Organization.
Foster’s appointment was not without controversy. As a member of the committee, Foster will be responsible for addressing educational issues such as district separation.
He is the leading public advocate of a split between Santa Monica and Malibu’s school districting, a move Malibu long lobbied for by its residents.
The split has been opposed in Santa Monica, which claims approximately 85 percent of the district’s residents, discussions on promises of potential financial benefit for the City of Santa Monica have swayed opinion on the issue.
Foster’s lone opposition for the position on the committee was Maria Leon-Vazquez, who argued that it was improper for Foster, who is clearly on one side of the fence on the issue, to be the voice of the SMMUSD.
Foster will have to give up his position as president of the AMPS because of his conflict of interest.
If the re-districting is brought to a vote by the committee, Foster’s position as the SMMUSD representative will prohibit him from voting.
