Vote on Santa Margarita Delayed : Decision to Include School in Public League Postponed

Santa Margarita High School, which appeared to have taken a step toward finding a public league to call home last week, was pushed back a step Thursday.

The Southern Section’s executive committee decided to delay a vote on whether to include the school in the Orange County geographical area after county principals and superintendents complained that they were not properly informed about the situation.

“It looks like we’re back at square one,” said Santa Margarita principal Father Michael Harris, whose school will remain in the Olympic League through the 1989-90 school year.

Santa Margarita, a two-year-old Catholic high school in south Orange County, asked to be placed in the Orange County region, which would mean its inclusion in a public school league, most likely the Pacific Coast, South Coast, Sea View or Sunset.

Last Thursday, it appeared to have its wish when Orange County league representatives voted to recommend to the section’s executive committee that Santa Margarita be included in the Orange County area for the 1990-92 releaguing years.

But after the vote, some high school principals and district superintendents complained to the Southern Section that league officials had not communicated or met with them before it.

“I thought we had a meeting of the minds,” said Stan Thomas, Southern Section commissioner. “But apparently some of the league representatives did not communicate well with their principals.”

Robert Packer, an executive committee member and superintendent of the Duarte Unified School District, chided league representatives during the meeting for not communicating with their principals.

The executive committee will meet June 7 at the Southern Section office in Cerritos to vote on the matter.

Thomas will meet with Orange County principals and superintendents today at Foothill High School to answer questions.