Malibu : Funding for School Pool

The City Council on Tuesday unanimously agreed to spend as much as $100,000 over seven years to rebuild the pool at Malibu High School.

Working with Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District representatives, a council subcommittee will explore the feasibility of upgrading the pool to state standards for interscholastic sports and adding a second pool for community residents to use.

Noting that the pool, located in Malibu Park, has been closed for two years because of deterioration, Philip Schmidt, president of the Malibu High School Athletic Boosters Club, urged the council to consider upgrading the pool rather than just refurbishing it.

“All the parents I have spoken to said if we have to leave it empty another 12 months, let’s do it correctly . . . and it will be what we all want eventually,” Schmidt said.

Under a proposed joint project with the school district, reconstruction costs would be split, with the school district paying the city’s share of capital costs and the city reimbursing the district over seven years with no interest charges.

The city would also pay for operation and maintenance.

No estimates were available for what it would cost to improve the pool to state standards. The cost for restoring the existing pool would be about $200,000.

Malibu High School opened in September with a ninth grade and will add a grade each year over the next three years.