LAUSD, BOND PANEL PLEDGE TO MAKE UP.

Byline: Jennifer Radcliffe Staff Writer

Los Angeles Unified school board members vowed Tuesday to repair their relationship with the Citizen's Bond Oversight Committee- a step they said was necessary if the district intends to seek voter approval of a fourth bond within the next year.

The two bodies - whose relationship became strained after the LAUSD inspector general released a report last fall criticizing committee consultant Tom Rubin - must work together to make sure LAUSD keeps its word with $10 billion in local bond money.

``We do need to sit down body-to-body,'' oversight committee vice chairwoman Connie Rice said. ``Our communications are at a low.''

The members of the oversight committee raised red flags recently about the number of extra projects that the school board has tried to push into the bonds. They recently rejected the board's plan to use bond money to make bungalows accessible to disabled students.

While that's an acceptable use of bond money, it wasn't included in the package voters approved, officials said.

With increasing construction costs, both bodies must guard the money more carefully, Rice said.

``We are close to panic at the Bond Oversight Committee that we have no more margin for our error,'' Rice told the board.

Board members acknowledged that the relationship was strained and that last year's 22 percent increase in construction costs has everyone concerned about whether the district will be able to keep all its promises to voters.

``The relationship that we have as a district with the Bond Oversight Committee is incredibly important,'' board vice president Marlene Canter said. ``We need to have that communication open. We are in a very critical state fiscally, and we need to be able to work together.''

Bond members have also said they feel like the board is ignoring them and making decisions without their advice, which is mandated under the district's bonds.

To repair relations, leaders of both bodies said Tuesday they planned to set priorities at a retreat and have a staff member serve as a liaison between the board and the committee. In many cases, the committee's concerns just aren't getting passed to the board, officials said.

``We obviously have to improve relations,'' board president Jose Huizar said.

In other action:

--The school board voted unanimously Tuesday to demolish eight East Valley homes to make way for a new elementary school on Calhoun Avenue.

Even though residents complained that Calhoun Avenue is too narrow and lacks access, school officials said they don't have a better alternative. They had hoped to use build at a nearby site, but the city is already planning a $23.6 million animal shelter there.

--The board voted 6-1 in closed session to offer Maribel Medina, assistant city attorney to the City of Pasadena, the job of the school board's attorney. Details of the offer were not available Tuesday.

If she accepts the offer, Medina will replace Dick Sheehan, who is retiring. Board member David Tokofsky voted against the motion.