Parents Sue School Over Board Dismissal, Closing Plan

Two dozen parents have sued a highly regarded Studio City parochial school over the dismissal of the school board, the church’s plans to close its middle school and concerns over the control of $600,000 raised mostly by parents.

The dispute apparently has prompted a mass defection from St. Michael and All Angels’ Episcopal School, where officials said that only “a few handfuls” of students had committed to return in the fall.

Of 206 students in kindergarten through eight grade at the campus in Coldwater Canyon, 130 have applied to other private schools, parents and school officials said.

“This school is a jewel in the Valley, and it’s being systematically destroyed,” said Bill Pace, 48, a former school board member whose two daughters attend St. Michael.

The long-building dispute erupted in February, when leaders of St. Michael and All Angels’ Episcopal Church dismissed members of the parent-based school board and announced plans to close the middle school by June 2001.

School spokeswoman Diane Bryant said the elimination of the seventh and eighth grades stemmed from the school’s not having adequate facilities for students.

The suit’s breach of contract contention stems partly from $600,000 accumulated from a tuition surplus and fund-raising efforts. Parents said they want to be certain that the funds will go toward students, and not the church.

Church officials said the changes still allow for parent opinions, and that the money has always been earmarked for the school.