By Jason Islas
Lookout Staff

November 28, 2011 -- The Santa Monica-Malibu School Board is expected to approve a controversial wealth-redistribution policy Tuesday that could have profound repercussions for the district.

At a special meeting, the board will vote on whether to revise the district's gift-giving policy to prevent Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) from giving money directly to specific schools to pay for personnel or programs, such as art or music classes, that have been affected by state-wide budget cuts.

The push for district-wide fundraising has strained relations between Santa Monica and its wealthier neighbor, Malibu, whose officials are threatening to form a separate district.

This issue is about “equal opportunity for all students,” State Senator Julia Brownley, a former school board member from Santa Monica, said a board meeting November 17. “The equity gap in California continues to grow.”

According to a report presented by SMMUSD Superintendent Sandra Lyon, that gap is dramatic.

Within the district, the top fundraising school collects more than $1,000 per student, compared to $36 per student for the school ranked last in fundraising.

The proposed change would only affect donations that are specifically targeted to pay for instructional salaries, including those for teachers aides, reading teachers and art programs, according to Lyon.

Lyon recommended forming an advisory group to help implement the new district-wide funding by the spring.

Material donations would not be affected.

But not everyone is convinced that the repercussions of the policy have been thoroughly studied.

Some worry that parents who donate large sums of money to their children's schools will stop donating if that money is split between the more than 20 schools in the district, or move their children to private schools.

If the Malibu City Council votes to explore the possibility of splitting from the district, it's possible that Malibu's money won't ever reach some of the under-funded Santa Monica schools.

According to news reports, the Malibu City Council will vote on the issue Monday, the day before the School Board casts its vote.