2 Interviewed for Simi Schools’ Top Post

School trustees Tuesday interviewed two candidates to serve as temporary schools chief for the next five to seven months.

They said they hope to schedule an interview with a third candidate before their next regular meeting Tuesday.

Former Supt. Dan Flynn was forced to resign earlier this month after he lost the support of three of the five school board members just three months after he was hired. The district is Ventura County’s largest with nearly 20,000 students and a budget of $150 million.

On Tuesday, Simi Valley Unified School District trustees interviewed Ron Bennett, 55, superintendent of Huntington Beach Union High School District, and Stanley Corey, a retired superintendent of Irvine Unified School District.

Bennett, who has worked for the 14,000-student Huntington Beach district in Orange County for the past two years, said he is not afraid of working for a divisive board.

“They seem like an exciting challenge,” he said of the Simi Valley trustees.

Although the specific job he interviewed for would only last until Simi Valley hires a permanent superintendent, Bennett said he would be interested in staying on.

“I’m looking for something different,” he said.

Corey, 72, retired in 1987 after 15 years with the Irvine district. Since then, Corey said, he has assisted as an interim superintendent in four school districts, including those in Newport Beach and Saugus.

If he received this temporary job, the Pismo Beach resident said, he would live out of his motor home in Simi Valley.

Regarding working for a divided board, Corey said, “It goes with the territory. . . . If you get around, there are always different backgrounds and constituencies”

Since 1990, the Simi Valley school district has had five permanent superintendents--some who retired early and others who left after battles with the board.

Before Flynn, trustees agreed last June to pay $81,000 to former Supt. Tate Parker to buy out the remainder of his contract after six months on the job. The district has also had two other temporary superintendents.