DELAY URGED ON SELECTING SCHOOLS HEAD : BOARD HOPEFULS SEEK INPUT.

Byline: Alicia Doyle Daily News Staff Writer

The seven nonincumbent candidates running for the Simi Valley school board have asked the current trustees to delay selecting a new superintendent until after the Nov. 5 election.

In a letter sent to the school board, Doug Crosse, Janice DiFatta, Cesar Julian, M.D., Nan Mostacciuolo, Steven Steffek, Randy Sundeen and Elizabeth Walbridge said that selecting a superintendent before the election would assure that the new district head would have less than unanimous support of the board.

``It's imperative that the working relationship between the superintendent and the school board be a good one,'' DiFatta said. ``The incoming superintendent must have the support of the majority of the board. If one is hired now, that support may not be there later.''

Waiting three weeks to allow the new board to make a selection is unlikely, said school board President Judy Barry, who is not seeking re-election Nov. 5. The board began interviewing five finalists Friday and will continue Monday. A decision could be made as early as Oct. 15, Barry said.

``We have some very top-notch, qualified candidates,'' Barry said. ``We will pick an appropriate superintendent for our district.''

Julian said that he is skeptical about the current board's ability to make the right decision.

``They chose the last one and look what happened,'' Julian said. ``Why do they think they can do a better job this time?''

Crosse called continuing the selection process so close to the election ``an absolute travesty, an injustice and an affront to the voters, parents, students.''

Crosse said that he supports the selection process itself, which can take several months to complete.

``But the final selection should absolutely be left to the new board,'' he said.

Board member Diane Collins, who is seeking re-election along with Debbie Sandland, said she has sympathy for the position of the nonincumbent candidates.

But when former Superintendent Mary Beth Wolford unexpectedly announced that she was retiring six months earlier than planned, the board was forced to look for a replacement immediately, Collins said.

Wolford left in June after telling the district she would stay until December. Had Wolford stayed, the new school board would have selected the new superintendent, Collins explained.

``Mary Beth left in a lurch. I don't think people understand that,'' Collins said. ``Her leaving in June meant that we had to search a little bit quicker.''

Barry said incumbents have a better chance of being re-elected than outside candidates, therefore, the possibility of having a new board majority is slim.

But should the nonincumbents beat the odds, ``I don't know that they are going to be qualified or prepared to make a good selection of a superintendent,'' said Barry, who has served on the board or eight years. ``As a board, you have to be able to look at not one issue, but the whole picture. I really don't feel they are ready to make this kind of decision.''

Interim Superintendent Bob Purvis was hired in June to temporarily fill the spot. In August, a search consultant hired by the district began seeking potential district leaders.

Crosse said the search should have revolved around community input from parents, principals, teachers and other influential leaders in Simi Valley.

``This is just another example of nonrepresentation,'' Crosse said. ``Did anyone reach out to the community? Have they had a public meeting? Have they asked the community what their vision is?''

Barry said the district conducted ``a very lengthy community profile'' six years ago.

This year, the district's search consultant met with classified and certificated employees to see what kind of superintendent should be hired, Barry said.

``The profile does not really waver from the original one,'' said Barry. ``I don't think our community has changed that much.''

Barry said she was unsure if the district's search consultant met with different community groups this year.