Mike Matthews'
Monday Message


June 14, 2021
Hello MBUSD family,

This is a big week. This is the week when we get to celebrate our 5th, 8th, and 12th grade students as they move on to the next level of school, or to whatever is next. I am looking forward to all of our ceremonies, and I hope that our families enjoy celebrating these milestones with their students. 
 
Tomorrow, the state will announce a dramatic reduction in required COVID safety measures. While we are still waiting to see LA County’s updated guidance, they have indicated that there will be an alignment with the state, and restrictions will be drastically reduced. The fact that 55,000 fans are expected at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night’s “Reopening Day” should give all of us an idea of the magnitude of the change.
 
Based on the state’s current guidance, we anticipate that masks will continue to be required for indoor school settings, 3’ distancing will become a recommendation rather than a requirement, and eating outdoors will be permitted without restrictions. For MBUSD, this means that we have no obstacles for our full school reopening on August 25, 2021, and we all cannot wait! We have notified our employee unions that we intend to open in full next year, with schedules that resemble those in place pre-COVID, and all of our plans will be preparing for just that. 
 
Like I said, it’s a big week.
 
MBEF held their annual wine auction on Saturday night. For the second year in a row, it was virtual instead of the large live event they typically hold. And for the second year in a row, it was wildly successful. Overall, MBEF raised nearly $800,000, of which $360,000 came in the paddle raise designated to restore previously cut programs. To have that kind of success says so much about MBEF and about our community. Congratulations to all of us!
  
In the midst of all of this good news, I also want to share that we have had some disturbing reminders that our work on equity, diversity, social justice, and inclusion remains critical. Staff recently found a swastika drawn onto the sidewalk outside of one of our Mira Costa classrooms. MCHS administration informed MBPD of this anti-Semitic vandalism and the drawing was quickly removed. We have not been able to determine who put this symbol of hate on our campus, but we condemn this behavior and all other acts of hatred in our schools and in our community. As another somber reminder of the work we have in front of us, a video showing several youths disrespecting a pride flag being flown at City Hall was recently posted to TikTok. We do not know the identity of these young people, but we do know that their attack on that flag is an attack on all of us. As I said in my message regarding EDSJI earlier in May, I am not, as some claim, calling our community a racist community. Far from it. Rather I am calling on all of us to demonstrate our support for all members of our MBUSD community, regardless of their ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, citizenship status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, language, religion, medical history, ability, economic status, family model, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, or age. If you become aware of a hate incident, you can contact MBPD at (310) 545-4566 or you can report it through 211LA.
 
At the Board meeting on June 23, 2021, we will present our 2021-22 budget and Local Control and Accountability Plan to the school board for their approval. At the Board meeting on July 7, 2021, the Trustees intend to name and appoint the next superintendent of schools. This means my weekly newsletters will be coming to an end as we finish the school year, but there is plenty going on during the summer. Please follow our social media accounts and look for news or updates on our district website as the summer progresses.
 
I wish all of you an outstanding last week of school and a summer that is blessedly normal. 
Mike Matthews
MBUSD Superintendent
Manhattan Beach Unified School District

325 S. Peck Avenue
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
310.318.7345