SCHOOL BOARD STILL STEWING LAST YEAR'S `NASTY' ELECTION LEAVES LASTING WOUNDS.

Byline: Angie Valencia-Martinez Staff Writer

SIMI VALLEY - The split on the city's school board began more than a year ago during a ``nasty'' election that centered on school finances and leadership.

It was then that longtime board members Carla Kurachi and Greg Stratton, first elected in 2002, gave their support to four unsuccessful candidates during a bitterly contested race.

Incumbents Debbie Sandland and Janice DiFatta were re-elected. Former schoolteacher and administrator Rob Collins joined the board, ousting Steven Gould. Since then, the three have created a voting bloc on the five-member board, and a divide, Kurachi and Stratton said.

``Elections can be nasty, but once you take that oath of office you drop the baggage at the door,'' Kurachi said. ``You can't carry resentment, vindictiveness and pettiness on the dais. You can't.

``This is not right what's happening on the board. It's detrimental to the district and detrimental to the community. When power trips and egos get involved, it's distracting.''

Collins, the highest vote-getter during the 2004 election, said the board has worked well together, and he was blindsided by Kurachi's and Stratton's perspective.

``We've had a great relationship,'' he said. ``We have respect for each other. I don't think any of us brings politics into our decision-making. All of us are on the board because we care about the kids and want quality education.''

A recent election of the board president and clerk turned into a showdown pitting members against each other in two voting blocs. During the last two organizational meetings, Stratton and Kurachi have been passed over as board president as a form of punishment, they say.

``That's politics,'' said Stratton, who is up for re-election next year. ``If you watch the voting, it's clear where everything is - 3-2.

``It's been a year now. Can you get over it?''

Sandland, the newly elected board president serving her third term on the board, said the disagreements have been unfairly exaggerated. She said on the bigger issues, 99 percent of the time the board votes unanimously, including when the panel agreed to hire a new program-management company to oversee the district's $145 million bond, and during most expulsion hearings.

``That's not justified,'' she said. ``I'm sorry they're trying to create a situation that doesn't exist. I'm sad that two board members are spending time and energy on something when there are continuing, ongoing issues to address. I'm looking forward to working with the board and fulfilling our commitment.''

Sandland said the district has a lot to be proud of, including improved test scores, Blue Ribbon and California Distinguished schools and bond-related projects.

``The bottom line is we're functioning very well,'' she said.

Stratton, who served 20 years on the Simi Valley City Council, 12 as mayor, said the division doesn't disturb him as much as the fact that the panel can't get along.

``We had a rule in the city,'' he said, recalling his years in City Hall. ``What you say on the dais in terms of argument for or against a program or development, those were arguments. When you left the dais you went out and had a beer and you were still friends. I don't sense that's where we are right now.''

DiFatta, who was endorsed by Kurachi in her bid for re-election, said other than the selection of the board president, she can't recall other times when the board has split. Usually, they are in agreement, she said.

``I don't believe there's an issue beyond that,'' DiFatta said. ``There are a few instances when you have a split board. There are times when we don't agree on everything, and it's not expected we ever will. Saying it's a divided board is not an accurate depiction, and records would reflect that.''

Kurachi and Stratton said the other three have turned deaf ears to their requests because the majority of the members control the district action.

For example, Stratton, a fiscal conservative, said his proposal for saving taxpayer money by obtaining supplies from local businesses has been pushed aside, as well as his idea to save money by using telephone answering machines rather than clerks at certain hours of the day.

Kurachi has repeatedly asked the board to consider selling unused surplus property because the district will need millions of dollars to complete bond-approved projects, which are coming in over budget. She also has pushed to get trustees to discuss the issue of ``boardsmanship,'' which includes how to operate and treat each other.

``I keep bringing these issues up, but they go nowhere,'' she said. ``What they're saying is we have three votes and you can follow us or you don't have to follow us. We should be working toward a common goal. It's going to be difficult this year working with them. They don't even care to work with us.''

Arleigh Kidd, executive director of the California Teachers Association, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks and Moorpark branches, said when it comes to making decisions, the board members have shown they can put their personal differences aside.

``They're pretty much on the same page,'' said the former president of the Simi Educators Association. ``They all have equal votes. They're all very strong people and all have a chance to voice their opinions.

``They're five professional individuals who take their job seriously, and I have not seen it that when it comes to what's the best for the school district, they don't come to agreement. Every elected body has tensions on it.''

Angie Valencia-Martinez, [phone]

angie.valencia(at)dailynews.com