Board places Health & Safety DAC on hiatus; asks superintendent to design superintendent advisory group

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District board voted Aug. 14 to place the district's Health & Safety District Advisory Committee (DAC) on hiatus while the superintendent develops a proposed Superintendent's Advisory Committee (SAC) structure and membership process.

Board Member Richard moved the pause, citing persistent quorum and participation problems that limited the DAC's effectiveness. Administration argued a superintendent-run advisory body would allow virtual participation and quicker expert engagement. "Brown Act does limit people from coming in," the administrator said, describing travel and scheduling barriers for Malibu participants. Several board members supported testing a SAC model but urged clear application and representation rules to ensure diverse stakeholder participation.

Supporters said a SAC will be more flexible and better able to convene experts as needed; critics cautioned that moving away from a Brown Act structure risks reduced public access and called for written procedures that preserve transparency and demographic representation. Board members debated whether dissolving the DAC outright was premature; the motion on the floor placed the DAC on hiatus until the superintendent returns with a proposal for structure, process and membership.

Motion and vote details: the board recorded the motion to place the DAC on hiatus, and members voted in favor in a roll call. The board asked the superintendent to submit forms and a membership plan outlining outreach, application and meeting cadence before any final dissolution vote.

What happens next: The superintendent will return with a SAC proposal, including membership criteria, outreach plans and how the SAC will ensure representation from Malibu and other district communities. The board's action pauses the DAC rather than dissolving it immediately.