LOS ANGELES _ Steve Zimmer is about to lose his seat on the Los Angeles school board, but he pulled off an 11th-hour political triumph by engineering a contract extension for Superintendent Michelle King.
The move means that the new school board, the first with a majority supported by charter school backers, will inherit a longer commitment to King, whose performance as superintendent has received mixed reviews.
The new charter-friendly majority came after the most expensive school board election in U.S. history. Charter supporters saw the election as a way to make fundamental changes in the Los Angeles Unified School District, which already has more charters than any other district.
But a debate has long raged about whether the explosive growth of charter schools does long-term harm to the traditional school system and students who remain in it.
Critics say the decision on future leadership of L.A. Unified should have been left to the newly reconstituted board, which takes charge in July. Supporters of the action call it a reward for a job well done that will ensure needed stability in the nation's second-largest school system.
The board's action, by a 6-1 vote, extends King's contract two years, until the end of June 2020.
King's extension comes after a bitter campaign face-off with backers of charter schools on one side and allies of the teachers union on the other.
When the mudslinging and vote-counting ended, charter-friendly political newcomers Nick Melvoin and Kelly Gonez were victors.
But before they could take office, the current board majority, which has concerns about unlimited charter growth, had one or two last chances to get things done. The most daring move Tuesday was King's contract extension.
The internal debate took place in a closed session that began at 9 a.m. and ran until nearly 3 p.m., delaying the start of the regular public meeting by two hours. King's future was far from the only topic _ the board also discussed hires and lawsuits. Board members eventually emerged in public, but they withheld the announcement about King until 11 p.m., after the regular meeting ended.
King expressed gratitude for the board's action in a statement Tuesday but left the board meeting without taking questions from reporters.
The prolonged sessions dampened what was supposed to be an important public hearing on the $7.5 billion budget, which is scheduled for a vote next week. Even though the district faces critical questions over its solvency, the board never truly uncorked that topic. And most public speakers had given up and gone home by 10:30 p.m., when the board belatedly asked for input, hours after the scheduled time.
To some degree, King's extension is symbolic. Her contract guarantees only a 90-day severance. It also sets a maximum severance of one year of pay or the remainder of her contract, whichever is less. King's salary is $350,000 per year.
But the deal was fully intended to bind the new board to King, according to a district insider who was not authorized to speak on the record.
"When you know you will not have control, you stop others from making their moves quickly," the source said. "We know what we have. What will we get if they do a buyout and bring in their own person?"
The board still could make such a change, the source said, "but the argument has to be stronger."
"Yesterday's vote was clearly a power play by the outgoing board, led by Steve Zimmer, to tie the hands of new board members mere days before they take office," the California Charter Schools Association said. The association, while it did not criticize King, said the board's action underscored the need for new leadership.
Charters are privately operated public schools. Most are nonunion. Under California law, the school district is required to authorize charter schools. But charter growth has exacerbated district financial strains because most education funding follows the student.
