Educator Returns to Direct District

The Placentia-Yorba Linda school system has tapped a former Irvine and Laguna Beach superintendent to replace its 13-year schools chief, James O. Fleming, who is retiring June 30.

At first glance, it’s a curious career move for Dennis M. Smith, now superintendent in urban Orlando, Fla. Smith, 48, left the high-achieving Irvine schools three years ago, seeking a bigger school district where students face more educational challenges. He was also a finalist for the top schools post in the behemoth Los Angeles Unified School District.

Smith’s Orange County School District in Florida is the nation’s 16th-largest public school district. With a diverse student body of 150,000 students and a $780-million operating budget, it dwarfs the Placentia-Yorba Linda school system, with 26,000 students and a $140-million budget.

But Smith, 48, said it was time for him to balance his career with his family life. Homesick, his wife and two school-age sons moved back to Laguna Beach two years ago and Smith has been jetting between the two coasts ever since. Smith said professionally, he longed to be closer to teachers, parents and principals than an urban administrator can be.

Even his interview Monday was a homecoming. After talking to the Placentia school board members, Smith was able to catch the last couple innings of a baseball game--one where his son hit the winning triple.

“It was a critical decision in my life,” he said. “Do I try for something larger and supposedly better, or do I balance career with quality of life and my family? I’m very pleased with my decision.”

In Irvine, Smith helped guide the school system out of bankruptcy. His Florida accomplishments include beginning an $850-million dollar construction project, building 13 schools so far, and slashing bureaucracy to return resources back to schools. His tenure overlapped with the state’s accountability push, and the Orlando area saw scores rise on standardized tests, Advanced Placement tests, writing exams and more.

The sum of Smith’s experiences, in districts large and small, appealed to the Placentia-Yorba Linda school board President Craig T. Olson.

“We have the same challenges facing all school districts in California,” Olson said. “But the biggest challenge is continuing to help students to learn and reach a level of achievement as standards [are set] higher than ever before. That requires a vision and a commitment to put resources where they help students most.”

The district has enjoyed growth and stability during Fleming’s term. He started his job during a teachers’ strike and oversaw the merging of Placentia and Yorba Linda schools.

Today, many campuses in the district are overcrowded. At last estimate, the school system had more than $150 million in repair and construction needs, and the city of Yorba Linda has long clamored for a high school of its own. Like all California school systems, the Placentia schools have been deluged with the constant stream of education reforms from Sacramento.

Fleming, a Yorba Linda resident for 27 years, is widely respected in education circles, and this year was named superintendent of the year by the Orange County chapter of the State Administrators Assn.

His associates describe him as compassionate and smart, at home discussing policies or spending time with kids and parents. In his retirement, Fleming hopes to spend more time with his family and perhaps consult or teach at Cal State Fullerton.

Supt. James A. Fleming of the South County’s Capistrano schools, said his colleague will be missed. The two, with their similar names and jobs, have become fast friends and tease each other about which is “the real Jim Fleming.”

“There is not a finer person in Orange County than Jim O. Fleming,” James A. Fleming said. “He will leave big shoes to be filled by Smith. Placentia-Yorba Linda is fortunate to have the services of two fine superintendents. I think the world of both guys.”

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Times Education Writer Louis Sahagun contributed to this report.