LAUSD BOARD VOWS TO CHAT LESS.

Byline: Jennifer Radcliffe Staff Writer

Los Angeles Unified School District board members will have to talk a little faster and keep a closer eye on the clock under a resolution that limits the amount of time they can publicly discuss district issues.

The resolution, passed by a 6-1 vote Tuesday, allots five minutes to each board member per ``round'' on each item being discussed. It also requires board meetings to begin promptly at 10 a.m. and end by 8 p.m. This comes on top of a long-standing LAUSD rule limiting public speakers to three minutes each.

``They make common sense,'' board member Mike Lansing said of the new rules. ``That's a 10-hour meeting. That's ridiculous to go any longer than 10 hours.''

Board meetings typically start about an hour late, and discussions sometimes run past 10 p.m.

Board member David Tokofsky, one of the more talkative politicians, voted against the limitations.

``I think this motion is symptomatic of ineffective governance,'' he said. ``Motions don't get you the traction and change that you want.''

The burden of a smooth-running meeting falls on the shoulders of board President Jose Huizar, Tokofsky said.

Richard Castallo, chairman of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at California State University, Northridge, agreed. These issues need to be ironed out at a retreat-style meeting, he said.

``The problem they're trying to address is common to all school boards,'' he said. ``The key is the skill of the board president to be able to control the people. ... A board president has to be sharp enough to allow people to bring out all the germane points per discussion. They can't use a clock to do that. ''

Huizar said he has tried unsuccessfully to curb some board members' discussion at past meetings.

``The last time I checked, I thought there were seven board members, not one board president,'' he said. ``I'm not a dictator.''

While some board members said that starting meetings late wastes time of highly paid administrators on waiting, board member Julie Korenstein questioned whether the board would be able to start meetings on time.

Meetings are often late because board members are held up in closed-door meetings with the district's lawyers.

``It's very restrictive,'' said Korenstein, also one of the chattier members. Board member Marguerite Lamotte joked that she would auction her time off to other members.

``You can pay me, Julie,'' she teased.

Jennifer Radcliffe, [phone]

jennifer.radcliffe(at)dailynews.com