School Chief Search May Prove Difficult : Education: Fiscal crisis, diverse ethnic enrollment complicate selection process.

As Los Angeles Unified School District officials struggle to come to grips with the sudden resignation of Supt. Bill Anton, the immediate task ahead will be the selection of a successor--a process some say could be as wrenching as the events that led to his decision to step down.

School board President Leticia Quezada said Tuesday the board expects by the end of this week to appoint an interim superintendent to replace Anton when he leaves Sept. 30. A board member who did not want to be identified said three people were being considered for the job, which would extend until June 30, the date Anton’s contract would have expired.

The contenders are Deputy Supts. Ruben Zacarias and Sid Thompson and Associate Supt. of Government Relations Ron Prescott.

Several board members said that in seeking an interim replacement, they will be looking for someone with the skills and savvy to help guide the district through an unprecedented fiscal crisis that in the last months has forced officials to propose massive employee pay cuts, eliminate offices and slash services.

But in replacing the district’s first Latino superintendent, the board will also have to weigh the concerns of a vast Latino constituency and other groups who want to make sure their needs are addressed by the district’s top administrator. The district’s 640,000-student enrollment is 15.2% black, 5.4% Asian, 13.6% white and 64.4% Latino.

“No doubt about it, it’s going to be very, very difficult,” board member Jeff Horton said.

Already a Los Angeles city councilman and several Latino parents and activists have demanded that if Anton cannot be persuaded to stay on, another Latino should be picked to take his place.

Joe Flores, chairman of the Mexican American Education Commission, an advisory panel to the board, said the call for a Latino superintendent was not meant as an affront to blacks and other ethnic groups, but was necessary to address the concerns of a district whose student population is nearly 65% Latino.

“The situation for us is critical,” said Flores. “The consideration goes first to our children, (and) we are here to support our people. No one else will.”

In a prepared statement, City Councilman Richard Alatorre also called on the board to choose a Latino to head the massive district. “. . . .Appointing a Latino to this very important position would guarantee a voice for all children, particularly L.A.’s largest ethnic minority,” the statement read.

Several board members Tuesday said they understood the concerns of parents and community leaders, but that they will not allow race to be the primary factor in picking an interim or a permanent superintendent.

“The superintendent who takes over (in the interim) must be someone who can hit the ground running,” said board member Roberta Weintraub. “So my support will be for whoever will be able to do that kind of a job and commit the next nine months to helping us through this crisis.”

However, Weintraub said that when the board begins its search for a permanent superintendent, ethnicity should be considered. “The candidates (should) reflect the composition of the school district, which is primarily minority.”

Of the three candidates now being considered to serve out the remainder of Anton’s term, Thompson and Prescott are African-American and Zacarias is Latino. Thompson was a finalist with Anton for the superintendent’s job in 1987, and all three have worked for the district for more than 25 years.

Although Anton did not say his replacement had to be Latino, he agreed the appointment of a minority would be an important statement in such an ethnically diverse district. “A minority superintendent would still be a good figurehead for our school district and role model for our students,” Anton said.

Whoever is chosen to fill the post beyond June 30 will most likely be offered a three-year contract, according to Quezada. She added that the board has not yet worked out the specifics of the selection process for a permanent superintendent.

But Weintraub, who has participated in two such searches, said the district will probably hire an outside firm to begin a nationwide hunt for candidates.

However, a key difference between past searches and the one to come is that the school system is facing double-digit employee pay cuts in order to eliminate a $400-million shortfall in this year’s budget.

Though officials are continuing to look for ways to reduce the drastic pay reductions, Weintraub said the district’s limited resources may make it difficult to attract good candidates from other parts of the country.

“When we looked outside before we were able to offer a salary comparable to other parts of the country,” said Weintraub. “I’m not sure we can do that again.”

She added that unless business comes forward to offer funds to help draw a top candidate from elsewhere, school officials will probably have to make their final choice from employees within the district.