Linking LAUSD Breakup, Secession Seen as Potent

Already joined in philosophy, supporters of separate movements to secede from the city of Los Angeles and break up its school district would together be a powerful political coalition capable of forging a new identity for the San Fernando Valley, observers say.

Combining the twin movements--both rooted in the Valley--could create a base of grass-roots support large enough for both efforts to be successful, say local politicians, community activists and academicians. Both issues could even appear on the same ballot, boosting their chances of winning over skeptical voters.

“It’s a natural alliance,” said Joel Fox, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn., which won passage two decades ago of Proposition 13, the property tax initiative. “It would be greater than the sum of its individual parts.”

Scott Wilk, chief of staff for state Assemblywoman Paula Boland (R-Granada Hills), whose legislative efforts have sparked breakup fever, said: “Strategically, it would be brilliant.”

The sudden emergence of two campaigns--sparked by the state Assembly approval of Boland’s secession bill--reflects a desire among many residents for greater control over public services and more accountability from public servants, say observers.

“They both come out of the same discontent and unhappiness,” said Los Angeles City Councilman Hal Bernson, who represents the northwest portion of the Valley. “If you feel you’re being neglected or being treated like a stepchild, that’s what fuels these movements. It’s a question of people determining for themselves what kind of government they want.”

The Assembly secession bill--written by Boland, who also wrote the district breakup law approved last year--still faces significant legislative hurdles. But school district breakup supporters say the momentum of the secession bill so far has fueled their efforts.

“There are shared opportunities to make it work,” said Bob Scott, a Valley Industry and Commerce Assn. member and school district breakup supporter.

Added USC public administration professor John Kirlin: “You may double the opposition, but you also double the support.”

Advocates of dismantling the school district, whose efforts have been slow to date, say the timing of the secession movement couldn’t be better.

One reason for district breakup supporters to join with the secession campaign would be to attract voters indifferent to city schools, said corporate political consultant Paul Clarke. Only about 30% of the city’s registered voters have children in school, he said.

“The winner would be the school district breakup backers because they would be gaining supporters,” Clark said.

But he warned that the two groups could also become mired in personality and political conflicts, detracting from their goals.

“The school district breakup supporters have a narrower interest than the secession people,’ Clark said. “They see the issue only in terms of their local school.”

But so far, the two efforts share not only the same philosophies but many of the same faces. And by combining homeowner groups with business and parent organizations in the Valley, observers say, an independent Valley movement could attract a formidable base of support.

“They feed off each other,” said Stephanie Carter, a longtime champion of smaller city school districts. “It’s a self-determination issue for all of us.”

Some say the success of the school district breakup legislation last year spawned the secession movement--both employed similar strategies by Boland. Rather than mandate a breakup, Boland’s legislation lowered the number of signatures required to place a breakup plan on the ballot and removed the school board’s veto power over such changes.

Boland’s secession bill, which faces its next test in the state Senate, would similarly remove the City Council’s veto power over efforts by Valley voters to secede. Boland has sought support for her breakup legislation among those reluctant to challenge laws that make it easier for voters to decide.

“The fact that the secession from L.A. is coming up right now is because of the breakup issue,” said Bobbi Farrell, who heads a task force on the breakup for the San Fernando Valley’s Parent Teacher Student Assn. “I think it’s eventual that the Valley and the school district will break.”

Jerry Curry, president of the Valley’s United Chambers of Commerce, also sees powerful incentives for Valley voters to join the two movements. “We will do much better as a separate city and as a separate school district. They’re both major issues . . . and they mean a lot for the Valley. We’ll have better teachers and schools and a better city,” he said.

But not everyone agrees.

Mayor Richard Riordan, who supports breaking up the Los Angeles Unified School District, says that he does not have the same feelings about secession.

“It’s the same animal but a different species,” said Noelia Rodriguez, the mayor’s spokeswoman. “With schools, it’s about accountability. . . . With secession, the Valley’s the economic engine that helps the whole city of L.A. and vice versa. If the Valley leaves, the rest of the city will feel it.”

But district officials argue that creation of a Valley school district would affect all of the LAUSD, the nation’s second largest, by reducing its economic base.

“It’s simple: Larger districts are more efficient,” said Ron Prescott, the school district’s lobbyist in Sacramento. “The economics of breaking up the school district are different than the economics of breaking up the city.”

School district officials say they believe the breakup was a hot issue a few months ago but now momentum appears to have slowed.

“It’s about the biggest dead issue we’ve got,” said Assistant Supt. Gordon Wohlers, the district’s administrator handling breakup issues.

School board President Mark Slavkin, a breakup opponent, said, however, the Valley secession issue may reignite interest. Overall, Slavkin predicted, neither effort will succeed.

“I don’t see any likelihood in the near future on either the school district side or the city side that anything is going to happen,” said Slavkin.

Some dedicated breakup advocates even worry that the secession movement will detract from their work.

Diana Dixon-Davis, a longtime supporter of dismantling the school system, said the two efforts could work against each other.

“Many of the people who support the breakup of the school district also support a breakup of the city,” she said. “We only have so many people who can volunteer. I don’t know if there’ll be enough manpower to do both.”

Still, observers say the combined movements would reduce the duplication of efforts. Signatures, for example, could be gathered on the same petitions, reducing the number of people needed to circulate them.

Even with a joint effort, however, separation from two of the state’s largest institutions will be a massive task.

“Their strength has to be awesome to make this work,” said Fox, of the Jarvis association. “All the outside forces will be against them. They need to be all pulling the same end of the rope. But I think they will.”