RIORDAN ADVOCATES LOCAL SCHOOL CONTROL.

Byline: Jennifer Radcliffe Staff Writer

MISSION HILLS - State Education Secretary Richard Riordan told San Fernando Valley business leaders Friday that he will work to cut red tape that restricts how local schools can spend state money.

Principals, teachers and parents should be able to make decisions about their schools, rather than having to submit to politicians in Sacramento, Riordan told about 150 community and business leaders at a luncheon sponsored by the United Chambers of Commerce and the Economic Alliance.

``Put the control in the community, where it belongs,'' said Riordan, the former Los Angeles mayor who was appointed to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's Cabinet in November.

Riordan and Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Roy Romer also used the lunch to advocate passage of Measure R, the district's $3.87 billion bond measure on the March 2 ballot.

``The most important thing we can do to change the face of Los Angeles is to vote right on Measure R,'' said Romer, adding that better schools will lead to higher property values.

School board member Julie Korenstein said she supports additional school funding, but said she has some concerns about the move to decentralize education. The LAUSD has periodically tried that approach, and found that it doesn't help improve test scores as much as a strong, districtwide plan, she said.

Jennifer Radcliffe, [phone]

jennifer.radcliffe(at)dailynews.com