Separate County Section Passes Another Hurdle : Athletics: Survey shows 70% of public high schools support taking next step. Southern Section Executive Committee will be briefed Thursday.

Orange County high school superintendents have agreed to take the next step toward forming a separate section within the California Interscholastic Federation, it was announced Tuesday.

The superintendents, representing 57 public high schools in 15 districts, strongly favored a separate county section in a survey conducted by consultant Barbara Wilson, who was commissioned by superintendents in November to prepare a feasibility study and questionnaire. They learned the results of the survey, which was distributed in June, during a meeting Tuesday at the Anaheim Union High School District office.

Thursday in Cerritos, Wilson will present the survey results to the Southern Section Executive Committee.

“We’ll do a walk-through with the Executive Committee where we’ll further share the feasibility study and the results of the questionnaire,” Wilson said. “It’s more or less a courtesy, question-and-answer meeting with the committee.”

Peter Hartman, superintendent of the Saddleback Valley Unified School District, was hoping for 75% approval of a separate county section. In the survey, 10 of the 15 public school districts approved, with two undecided and three not responding.

Specifically, 40 public high schools (70%) were in favor of proceeding; 13 were undecided and four did not respond. It was not revealed which districts or schools were undecided or failed to respond by the July 23 deadline.

Noticeably absent from the meeting were representatives of the county’s 15 private and parochial schools.

“I’m pleased,” Hartman said, “but I’ll be more pleased when we have a chance to work with everyone. We’re trying to get a joint meeting with the private schools in September. Obviously, they have more questions and some concerns. We want the section to be beneficial to everyone, and that’s going to take some time to work out.”

The superintendents met for two hours after the results of the survey were revealed. Hartman said the discussion centered on a timetable for forming the section and how it would be financed.

“The emphasis is to proceed slowly,” he said. “I think we’re looking at two years minimum before starting. We want to do this in an orderly and timely manner and do it right. The key is to proceed carefully.”

Wilson’s survey also showed that superintendents believe a separate section would allow more direct control of section policies and practices, reduce transportation costs and provide better community identity.

But some superintendents questioned whether a county section would provide the quality of service now provided by the Southern Section and also expressed concerns over financing.

Wilson reviewed how a 72-school county section would be budgeted with dues increased from 23 cents per student in the Southern Section to 35 cents in a county section.

County schools would also lose playoff revenue. Currently, each playoff team receives 25% of the gate receipts per game. Under Wilson’s plan, playoff teams would receive 10%.

“It was important for everyone to realize how the increase in membership dues would affect a high school,” Hartman said. “When you look at it closely, it isn’t that big of an increase.”

Hartman also said there was recourse for a county section if it encounters problems.

“We could form a section, operate for three to five years, and if it doesn’t work, we could always turn back (to the Southern Section),” he said.

Stan Thomas, Southern Section commissioner, said anything’s possible.

“If they found it was unworkable and wanted to return they could go through the proper channels and come back,” Thomas said.