School founders are forced out
Changes at the top for Las Virgenes alternative school
By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com

The Las Virgenes Community Learning Center, the district's newest alternative elementary school, will continue to remain open but without the oversight of Brenda and Itamar Harari, the husband-and-wife team whose philosophy shaped the program.

The Las Virgenes Unified School District opened the school last year on the campus of A. E. Wright Middle School in Calabasas under a one-year contract with the Hararis. Superintendent Donald Zimring announced at a Feb. 12 school board meeting that the Hararis would not be given an extension. They were seeking two more years at the school's helm.

Jeff Lough, the school's assistant director, will take charge.

Zimring said the decision to continue the program without the Hataris' leadership was based on the need to trim costs.

Citing a fiscal emergency, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has threatened to slash public school budgets throughout the state. Zimring said the Las Virgenes district stands to lose $6.8 million next year.

School board member Terilyn Finders said, "We have to find a way to take our already Spartan dollars that are compromised further and spread them as efficiently as possible over every child in this district."

Many parents objected to the board's decision to release the Hararis, and Zimring said it was against school district policy for parents to raise money to keep the couple on board.

Brenda Harari credited parents for the school's success. She said parents raised $65,000 for staff training and volunteered more than 5,000 hours to the school.

"What has been accomplished in this district in only five months is truly astounding," Harari said.

Itamar Harari said the program had become "stable and effective" but that it needed three years to be fully implemented.

"A change in leadership will create turmoil," Harari said.

Betty Avia said her daughter and others have benefited by attending the school.

"Seeing kids develop has been such a great pleasure," Avia said.

Debbie Miller, whose child is an out-of-district transfer student, said her child wouldn't talk much prior to attending the school.

"He's made a remarkable change," Miller said. The forward-thinking school gave her son the tools to open up and "talk through his feelings."

Other parents offered their support as well.

Kristen Martin's third-grade child is advanced academically. She said her son's abilities were "praised and nurtured."

"He feels appreciated, happy and safe," Martin said.

"These kinds of programs let my child fly," parent Emily Wells said.

Another parent said the school was like "the little jewel in the crown," and urged the school district to cut costs in other areas.

Cindy Iser, school board president, said the Community Learning Center was never envisioned as just a one-year program but that the $435,000 price tag to run a school for 100 children is too high.

"We're trying to do the right thing for all children," Iser said.

Board member Gordon Whitehead said the cost to educate one child at the school was $10,000 versus $7,000 at other schools.

"We have to use the resources as wisely as we can because they are limited," Whitehead said.

According to Finders, the school district is looking to streamline as many programs as possible. School sites are currently examining what they can and cannot live without, she said.

Zimring assured parents the program would continue and would be overseen by existing staff.