Meeting: May 12, 2026
16 ITEM BY COUNCILMEMBERS DAN HALL, BARRY SNELL, AND MAYOR
CAROLINE TOROSIS
Request of Councilmembers Hall, Snell, and Mayor Torosis that Council approve use of up to $10,000 of Council discretionary funds, on a 1:1 matching basis, to support Santa Monica High School’s Legado Latino and Black Student Union in offsetting expenses incurred for graduation activities for participating students.
In past years, Council has periodically allocated funding from its discretionary budget to support youth-led cultural and educational programming in our community.
Building on that tradition, we are requesting a total allocation of up to $10,000 to support Santa Monica High School’s Legado Latino and Black Student Union on a 1:1 matching basis to offset expenses incurred for graduation activities. This builds on the 16 Item supporting Legado Latino in November 2025 put forward by Councilmembers Hall and Zernitskaya.
In order to reinforce the City’s commitment to inclusion, education, and the arts, and ensure that our local students continue to see themselves and their culture reflected in civic life,
WE THEREFORE MOVE THAT THE COUNCIL:
1. Allocate up to $5,000 of Council discretionary funds, on a 1:1 matching basis against funds raised by Legado Latino, to defray costs incurred by Legado Latino students for Santa Monica High School graduation activities. Costs shall be drawn from Councilmember discretionary allocations as follows:
1.1. up to $2,000 from Councilmember Snell,
1.2. up to $2,000 from Mayor Torosis,
1.3. and up to $1,000 from Councilmember Hall.
2. Allocate up to $5,000 of Council discretionary funds, on a 1:1 matching basis against funds raised by the Black Student Union, to defray costs incurred by Black Student Union students for Santa Monica High School graduation activities. Costs shall be drawn from Councilmember discretionary allocations as follows:
2.1. up to $3,000 from Councilmember Hall,
2.2. up to $1,000 from Mayor Torosis,
2.3. and up to $1,000 from Councilmember Snell.
3. Direct staff to disburse the matched Legado Latino funds to the Association of Mexican American Educators, care of Dr. Guadalupe Mireles-Toumayan, which acts as the tax ID entity for Legado Latino, upon confirmation of the corresponding community-raised matching funds.
16 ITEM BY COUNCILMEMBERS HALL, SNELL, AND MAYOR TOROSIS Supporting Samohi’s Legado Latino and Black Student Union for Graduation Activities
4. Direct staff to disburse the matched Black Student Union funds to the Samohi Associated Union, which acts as the tax ID entity for the Black Student Union, upon confirmation of the corresponding community-raised matching funds. # # #