Rivals Fault Board for Disrepair of Schools : Election: Challengers for the 3 Burbank district seats say the panel doesn’t encourage citizen input in solving problems. The lone incumbent blames the state for poor building conditions.

The race for three seats on the Burbank school board has largely focused on whether the board has done all it should have to address the deteriorating physical condition of the district’s schools.

Most of the seven challengers in the Feb. 26 election said the board--including the one incumbent seeking reelection, William S. Abbey--has been derelict in repairing schools and involving residents in solving school problems. They also accused board members of having an arrogant, insulated attitude, saying they do not encourage or solicit input from residents and parents on district issues.

But Abbey and other candidates called the charges nonsense. They said the state, not the board, is the real culprit to blame for the poor conditions of the schools because it has failed to provide mandated state funds to the district. Officials said the state in recent years has not provided funds equal to half of 1% of the district’s general fund.

Abbey added that board members have traditionally sought input from parents and residents over district issues.

One candidate who is among the most critical of the board is S. Michael Stavropoulos, a neurosurgeon who has clashed with the board numerous times during the last two years and waged a bitter legal battle on whether his teen-age son was eligible to attend Burbank schools. The board ruled two years ago that Stavropoulos and his son lived outside the district.

Some political observers and other candidates believe that Stavropoulos, who ran unsuccessfully for the board two years ago, may have gained enough support in the community during recent months to be a serious contender.

Stavropoulos has been getting even more attention in this election with his sponsorship of Measure C, one of three development-related measures on the Feb. 26 ballot. Measure C would restrict the sale or lease of school property and parks to private developers. The school board, Burbank City Council and most of the school board candidates have already voiced vehement opposition to the measure.

The Burbank Teachers Assn. alluded to Stavropoulos when it came out with its endorsements for the school board, even though the group did not mention him by name. In its 60-year history, the organization had never before endorsed candidates in a Burbank school board race.

“We felt it was very critical for us to take a stand because of the people running,” said Bonnie Shatun, political action chairman of the teacher group. “Many of them have no understanding of what’s been happening in the district, and have had no prior commitment or involvement. And there is one candidate who seems to be running for his own personal reasons.”

However, Stavropoulos insisted in an interview that his candidacy had nothing to do with a personal agenda. “This isn’t personal at all,” he said. “The issue is not me. It’s whether those five people are doing a good job, and whether they are better than they were two years ago. We’ve gotten the best they can give us, and it’s no good.”

Other candidates running for the board include:

* Elena Hubbell, a real estate agent and past president of the Burbank PTA council.

* Joe Hooven, who owns a drapery business and is a member of the Burbank Board of Parks and Recreation.

* Bob Dunivant, a real estate agent who retired last year from John Burroughs Senior High School, where he coached football for 25 years.

* Lee Paysinger, a retired waitress and chairwoman of the Burbank Library Board.

* Edgar Deeter, a retired purchasing agent for a paint company.

* Ronald B. Cwik, a cardiopulmonary technician.

The candidates do not run for specific seats. Candidates need at least 50% plus one vote to be elected. An April runoff will be held for any seats for which there is no winner.

School board incumbents Tomme Lenz and Charles Goldwasser, who have each served one term, said they decided not to seek reelection for family reasons.

The Burbank Teachers Assn. has endorsed Abbey and Hubbell, saying they have had the most experience and involvement with the schools in the past. The Burbank Board of Realtors has endorsed Hubbell, Dunivant and Hooven.

Only Abbey, Hooven, Hubbell and Paysinger have held elective office or served on board-appointed committees or City Council-appointed boards.

In forums and appearances around town, candidates have discussed the poor physical condition of the schools. Although none of the district’s 11 elementary schools, three middle schools and three senior high schools have major structural damage, officials say the schools overall are not in good shape.

More than $110 million is needed to bring the schools back into adequate condition, said Richard Tighe, assistant superintendent of business services. Burbank Senior High School is in the worst shape, and the board is considering rebuilding it, which would cost an estimated $51 million.

Abbey said the problem with the schools is a lack of state funding and not neglect by the board. He said the board was taking a “cautious approach” by putting together a bond measure that would help finance the rebuilding of Burbank Senior High and the repair of other school facilities.

“There are some very important and complex issues facing the district, and it will require someone with good training and good experience to deal with them,” he said. “It’s important to have that clear thinking.”

Abbey said that during his tenure, he had helped improve the board’s relations with school employee groups and the City Council, as well as helped engineer the school’s recent reconfiguration plan that established four-year high schools and scaled back elementary schools to kindergarten through fifth grade.

Hubbell said she believed that the board had done a good job and was not to blame for the physical condition of the schools. She said her past experience with the PTA council and several school-related organizations would be valuable in dealing with district issues.

Hooven, Paysinger, Stavropoulos, Deeter and Dunivant all said the board had not been aggressive enough in repairing the schools. They said they would bring a new perspective and new energy to the board.

A few candidates also said the board was unresponsive to parents or residents seeking information.

“They have a closed-door policy,” Paysinger said. “I try to question them, but they won’t talk about anything.”

Hooven said the board had not developed an overall plan for dealing with the future of the schools. He said he would bring valuable business sense and direction to the board. He would also like to strengthen sports programs and establish classes for improving reading scores.

Paysinger said she would establish more open communication between the board and the community, and would push for televising board meetings and distributing a regular newsletter. She also would like to decrease crowding in elementary schools.

Deeter said he would push to unify Burbank and Burroughs high schools in one facility, and would make repairing other schools a major priority. He said security at schools should also be strengthened.

Dunivant said he would also push for the unification of Burbank and Burroughs highs, and would work to establish a vocational and occupational training center in the district.

Cwik said he believed that his experience on several health-related boards and governing bodies would be valuable on the school board. He said he wanted to be involved because of his objectivity and to have some input into the school system his children would be attending. The repair and maintenance of schools would be among his priorities, he said.

BURBANK SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES William Abbey,

46, a deputy state attorney general, has been a member of the school board since 1984. He has lived in Burbank for 22 years with his wife and two daughters, 13 and 15, who both attend public schools.

Lee Paysinger,

55, chairwoman of the Burbank Library Board, is a retired waitress. She has resided in Burbank for 48 years. She has one adult daughter and four adult stepchildren.

S. Michael Stavropoulos,

55, a neurosurgeon, has resided in Burbank for two years. He has a 17-year-old son who attends school outside the Burbank district.

Joe Hooven,

47, owns a drapery business in Los Angeles. He has resided in Burbank for nine years with his wife and two daughters, 8 and 10, who both attend public schools.

Edgar Deeter,

65, is a retired purchasing agent for a paint company. He has lived in Burbank for 30 years. He has one adult daughter.

Bob Dunivant, 65, is a retired Burbank schoolteacher who coached the Burroughs High School football team for 25 years. He has lived in Burbank for 32 years. He has five adult children and a 7-month-old child.

Ronald B. Cwik,

36, is a cardiopulmonary technician. He has lived in Burbank for six years with his wife and three children. A 6-year-old daughter attends Roosevelt Elementary School.

Elena Hubbell,

47, is a real estate agent and former PTA council president who has lived in Burbank for 43 years. She has two grown sons.