McGarry Won’t Seek Reelection to County School Board

John McGarry, a trustee on the divided Ventura County Board of Education, said Tuesday that he will not seek reelection when his term expires late this year.

The announcement comes after months of bitter disputes between the panel’s three-member conservative majority and the minority, represented by McGarry, 65, and board member Al Rosen.

“I came into the education profession as a gentleman,” McGarry said. “I tried to act as a gentleman, and I’d like to leave as gentleman. There is a tense political climate on the board, and I don’t want to be part of that. My main reason for serving has always been the kids.”

McGarry, who has been a teacher, principal and superintendent in Oxnard, was praised by several educators for his role on the board, where he has served one term.

“John is an outstanding board member,” Ventura schools chief Charles Weis said. “He provides reason and tries to seek common ground on the board. He will be sorely missed.”

Even board President Marty Bates, who has clashed with McGarry on several occasions, praised his integrity.

“I’m sorry John is not running,” Bates said. “He is very dedicated to the education of the children in Ventura County.”

Over the last couple of years, the board’s majority--represented by Bates and board members Wendy Larner and Angela Miller--has come under fire for supporting what opponents have called a conservative Christian agenda. Critics have accused the trio of being anti-public education and suspicious of any involvement by the federal or state governments in local school decisions.

Last spring, the three voted to exclude AIDS Care and Planned Parenthood speakers from teacher training seminars. Later in the year, they voted to turn down a $500,000 federal jobs training grant if it was offered.

The votes angered local school board members who supported the programs and believed that the county board was usurping local authority by dictating what programs they could apply for.

McGarry, who said he believes in respecting the authority of local school boards, has received support from local board members for his position.

“He understands the education field,” said Val Rains, a trustee of the Pleasant Valley Elementary School District and regional director of the California School Boards Assn. “And he understands the role of a board member.”

But in an example of clashing philosophies, Larner and Miller said they hoped that McGarry’s replacement would not come from the education profession.

“He’s been entrenched in the indoctrination that comes from being in the system,” Miller said.

The two board members said that educators generally come from a liberal perspective, and that lay people on the board would provide balance.

Larner, who is also up for reelection in the fall, said she has not decided whether she will run again. She said she will announce her decision this summer.