MISSION VIEJO : School Board Splits on Votes for Officers

Trustees of the Saddleback Valley Unified School District, who have been badly split over ideology in the past two years, remained divided last week--this time as a bare majority selected the new board president.

Trustees voted 3 to 2 Tuesday to elect Marcia L. Birch as president. Trustees also voted 3 to 2 to elect Bobbee Cline vice president.

Trustees Debbie Hughes and Frank L. Ury tried unsuccessfully for the top two spots, but both votes failed 2 to 3.

The pair had backed two Christian conservative candidates who lost in the Nov. 8 election while challenging Cline and Dore J. Gilbert, who was named board secretary after serving as president.

Before Birch was elected by her colleagues, Hughes nominated Ury for board president, contending that he had the most experience in financial matters as the district tries to deal with the county’s financial troubles.

Ury later nominated Hughes for the post of vice president.

Supt. Peter A. Hartman told the audience that although trustees have been divided in the past two years, they are united in helping the district cope with the county’s bond crisis.