L.A. School Board Will Fill Trustee Job Quickly

The Los Angeles Board of Education seat recently vacated by David Armor will temporarily be filled by appointment, the board decided Monday in a unanimous vote.

The board hopes to fill the West Valley opening, which was created when Armor resigned last month to take a Defense Department job in Washington, through a fast-paced process that should conclude before the end of the month.

Once appointed, the new board member could only serve until June, 1987, according to city election codes. Because the district will hold regularly scheduled elections then, a special election to fill the remaining two years of the unexpired term will be held at that time.

Board members said the appointment process, rather than holding a special election, was the quickest and cheapest way to fill the vacancy. Estimated costs for a special election ranged from $60,000 to $600,000.

Special Election

“Any other procedure than appointment means that there would not be a representative from that area for at least six months,” said Roberta Weintraub, who represents the neighboring East Valley.

She added that the money that would have to be spent on a special election could instead buy “a lot of additional things this school district needs.”

Under the appointment process approved by the board, residents of the area, which stretches north from the Santa Monica Mountains to the end of the district and west from the San Diego Freeway to the Ventura County line, have until May 14 to submit applications for the position.

On May 19, the board will publicly debate whom to appoint. During the debate board members may nominate their own candidates, even if the person has not submitted an application for the position.

Many West Valley residents believe that the board views them as irksome renegades within the district and that the board will use the appointment to retaliate against a group that has often been vocally opposed to district policy.

Parents point to their active resistance to mandatory busing, their fruitless attempts to stop the closure of 19 of their schools and, most recently, their leadership in the campaign against the adoption of a districtwide, year-round calendar as reasons why the board may appoint someone who will not represent the views of the area.

“It would be another case of political manipulation if the West Valley board member is chosen in any other way than a direct election,” said one resident of the district, James Harris of Northridge.”