Orange Schools Chief Appointed : Acting Supt. John Ikerd Wins Post to Teachers’ Applause

John Ikerd, who has been acting superintendent of the Orange Unified School District since last October, on Monday night was named permanent superintendent.

Ikerd, 46, is a 23-year veteran of the Orange school system, and his appointment was greeted with loud applause from teachers and others in the audience at Monday night’s special school board meeting.

“I think it’s great,” said Mark Rona, president of the Orange Unified Educators Assn.

The school board, by unanimous vote, hired Ikerd with a 37-month contract that expires June 30, 1990. William Steiner, school board president, said the board had conducted a nationwide search during the last three months and had interviewed more than 80 candidates. He said the board ultimately decided that it had “the best person right here.” Ikerd’s salary will be $80,000 a year.

Predecessor Was Fired

Ikerd began his career with Orange Unified as an algebra teacher in 1964. He was later principal of Santiago and El Rancho junior high schools and El Modena High School before coming to the district office as contract administrator in 1982.

He became acting superintendent on Oct. 20, when his predecessor, Kenneth D. Brummel, was fired by the school board. The board never disclosed its reasons for dismissing Brummel, saying only that its legal agreement in prematurely ending Brummel’s three-year contract prevented discussion of the matter. Brummel, whose salary was $76,000, also has never commented on the firing.

Some teacher and parent groups, however, claim that Brummel was axed because of budget-cutting moves he made after becoming superintendent on July 1, 1984.

Other persons, in interviews not for attribution, said they believe thatBrummel was fired because he vigorously pursued investigation of a school system bidding scandal that occurred under previous superintendents. In a 1985 interview, Brummel said he had asked the Orange city police to “take a look at some things” after a school-system internal investigation showed some money-matter discrepancies.

Four Persons Indicted

The Orange Police Department and the Orange County district attorney’s office subsequently became involved in an investigation that is still continuing. Four persons have so far been indicted as a result of the investigation. They are the school district’s former maintenance supervisor, Steven L. Presson; his wife, Diane Elizabeth Presson, and two former contractors who did business with the district, William A. Gustafson and Ronald Brock.

The district attorney’s office said the four were indicted on felony charges of theft and misuse of public funds. The alleged crimes involved rigged bids for school system repairs and building work, the district attorney’s office said.

Current school board officials have repeatedly said Brummel’s firing had nothing to do with his insistence on an investigation. Board members have said they launched the internal investigation that pinpointed missing money and property before Brummel arrived in 1984.