Before toddling off to Dreamland last evening, hopefully, Supt. Dave LaRose was on his knees thanking his good fortune of two years ago for landing in Culver City rather than in the South Bay.
Some school people are saying the common-sense makeup of the present School Board is the strongest in years in Culver City.
Here is why that is important:
You may recall a bizarre case of a few months ago when it was discovered that innocent-looking Jose Fernandez, superintendent of the pint-sized Centinela Valley School District, was being compensated a whopping $663,000 every 12 months.
Two nights ago, the School (Ain’t My Fault) Board, which has final say, of course, over Mr. Fernandez’s pay, fired him. Witnesses said the reasons for axing Mr. F never were clear.
The School (Ain’t My Fault) Board, serving Hawthorne and Lawndale, not garden spots, approves of a $663,000 deal with Mr. Fernandez. However, they mousily feel guilty when word leaks and investigations are launched. Now this morning the School (Ain’t My Fault) Board walks off from this self-ordained mess patting itself on the back simultaneously with both arms.
Who knew there were five Donald Sterlings on the Centinela Valley School (Ain’t My Fault) Board?
His base salary, we were told last February, was $271,000.
But, oh, baby, his ex-pals on the School (Ain’t My Fault) School Board whispered into Mr. F’s ear they would take care of him – until they decided to knife him in the shoulder blades.
A buyout is supposed to cost America’s dumbest school district half a mill.
It has emerged that, counting the district’s payment of $100,000 a year in premium insurance policies, that took Mr. F to $763,000, plus a 9 percent annual raise and allowed him to take a $910,000 low-interest loan, somebody found a new way to rob banks without pulling a gun.