N.Y. TOUR INSPIRES ANTONIO LAUSD TAKEOVER EFFORT FACES NEIGHBORLY DISSENT.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

After touring city-run schools in New York City, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Monday he is even more convinced about the need to take over LAUSD, although he faces a growing chorus of dissent from Los Angeles' neighbors.

Receiving encouragement and a promise of future support from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg during a visit to the Big Apple, Villaraigosa said the purpose of his reform effort is not mayoral control but increased accountability.

``There is no question about it,'' Villaraigosa said in a telephone interview after his tour. ``It's clear to me that if you're going to take on an entrenched bureaucracy permeated by mediocrity and failure, you need someone in charge who will be accountable for the complete transformation of that bureaucracy.

``Just look at what Michael Bloomberg has done here. He took $200 million out of the bureaucracy and put it in the classroom. He created a sense of urgency and, as I have said, it is about public accountability.''

At the same time, opposition to Villaraigosa's plan is mounting among leaders of other cities in Los Angeles Unified - accounting for about 20 percent of the district's 700,000 students.

Villaraigosa has invited those officials to Los Angeles City Hall on Thursday to discuss his plan, which includes a proposal for him to appoint a superintendent who would work with an elected Board of Education that would lose some of its current authority.

``I do understand their concerns on representation and that's one of the issues I want to address,'' Villaraigosa said. ``They want a voice and they are entitled to have one.

``We have to figure out how we can accomplish what we all want.''

Officials from San Fernando, West Hollywood and South Gate are among those voicing opposition to the plan.

``It's not that we are opposed to reform,'' San Fernando Councilwoman Maribel de la Torre said. ``But we also don't want to give up what authority and relationships we do have.

``To us, it is an issue about how our children will be educated and fair representation. What happens to San Fernando when we can't vote for a school board member?''

West Hollywood Councilman Jeff Prang said he wonders if Villaraigosa's plan could result in the forced breakup of the nation's second-largest district along municipal lines, leaving neighboring cities to scramble for new alliances.

``It could be, for West Hollywood, that we end up as part of the Beverly Hills School District,'' Prang said. ``I don't think that would bother our parents at all, even though we have a good working relationship with the LAUSD and don't want to see it ended.''

West Hollywood was the first city to raise questions about Villaraigosa's plans. It approved a resolution of opposition that has since been adopted by Lomita, Huntington Park and Carson.

Carson Mayor Jim Dear, a middle-school teacher in the LAUSD, said his goal is similar to that of West Hollywood.

``We want to get the best education we can for our children, but we also want to make sure our residents are represented on the school board,'' Dear said.

South Gate Councilman Henry Gonzalez said he and other representatives from southeast Los Angeles long have sought to create their own school district - a move that could gain momentum if Villaraigosa is successful.

``We could form our own district or talk to the folks from Downey about joining their district,'' Gonzalez said. ``We think this is an important principle we're talking about here: Why should South Gate residents have to live with a superintendent picked by the mayor of Los Angeles? It seems like the ultimate taxations without representation.

``I thought the days of politicians telling us that they know best for us were long gone. We want to be part of the process.''

Gonzalez said his city's representatives will be making that point when they meet with Villaraigosa on Thursday.

``We are not saying we disagree with him when he talks about the need to improve the schools,'' Gonzalez said. ``Our parents and our students want a good education - the parents are demanding it. But we also want to make sure we have a say in how we're being governed.''

However, South Gate Mayor Greg Martinez said he had his own view.

``As far as I'm concerned, Mayor Villaraigosa can have all of the LAUSD,'' Martinez said. ``We have a lot of problems with the LAUSD that never get addressed. I want to see us have our own school district.''

Rick Orlov, [phone]

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