SAVE SAMOHI HISTORY - DEMOLITION COULD START ANY DAY - PLEASE DONATE TO LEGAL FEES
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) is about to demolish the Samohi History Building, which appeared as Dawson High in the classic 1950s film, “Rebel Without A Cause” and is a prime example of WPA-era construction under the New Deal. Over 6,200 Santa Monica residents and alumni have signed a petition calling on to halt its plans for demolition.
The Samohi Alumni Association, the Santa Monica Conservancy, and five of Santa Monica’s Neighborhood Organizations (the official resident groups recognized by the city) have joined thousands of residents and activists to ask that the building, which has received national attention from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, be spared.
The groups are asking for the school board to study adaptive reuse of the History Building instead of demolishing it.
New information shows that SMMUSD has known for a year that declining enrollment will mean the district will not need the new classrooms it proposes to take the History Building’s place. Yet the school board has so far ignored all pleas and doubled down on its plans by accelerating demolition.
Our Hail Mary is litigation. $30,000 is required to proceed. Please help with any amount you can. There is no guaranty of success, so there will be no refunds based on outcome.*
For more information, please visit savesamohihistory.com.
* If litigation stops prior to spending the entire amount, all efforts will be made to refund your share of remaining funds.