Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District

What Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District does

Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) is a California public K-12 school district headquartered in Santa Monica, operating continuously since March 1876 and currently governed by a seven-member elected Board of Education under Superintendent Dr. Antonio M. Shelton, Ed.D. The district serves approximately 8,700 students from Transitional Kindergarten through 12th grade across 16 schools — eight elementary, three middle, two comprehensive high schools (Santa Monica High School and Malibu High School), one continuation high school, and one K-8 alternative school (SMASH) — plus 11 early childhood education centers and an adult education program. Its service geography spans Santa Monica and Malibu within Los Angeles County.

SMMUSD's core operating platform is a multi-vendor educational technology stack rather than a proprietary system: Aeries for student information, ParentSquare for district-wide family communication, Illuminate and Star Renaissance for assessment and progress monitoring, Finalsite for web content, LINQ Connect for meal payments, Granicus for board meeting video, and Google Workspace for Education. Instructional differentiation rests on a small number of distinct academic programs — Edison Language Academy (Spanish-English dual immersion), Will Rogers Learning Community (IB Primary Years Programme), Career Technical Education pathways, and AVID college-readiness — supported by a Visual & Performing Arts program and inter-school athletics. The district runs an Instructional Technology Working Group producing guidance on classroom technology adoption.

The district's revenue model is fundamentally governmental: recurring property tax allocation and California Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) state aid fund ongoing operations, while periodic voter-approved general-obligation bond measures (cumulative $2.2B+ across 2006-2024) and parcel taxes (Measures R, Y/YY, GSH/GS) fund capital improvements and program expansion. A small commercial-style revenue stream comes from Child Development Services fees — published tiered monthly tuition ranging from $235 (school-age morning only) to $2,215 (infant care) plus a $100 annual registration — and from supplemental grants via the Santa Monica and Malibu Education Foundations. The FY2024-25 disclosed annual budget is approximately $200 million, supporting roughly 1,400 staff. A pending structural change approved unanimously by the Board on December 1, 2025 is the Malibu Unification, which will split SMMUSD into two independent districts — Santa Monica USD and Malibu USD — by means of property tax revenue sharing, operational transfer, and joint powers agreements.

Name

Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District

Legal name

Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District

Website

https://smmusd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1876

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District is a California public K-12 district serving approximately 8,700 TK-12 students across 16 schools in Santa Monica and Malibu, funded primarily by property taxes, LCFF state aid, and voter-approved bonds on a roughly $200M annual budget, with a pending December 2025 split into two independent districts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Child Care Services (62441), Other Schools and Instruction (6116)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC)

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• Early childhood education
• Adult education services
• Child development services
• Special education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Monica

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices16 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Revenue: Primary funding source from local property taxes in Santa Monica and Malibu. District receives property tax revenue from residential and commercial properties within district boundaries.
2. State Education Funding: California State education funding based on Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) calculations tied to average daily attendance and demographic factors.
3. Bond Measures: Local voter-approved bond measures for capital improvements: Measure BB ($268M in 2006), Measure ES ($385M in 2012), Measure SMS ($485M in 2018 Santa Monica), Measure M ($195M in 2018 Malibu), Measure QS ($495M in 2024 Santa Monica), Measure MM ($395M in 2024 Malibu).
4. Parcel Tax Revenue: Measure Y/YY (2010) and Measure GSH/GS (2016), and Measure R parcel tax (2008) provide ongoing revenue for district programs.
5. Child Development Services Fees: Fees for infant/toddler care, preschool programs, and school-age childcare services. Full-cost and subsidized options available based on family income.
6. Education Foundation Donations: Santa Monica Education Foundation and Malibu Education Foundation provide supplemental funding for programs not covered by state funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) is a public K-12 school district operating 16 schools (8 elementary, 3 middle, 2 high, 1 continuation, 1 K-8 alternative, plus 11 early childhood centers and an Adult Education program) serving approximately 8,700 students across Santa Monica and Malibu, California. The district delivers state-aligned K-12 instruction alongside ancillary programs including Child Development Services, Special Education, Career Technical Education, and Adult Education, governed by a 7-member elected Board of Education.

Product overview

Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District operates a comprehensive K-12 educational system serving approximately 8,700 students. The district encompasses 8 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, 2 comprehensive high schools, a continuation high school (Olympic), an alternative K-8 school (SMASH), 11 early childhood education centers, and an adult school. Key academic programs include Edison Language Academy (dual immersion), Will Rogers Learning Community (IB Primary Years Programme), Career Technical Education pathways, and AVID college preparation. The district provides extensive extracurricular activities including athletics, visual and performing arts, and Child Development Services for infants through 3rd grade. The district operates under bond measures for facility improvements and maintains educational foundations for supplemental funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% graduation rate at Santa Monica High School and Malibu High School with majority pursuing post-secondary education
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Santa Monica Education FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation foundation providing supplemental funding and resources for programs not funded by state education budget. Supports district priorities and student achievement initiatives through fundraising and community engagement.
• Malibu Education FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNewly established education foundation supporting Malibu schools with supplemental funding for programs and resources beyond state funding. Works in partnership with district to benefit students.
• Santa Monica-Malibu Parent Teacher Association (SMMPTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTremendous partner in supporting student achievement academically and social emotionally. Engaged group of parents and staff working together to provide exemplary education and meaningful programs.
• City of MalibuflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric partnership culminating in Malibu Unification process approved December 2025. Three key agreements (Property Tax Revenue Sharing, Operational Transfer, Joint Powers) establish framework for district separation into SMUSD and MUSD.
• California State Preschool Program (CSPP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-funded preschool program partnerships providing no-cost or low-cost preschool for financially eligible families across district preschool sites.
• Right at SchoolminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAfter-school program partner providing extended care services for 2nd-3rd grade students at Edison and 1st-3rd grade at Franklin, complementing district School Age Programs.
• City of Santa Monica CREST ClubminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCity-operated after-school care program (CREST Club) for 4th and 5th grade students at all Santa Monica elementary schools, coordinated with district programs.
• California School Boards Association (CSBA)minorOthersCSBA hosts SMMUSD Board-approved policies and Administrative Regulations through Simbli platform.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa MonicaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization hosting hiring events and providing youth development programs serving SMMUSD families.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Culver City Unified School District: Adjacent Los Angeles County K-12 district of comparable size (~7,000 students) operating multiple school sites with IB, dual language, and CTE programs. Comparable in geographic scope, student demographics, and program portfolio, though with a more urban than beachside profile.
• Irvine Unified School District: Affluent Orange County K-12 district with comparable high per-pupil funding base, top-ranked high schools, and similar programmatic portfolio (IB, dual language, AVID, robust CTE). Closely comparable in family demographic profile and capital modernization program funded by voter-approved bonds.
• Beverly Hills Unified School District: Adjacent affluent Los Angeles County K-12 public school district serving Beverly Hills. Directly comparable to SMMUSD in demographics (high property tax base, high per-pupil funding), program portfolio (IB, dual language, robust arts), and student outcome profile, with similar post-pandemic enrollment pressures and capital modernization programs.
• Palo Alto Unified School District: Affluent California K-12 district serving Palo Alto and surrounding communities. Comparable in high property-tax funding base, top academic outcomes, robust parent foundation support, and reliance on voter-approved parcel taxes and bonds for operational and capital sustainability.
• Long Beach Unified School District: Larger Los Angeles County K-12 district (~70,000 students) offering similar comprehensive programming including dual language, IB, AVID, and CTE pathways. Comparable as a California public district of similar funding structure (LCFF), though serving a more economically and racially diverse population.
• Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District: Coastal Los Angeles County K-12 district serving Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, and surrounding communities. Closely comparable to SMMUSD in affluent coastal catchment, high graduation rates, similar school count (~16 sites), and reliance on parcel taxes and bond measures for capital funding.
• Manhattan Beach Unified School District: Small affluent coastal Los Angeles County K-12 district. Directly comparable in demographic profile, per-pupil funding base, and program differentiation model (dual language, IB candidate schools), though smaller in scale (~6,500 students vs SMMUSD's 8,700).
• San Marino Unified School District: Small affluent Los Angeles County K-12 district (~3,000 students) consistently ranked among California's top-performing districts. Comparable in demographic and funding profile, though smaller scale; serves as a relevant benchmark for the post-unification SMUSD scale scenario.

Others

• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: National for-profit provider of infant care, preschool, and school-age child care programs. Relevant as a private-sector benchmark for SMMUSD's Child Development Services division (infant through school-age care) that competes for working-family enrollment in the Santa Monica service area.

Broad incumbents

• Los Angeles Unified School District: Largest California K-12 district (~430,000 students) operating across Los Angeles County. Broadly comparable as a California public school district under the same LCFF funding framework, though SMMUSD is a much smaller, more affluent counterpart with substantially different operating scale.

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SMMUSD
• YouTubeyoutube.com/SantaMonicaMalibuUSD
• Facebookfacebook.com/smmusd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/santa-monica-malibu-unified-school-district
• Instagraminstagram.com/smmusd_official

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District