IRVINE : Appointee Has Long History as Volunteer

When it came to his children’s education, Stephen McArthur planned ahead.

He began attending meetings and serving on committees in the Irvine Unified School District 12 years ago--just after the birth of his first child, Michael.

“What prompted me to get involved was that I wanted to understand the kind of education my kids would receive,” McArthur said. “I wanted to see if I should plan on sending them to a private school.”

What he saw at Irvine Unified impressed him. Not only do his two children now attend district schools, but he was appointed last week to fill a vacant seat on the school board.

McArthur was one of 11 candidates who applied to serve out the eight months remaining on the term of Greg Smith, who left the board last year to take a seat on the Irvine City Council.

Board members cited McArthur’s years of experience as a district volunteer as a key reason for his appointment.

“I liked the fact that Steve has had a consistent interest in the school district for a long time,” said board member Margie Wakeham. “He’ll make a good addition.”

McArthur said he was “amazed” at being selected from a field that included several Ph.D.s and many professionals with advanced degrees. “I was overwhelmed by the quality of the candidates,” he said. “It was an honor to be selected.”

McArthur has served on a slew of district committees and dealt with issues ranging from labor relations and finances to curriculum and budget matters.

In the process, he’s worked closely not only with other parents but with teachers, administrators and district officials.

“The continuity of knowing what’s happened in past really helps,” he said. “I’ve known administrators and teachers for a long time. I remember as a parent interviewing (Supt. David E. Brown) when he first came to the district.”

McArthur, a commercial real estate broker who lives in the Northwood village with his wife and two sons, ranked financial issues as the biggest challenge facing the district.

Like many school districts, Irvine has been forced to cut some programs and demand concessions in labor contracts to make up for reductions in funding from the state.

“The challenge is to keep Irvine’s reputation for excellence in the forefront in light of the tight budgets we have,” he said.

The district’s future financial health, he added, will depend in part on the success of a recently launched fund-raiser aimed at collecting millions of dollars from Irvine businesses and individuals.

McArthur said he would also like to restore funding for music and arts programs that have been cut in recent years.