State Appoints New Administrator for Compton Schools : Education: Richard P. Mesa is expected to take over the troubled district in mid-October. Officials say he was chosen because of his record as head of Oakland system.

State education officials have selected Richard P. Mesa, head of the Oakland school system, to become the state-appointed administrator of the financially troubled Compton Unified School District.

Mesa is expected to take over in mid-October for interim administrator Stanley G. Oswalt, who has served since July. The district had to surrender control to the state as a condition for receiving an emergency $10.5-million loan.

Mesa will have czar-like powers to run the district for up to eight years or until it becomes financially sound. He also will be charged with improving academic programs. Student achievement in Compton is among the worst in the state. Mesa would not say if he plans to continue austerity measures--including scores of layoffs, the demotion of several top district officials and a 7% cut in management salaries--implemented by Oswalt. But he said he supports Oswalt’s efforts, which have been criticized by some school board members and Compton residents. They have accused Oswalt of being autocratic and of discriminating against minority employees, allegations that Oswalt has denied. Mesa said he will “look at expenses carefully so they match the revenues we have.”

“I’m excited and apprehensive at the same time. But I always rely on one fundamental truth, that communities want their schools to be the best they can be,” said Mesa, 63. “The people have to be given a lot of opportunity for participation. My adrenaline goes up when I face these kinds of situations.”

School board President Kelvin Filer pledged to work with Mesa, who faces difficult decisions as the school district looks to erase an $8-million deficit.

“I want to provide positive input into the decisions that have to be made so they will benefit the children of this district,” Filer said. “I want (Mesa) to work himself out of a job, and I’m sure he understands that. I mean that in a positive way.”

Mesa is known as a skilled administrator with a sharp business sense. He has worked mostly in Central and Northern California and has hands-on crisis experience in Oakland, in a situation reminiscent of Compton’s struggles.

In 1990, Mesa became the superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District, which at the time was millions of dollars in debt and demoralized by charges of mismanagement.

Mesa helped tighten financial controls at the 52,000-student school system, helping it to rebound from its problems, said Raul Jaramillo, deputy superintendent for the Alameda County Office of Education.

Before going to Oakland, Mesa served 9 1/2 years as superintendent of the Milpitas Unified School District near San Jose. He also served as chief deputy to former state schools chief Bill Honig. He is bilingual. Fifty-seven percent of Compton Unified students are Latino and many of them speak limited English.

Acting state schools Supt. William D. Dawson said Mesa’s track record in Oakland and his personal commitment to inner-city schools earned him the job in Compton. Dawson picked Mesa over two other candidates. Mesa will earn $121,500 in his new job. He made $115,000 in Oakland.

“(Mesa’s) experience in Oakland was very powerful,” Dawson said. “That was a district that was in deep financial trouble. It is well back on the road to recovery and its academic programs are strengthened. He has shown he can go into a district like this and help it a great deal. I think his commitment to kids in the inner city is deep in his soul.”