Mayor Doesn’t Commit to 2 Terms

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Friday that taking over the schools is an issue that “burns in my soul,” but he would not promise to serve two full terms in office to oversee the task ahead.

If reelected in 2009, Villaraigosa is eligible to remain in office until July 2013. At a City Hall news conference Friday, he would say only that he was committed to the school takeover effort for the “long term” without defining “long term.”

“I’ve said long term is as long term as it will take to make it happen,” the mayor said.

He also continued to ratchet up his language about the state of the Los Angeles Unified School District. “There’s an apathy, and a complacency and a lack of success, within the schoolhouse,” he said.

But Villaraigosa might be in a race against time with his own high ambitions.

He said this week that he wants to gain control of the school district within two years. And he said he likes his chances of winning that battle, citing a new poll commissioned by his office that, he said, gives him an 82% approval rating.

The mayor’s comments did not sit well with members of the school board.

“It’s a politically powerful conversation that resonates in polls and has absolutely nothing to do with the kids in L.A.,” school district board President Marlene Canter said.

“I welcome the [mayor’s] input, his influence and suggestions. I just don’t know if there’s anything here but issues of command and control,” board member David Tokofsky said.

On Friday, Villaraigosa acknowledged that, even if he is successful, he may not get what he really wants -- the ability to appoint a school board -- until later.

By declining to say he would serve two terms as mayor, Villaraigosa left open the possibility that he would run for governor in 2010 when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger would leave office if he were to win a second term in November and serve until then.

Villaraigosa said Friday that winning control of the school district within two years is an ambitious goal that may not be completely reachable. He even said that, even if he wins, he might be willing to allow mayoral control to be retired if it is eventually found not to be working.

Of the many issues involved, one of the thorniest is the fate of the current school board if Villaraigosa wins.

“If ... the people of the city vote for the mayor to take over the schools, would that automatically remove the school board member, and the answer is probably not,” he said. “These are very complicated issues.”

Board members are not constrained by term limits. Four of them -- Mike Lansing, Marguerite Poindexter LaMotte, Jon Lauritzen and Tokofsky -- are serving terms that expire in 2007.

Two others -- Julie Korenstein and Canter -- have terms that run until mid-2009. Whoever is elected to fill the vacant 2nd District seat also will fill a term that runs until mid-2009.

Asked about his commitment to the school takeover, Villaraigosa said: “This issue burns in my soul.... I believe we have kids in our school district that we are losing right now who are dropping out, kids who are not making it on to college that should and could.”