Korenstein Tests Political Clout in Bid to Reopen Prairie School

Eight months ago, Julie Korenstein was a political novice whose first run for public office landed her a seat on the Los Angeles Board of Education.

Now, while still trying to find her niche on the board, the West San Fernando Valley representative faces the toughest board battle of her fledgling career as she leads the fight to reopen Prairie Street Elementary School.

The board is scheduled to vote Jan. 25 on whether it should reopen the Northridge school. Prairie was closed in 1984 after attendance dwindled to 305 students.

Today, caught in a classroom shortage pinch, the district is looking to house students from crowded schools at Prairie. Later, the board will consider reopening some of the other 19 West Valley campuses closed because of low enrollment.

Korenstein, 43, ran on a platform that included promises to work for the reopening of schools. The upcoming vote is the first test of her influence on the board.

The impending decision is very much in doubt. The seven-member board is split and three members are undecided.

By most accounts, the only solid votes for reopening are Korenstein and East Valley representative Roberta Weintraub. School board President Rita Walters and Eastside representative Leticia Quezada are against reopening Prairie. Board members who are undecided are Jackie Goldberg, who represents the Hollywood-Wilshire area; Alan Gershman from the Westside and Warren Furutani of the Harbor Area.

Korenstein said she will have to do a lot of politicking to get the votes of at least two other members. This may be difficult on a board that some district staffers characterize as filled with members who tend to vote with a provincial, rather than districtwide, perspective.

If reopening advocates cannot muster enough votes, the loss could diminish future chances of reopening other closed schools, some board members said

Korenstein’s political future could be affected by the board’s decision. Korenstein, elected in June to fill the final two years of a vacancy created when David Armor resigned, will be up for reelection in 1989. Barbara Romey, one of Korenstein’s former political rivals, already has taken potshots at her for not being tough enough.

Silence Critics

Reopening of Prairie could silence her critics. But defeat could provide adversaries with ammunition for the 1989 election.

“At first, I didn’t think there was much of a chance to get the votes needed to reopen Prairie,” said Korenstein. “But I’m generally a pessimist. That way, I won’t be too disappointed.

“But now I’m more optimistic. Support for reopening is coming. I think there’s a chance we can win.”

Korenstein represents an area that stretches west from the San Diego Freeway to Calabasas. The Santa Susana Mountains are the district’s northern border and Mulholland Drive its southern border.

Korenstein has developed a reputation as a questioner. She is more likely to pepper district staff members with requests for additional information than she is to engage in dramatic oration.

Takes Notes

Korenstein has not developed into a leader, say PTA officials who monitor board meetings. Most of the time, she lets others carry on the debate while she takes notes and sometimes whispers comments to Supt. Leonard Britton, whose opinions she says she trusts.

“Her personality is more reserved, but she is no shrinking violet,” said a district staff member who spoke on condition that he not be identified. “There are a lot of talkers on this board. Julie just isn’t one of them.”

“There are a lot of different ways of getting a point across,” Korenstein said in characterizing her style. “There’s ranting, raving and yelling--sometimes that gets you what you want. Then there’s listening to all points of view and trying to work with other people.

“It’s not that I can’t be aggressive; I can be,” she added. But “I work in different ways, using different techniques at different times.”

In the Valley, the issues of increasing the number of year-round schools and reopening closed campuses have become intertwined. For months, parents have asked why the district will not open idle classrooms for students from crowded schools instead of artificially creating additional space by rotating different groups of students through a school that operates on a 12-month schedule.

Irony Noted

These parents find it particularly ironic that Prairie--whose closing ignited a bitter fight--is the first school to come up for a reopening vote.

Prairie was closed after a three-year battle during which parents won a court ruling that overturned the school board’s closure vote. At the time, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge determined that the board violated its own criteria for closing schools.

Three days after the court decision, the school board abruptly changed its policy and again voted to close Prairie.

Obstacles to getting approval for reopening range from the cost, which some board members say is too high, to questions on whether bused-in youngsters could just as easily be accommodated at neighboring schools.

“Given our growth projections, I’m not willing to say that we will never need these schools,” said opponent Walters. “It just may be that, at this moment, we don’t need to reopen the schools.”

Simple Battle Plan

Korenstein said her battle plan is simple. First, she will stress the importance of reopening the schools in preparation for the anticipated growth in district enrollment.

“We simply can’t wait until schools are more overcrowded to open new schools,” she said.

Next, Korenstein said she will try to demonstrate that Prairie’s proximity to California State University, Northridge offers a special opportunity for students.

The elementary school is across the street from CSUN’s school of education. Korenstein and education school Dean Carolyn Ellner said they want to develop programs that would benefit students at the university and Prairie. Korenstein hopes to unveil some of their plans when the board debates the reopening.

“If it can be shown that students from the neighborhood and those bused in would receive a unique educational experience because of the school’s location . . .then I could support reopening,” said Goldberg, who is undecided.

Integrated Environment

Korenstein also will emphasize that reopening Prairie will reduce the length of bus rides for students from crowded East Valley schools. Additionally, the school would provide an integrated environment for Northridge children, who are predominantly white, and the Latino and Asian students from the crowded schools.

“I will always push for an opportunity to give a child a chance for an education in an integrated setting,” Korenstein said.

In the upcoming days, she said she plans to spend most of the time lobbying her colleagues, but will not spend too much time talking with those who appear to have their minds made up.

“Some you can lobby; some you don’t want to waste your time with,” she said.

“Sometimes I think our agendas have become too narrow,” she said. “We can’t let that happen. We have to look at all the children, not just the children in a certain district. We have to work together. If we don’t, then we won’t get anything done.”