Q & A

* Anaheim City Schools Supt. Jack Sarnicky

Jack Sarnicky, 54, is the new superintendent of the Anaheim City School District and a 28-year veteran of the district, where he has been both teacher and administrator.

As assistant superintendent of business services, a position he held from 1981 through June, Sarnicky was instrumental in helping the district survive the financial crisis that followed last year’s collapse of the Orange County Investment Pool.

In a school district whose student population has grown dramatically in the past decade, Sarnicky has been involved in efforts to alleviate overcrowding by putting schools on year-round schedules and bringing in portable classrooms.

Part of the challenge of his new job is to ensure that the district successfully serves a community that includes a number of economically disadvantaged areas and draws students from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds.

Sarnicky spoke with Times correspondent Alan Eyerly about the state of the school district, which has a $73-million annual budget, a staff of 654 teachers and about 18,400 students.

Q: How did Orange County’s bankruptcy filing in December affect the Anaheim City School District?

A: We lost about $700,000. Like any business, we can’t afford to lose $700,000. We need to recover those funds. . . . We’re making do. We shave a little here, shave a little there.

Q: Has it been a challenge to maintain school facilities, considering the budget restrictions?

A: We have aging schools, but we’ve really made a concentrated effort to keep the schools up. We’ve not let our capital assets waste away.

Q: Is the district keeping up with technological advances in computers and educational materials?

A: We’re in the process of forming a technology committee of teachers, parents and administrators to help decide what we need for the 21st Century. We need more computers and more CD-ROMS, but we also have needs in terms of office technology. Things that you take for granted, we’re not there yet--like e-mail.

Q: Your students come from widely varied backgrounds, and many do not speak English at home. How does that affect educational programs?

A: Our goal is to teach the children so that they leave here with an outstanding education. Sometimes that involves teaching them in their native language. Our ultimate goal is for them to [be] able to speak and write in English.

Q: Does the district have any special programs for needy students?

A: We have a breakfast and a lunch program. It’s very difficult to learn when you’re sitting there hungry.