New Ocean View schools leaders have their work cut out for them

Ocean View School District’s two new top officials started their jobs Monday with a lot on their plates.

The arrival of Supt. Dr. Carol Hansen and Deputy Supt. Michael Conroy marks a new chapter for the district, which has been criticized by parents since fall 2014 over its execution of a district-wide modernization project that exposed students and staff to asbestos. The exposure resulted in the temporary closure of 11 schools and put the district in a projected $15.8-million budget shortfall through the 2016-17 school year.

But Hansen and Conroy said they are not deterred by the district’s history and are ready to tackle their new roles.

“Any type of leadership position can be challenging and I’m up for that challenge,” Hansen said. “I’m ready. I’ll be on my 31st year in education, so I’ve seen a lot of things and I bring in a lot of experience and a strong background, especially when working in difficult situations.”

Hansen was previously the assistant superintendent for human resources in the ABC Unified School District in Cerritos. She replaced Gustavo Balderas, who held Ocean View’s top spot for more than two years. Balderas had been looking to leave the district, and on July 1, he started his new position as superintendent for the Eugene School District 4J in Oregon.

Supporting Hansen with her duties will be Conroy, who is charged with overseeing the asbestos abatement and school modernization project, the district’s finances and its administrative services. He, too, acknowledges the hard work ahead.

“Both Dr. Hansen and I did our research prior to coming to the district,” he said. “But I see this as challenges and opportunities to be successful and to leave a positive imprint on a community in the school district. That’s our goal.”

Conroy was the assistant superintendent of business services in the Paramount Unified School District for five years.

Ocean View board President Gina Clayton-Tarvin said the position of deputy superintendent had not existed since 2007.

Three elementary schools — Hope View, Lake View and Oak View — were closed for most of the past school year in order to properly remove asbestos and upgrade the facilities. They have yet to reopen.

The displaced students were bused to schools in other districts, but many from Oak View and Hope View returned to portable buildings placed on their campuses.

Clayton-Tarvin said that Hope View will reopen in about a month, in time for students and staff to return in the fall.

Lake View recently completed its asbestos abatement and plans to begin upgrades soon. A completion date is yet to be determined, Clayton-Tarvin said, but the school is expected to be open in the fall.

Much work remains at Oak View, and the campus is not expected to be open for the beginning of the school year. Clayton-Tarvin said contractors are about three weeks into a 40-day project to remove the asbestos from the campus. Upgrades to the facility will begin once abatement has finished.

Clayton-Tarvin said the Oak View buildings should reopen by January 2016, but in the meantime, the district will receive 10 portable classrooms from the Los Alamitos School District to allow all teachers and students to return to the campus.

With the new hires and the work being done, Clayton-Tarvin said she is confident that Ocean View is headed in the right direction.

“I think things are going to happen right away,” the board president said. “I’m very positive.”