5 SEEK SEATS ON SCHOOL BOARD LAS VIRGENES COULD INSTALL NEW MAJORITY.

Byline: Cecilia Chan Staff Writer

CALABASAS - One incumbent and four challengers are running Nov. 6 for three seats on the Las Virgenes Unified School District board, touting such campaign issues as improved financial oversight and communication.

The district of 13 schools serves more than 13,000 students from Calabasas, Agoura Hills and Westlake Village. Its students this year scored above the national and state averages on the Stanford 9 Achievement Test.

Board President Judy Jordan, who is seeking a third term, said the board needs an experienced member since incumbents Charlotte Meyer and Amy Berns are not seeking re-election and the two remaining trustees came on duty in 1999.

Jordan also wants to see to completion projects funded by the $93 million school bond passed by local voters in 1997, and wants to implement new teaching strategies to increase student achievement.

``I want to continue to work on business and community partnerships,'' said Jordan, 61, a retired teacher. ``I've spent a great deal of time working on it, developing relationships both with elected officials (and) community leaders to increase resources and opportunity for students.''

Challengers Bob Charney, Cindy Isler, Bicky Rippe and Gordon Whitehead each say they would bring needed skills to the board. They also concur there is a need for a better working relationship between administrators and teachers.

In February, the district's teachers handed Superintendent John Fitzpatrick a no-confidence vote because of what they perceived as his heavy-handed management style.

Charney, who owns an advertising agency, wants to tighten campus security and see more attention given to special-needs programs.

``Las Virgenes schools, although very good in general, have a lot of issues that need to be resolved that are not resolved,'' said Charney, 48, who has a special-needs child. ``I see some waste due to mismanagement, particularly in the legal arena.

``The existing funding, I'm not sure if it's poor, but it's not allocated as best as it could be.''

Isler, a 46-year-old real estate attorney, advocates examining how the district spends its money and also finding more funding for student programs and for competitive teacher salaries. She also wants to boost teachers' morale by giving them more support.

``We need to embark on a districtwide program of fund-raising from the community,'' Isler said. ``We need to build a partnership with the business community.''

Isler noted that some schools lack a music program, others need better technology and some more laboratory equipment.

Rippe, 55, a communications consultant and writer, said she has experience in writing grants and would use those skills to bring more money into the district. She also wants to lobby the state Legislature for more local control and supports boosting teacher morale.

``Teachers feel like they are under a microscope in the classroom, judged by what a child does on a single test on a given day,'' Rippe said. ``As a board member I would reassure teachers that while the state is imposing great opinion on the result of the test, we understand there is more to teaching children than having them do great on a test.''

Whitehead, 60, said he will use his skills as a certified public accountant to ensure district spending is in line with voters' priorities.

``I want to make a difference in the school district,'' Whitehead said. ``I am not indicating any overall dissatisfaction with any particular area. There are certain things we can probably do better.

``I want to make sure we provide the very best education for every one of our children, all children, and that means going where you need to go to achieve that.''