Board Questions School Chief’s Medical Leave

Six months after a new superintendent arrived to bring order to the troubled school system here, the school board is raising questions about a leave of absence he took for medical reasons that have not been publicly disclosed.

Reed Montgomery’s absence from the helm of the Laguna Beach Unified School District began Dec. 5 and had been expected to end Monday.

But the school board this week voted unanimously to put Montgomery on paid administrative leave starting Monday until trustees can get an independent medical opinion.

While wishing Montgomery good health, board President Kathryn A. Turner said Wednesday that she would like to have a “face-to-face” talk with him about how he has dealt with the issue.

Turner said Montgomery has spoken with her only twice, briefly, during his leave. She and other trustees said they do not know how serious his condition is. A district-appointed doctor plans to examine him next week.

“We’re all baffled,” said Trustee Eileen Walsh, who added that she has not heard once from Montgomery.

On Wednesday, Montgomery told The Times he had not heard of the school board’s action the night before. Of his medical condition, he would say only that it is “possibly” serious and that he is seeking diagnosis. He said his doctor has provided the board with written information about his condition.

School board members, citing the confidentiality of personnel issues, said they cannot reveal what they know.

The 2,500-student district is still recovering from a fiscal crisis in 1996 that forced teachers and other employees to accept a salary cut and precipitated the early retirement of Paul M. Possemato, then superintendent.

*

Montgomery, who turned 51 last week, became superintendent here July 1 after leading school districts in San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties. His salary is $95,000 a year, with incentives for bonuses.

The date of Montgomery’s return is now uncertain in the wake of Tuesday night’s school board vote. The board also has turned down Montgomery’s request for pay covering the first 30 days of his leave--though trustees say they could reverse that decision when they learn more.

Turner, the board president, described the situation as “very difficult.”

“As far as we’re concerned,” she said, “we need to focus on what’s best for our youngsters. It’s important that we have leadership, and leadership that’s 100%.”

Turner said that when people ask who is in charge of the schools for the moment, she tells them Barbara Callard--the principal of Laguna Beach High School.

Laguna Beach Unified, the second-smallest school district in Orange County, has one of the strongest bases of community support of any district in California. Its private foundation, SchoolPower, has raised nearly $6 million for the district since 1981.

*

Given the depth of local interest in school politics, concerns about the district’s leadership have spread rapidly among parents and teachers.

“We can’t go on in limbo. We need to have clarification, and we need to move forward,” said Michael Pinto, a longtime SchoolPower activist. “I’d love to see that we do that with Reed. He was doing a great job.”

Montgomery’s absence comes at a difficult time for the board, which is grappling with how to accommodate an influx of hundreds of new students from Newport Coast, an Irvine Co. housing development being built along the coast.

The district’s financial situation has stabilized in recent months but is still fragile. The board in August voted to give teachers a 1.25% raise, enabling them to recover a portion of what they lost when salaries were cut 5% the year before.