SAN FERNANDO VALLEY : School Secession to Be Discussed

A new coalition devoted to trying to create a separate San Fernando Valley school district is scheduled to hold its first official public meeting tonight to discuss the issue.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at Burton Street School in Panorama City. Leaders of the newly formed Valley Advocates for Local Unified Education will put forward their proposal for a Valley school district and hear from local lawmakers who have endorsed or expressed interest in the idea. The public will be able to express opinions and ask questions.

Expected to attend are Los Angeles school board members Julie Korenstein and Roberta Weintraub, Assemblyman Terry B. Friedman (D-Encino) and state Senate President Pro Tem David A. Roberti (D-Van Nuys). Roberti and Korenstein have publicly endorsed a secession from the Los Angeles Unified School District.

The coalition was formed in the aftermath of a controversial redistricting plan this summer that eliminated one of two Valley-based seats on the Los Angeles Board of Education. Proponents of a split with L.A. Unified contend that a separate school district would grant much-needed local control of Valley schools, but critics say such a move would have to surmount several administrative and legal obstacles, including laws on desegregation.