Valley Group to Look at Secession From Schools

Citing frustration with the Los Angeles Unified School District, San Fernando Valley secessionists agreed Monday to explore whether to support breaking up the school system.

Activists listed several grounds for the move, including the current power struggle between school board members and district Supt. Ruben Zacarias, and the controversy over toxic contamination at the Belmont Learning Complex. But they also cited longer-term problems, including low test scores.

“The purpose is to have local control over Valley schools in order to improve the test scores and performance of the students,” said Richard Close, chairman of the break-away group Valley VOTE and president of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Assn.

In a unanimous vote by its 22 board members, Valley VOTE agreed to establish a committee to determine if it should lead the effort to create a separate district.

Close said the panel would be formed over the next month. He said the committee is expected to complete its work quickly, and that Valley VOTE could begin a drive for district breakup as early as Jan. 1.

School board member Julie Korenstein, whose district includes the Valley, said she would be open to creating a Valley-wide school district, but she could not support splitting the Valley into two or more districts.

“But smaller districts don’t necessarily equal better achievement,” she added. “They still have problems.”

Board member Caprice Young believes people should focus on turning around the district, not breaking it up, said her chief deputy, Jason Greenwald.

“The emergence of a reform-minded board is the best hope of all children in the district,” Greenwald said.

But Close said reform efforts may not cure the fundamental ills of the district.

“There’s more to the need for a Valley school district than just cleaning house downtown,” he said. “There’s a feeling that smaller school districts are more competent.”

Close said the group was open to how the district might be divided, but that one or two Valley school districts would be likely scenarios.

He said the Valley VOTE panel also will recommend whether the group should work independently or with Finally Restoring Excellence in Education, or FREE. That group backs forming two districts with an east-west boundary bisecting the Valley, roughly along Roscoe Boulevard.

Leaders of both groups said they would like to combine resources.