19 Stories
by Mark McDermott The Manhattan Beach Unified School District Board of Education is preparing to offer two new courses for the 2025-26 school year that would each meet the state of California’s legally mandated ethnic studies requirements. A yearlong course, titled “U.S. History: Diversity and Cultural Studies,” would expand on a pilot course offered this […]
by Mark McDermott When Jen Dohner made the decision to run for the Manhattan Beach Unified School District’s Board of Education, she braced for a tough campaign. Two years ago, the school board race was contentious, with six candidates running for three seats. But a funny thing happened on the way to Election Day. Two […]
by Hibah Samad The Manhattan Beach Unified School District last week launched a new e-bike safety initiative aimed at ensuring students’ safe commutes on the road. Student e-bikes parked at Manhattan Beach Middle School and Mira Costa High School must have a new addition to their bikes — a District-certified sticker, signifying their completion of […]
by Mark McDermott When the Manhattan Beach Unified School district last proposed school bonds, nearly a decade ago, the pitch was easily digestible, because Measures C and EE included funding for gleaming new athletic facilities at Mira Costa High School and a sparkling new music room at the middle school. The pitch for Measure RLS […]
by Mark McDermott The Manhattan Beach Unified School District Board of Education voted unanimously last week to place a $200 million school bond measure on the November election ballot. The proposed school bond is intended to address the more than $400 million in needed upgrades identified in the recently completed Facilities Master Plan. The tax […]
by Mark McDermott Twenty years ago, when Karina Gerger applied for a job within the Manhattan Beach Unified School District, she had the distinct feeling this wasn’t going to happen. She arrived at district headquarters with her resume, hopeful, but left without talking to a person. “I put my application in a basket, with no […]
by Mark McDermott The Manhattan Beach Unified School District Board of Education adopted its 2023-2025 budget last week amid ongoing state funding uncertainties. But due to boosts in local funding, the school board was able to reduce previously approved teacher layoffs from 32.8 full time positions to 12.2, meaning that roughly 20 pink slips will […]
by Mark McDermott As the Manhattan Beach Unified School District explores the potential for a new school bond to address facilities’ needs, the MBUSD Board of Education last week raised the possibility of including the redesign of Begg Pool as part of it. The nearly 70-year-old community pool, which is located adjacent to Polliwog Park […]
by Mark McDermott The Manhattan Beach Unified School District Board of Education is exploring the possibility of placing a $200 million school bond on the November ballot. The school board, at its April 18 meeting, heard reports both from its financial and election consultants. Each tentatively recommended placing a school bond on the November ballot, […]
by Hibah Samad Educators from each Manhattan Beach Unified School District school have been named the 2023-2024 Teachers of the Year. The eight honorees were surprised with the announcement by their principals on campus in early April. This year’s honorees are Lilla Foster, Mira Costa High School Special Education Department chair; Dana Vaccaro MBMS […]
by Hibah Samad The Manhattan Beach Unified School District is preparing to implement Ethnic Studies courses at Mira Costa High School. These courses will meet new state graduation requirements set forth by California Assembly Bill 101 in 2021. The bill mandates that all California high schools offer ethnic studies courses in the 2025-26 school year […]
by Mark McDermott Measure MB, the $225 parcel tax that generates $2.5 million for the Manhattan Beach Unified School District, has been renewed. After another week of vote tallying by the Los Angeles County Registrar’s office, approval for the ballot surged well above the two-thirds threshold necessary for passage. On March 5 Election Day, Measure […]