School Board May Extend Zacarias’ Pact Before New Members Sworn In

The Los Angeles school board signaled its intention Tuesday to vote on extending the contract of Supt. Ruben Zacarias before three new members take office next month.

The move, which would deny the new board members what they have described as one of their most important jobs--evaluating the superintendent--follows an election marked by hard-fought campaigns and record spending.

In a closed session, board members Tuesday held an unscheduled discussion on the possibility of voting next week to add a year to Zacarias’ three-year contract, which now expires in July 2000, district officials said.

General Counsel Richard K. Mason advised the board that it could not take a vote without public notice before next week’s meeting, sources said.

For weeks, rumors have circulated in district headquarters that board member George Kiriyama, who was defeated in the April 13 primary election, would make a motion to extend the superintendent’s contract.

Four votes would be needed to do that, and at least three board members are considered likely to favor it. They are Board President Victoria Castro, Kiriyama and Barbara Boudreaux.

Outgoing board member Jeff Horton told The Times that he would oppose an early extension. But sources said he may have wavered in Tuesday’s closed session. Board member Julie Korenstein said she was undecided.

Members Valerie Fields and David Tokofsky said they would strongly oppose such a move before three new members, who were all backed by Mayor Richard Riordan, take their seats July 1.

Tokofsky, who also was backed by Riordan, said he thought that the proposal was motivated by “political and emotional agendas that would not benefit the district.”

“Ruben is ill-served by doing this,” Tokofsky said. “It immediately puts him in a bad position with the new board members.”

One of those members, Caprice Young, said she too believes that it would be wrong for the lame-duck members to make that decision.

Young said an early extension would set up the possibility that the board would have to buy out the final year of Zacarias’ $188,000-a-year-contract if they are not satisfied.

Castro has said she would vote for the extension, but thought that should be done only after the board completed its second evaluation of Zacarias.

The board did that in Tuesday’s closed session but did not release it.