Leece looked over again; Brooks to assume president post

Danette Goulet

NEWPORT-MESA -- For the fourth year in a row, conservative trustee

Wendy Leece was passed over by her colleagues for a leadership position

on the school board when they unanimously elected David Brooks as the

president Tuesday night.

The school board chose Judy Franco for the vice president position and

Martha Fluor for the job of clerk -- both also receiving unanimous

approval.

Leece, who has served on the school board for eight years, is the only

trustee who has never been selected to serve as president or vice

president. She only served half a term as clerk in 1997, when then-school

board member Ed Decker resigned to apply for the superintendent position.

Leece cites her strong views, which differ vastly from those of her

peers, as the reason for their refusal to elect her to a leadership

position.

“I guess I feel I represent the community. Those who voted for me

agree with my ideas,” she said. “A lot of my ideas are areas we see

change in -- phonics, English, science. I can’t change the way I am, and

I can’t change my way of thinking.”

As she has each year in the past, Leece said she will continue to

serve to the best of her ability and give of her time. But this year,

Leece drafted a letter to fellow board members, she said, addressing the

issue.

“How would my ideas keep me from being a good president?” she asked.

“I don’t think they would.”

Although Leece was nominated for the clerk position last year,

longtime school board member Franco, who has served multiple times in

nearly every leadership capacity during her tenure, was elected.

Fellow school board members said they went with Franco last year

because she had expressed an interest sooner, while Leece threw her hat

into the ring at the last minute.

Two years ago, Leece was in line to be named vice president of the

board, but her colleagues broke the traditional rule of succession and

instead chose Dana Black for the post.

At the time, school board members said they were concerned about

Leece’s conservative views on issues ranging from the creationism versus

evolution debate to her anti-tax stance, which some feared could derail

the Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s attempt to pass a bond to

repair crumbling facilities.

Those views continue to set her apart from other trustees, creating a

rift and keeping her from acting in leadership roles on the school board.

“I think you have to have a trust factor within the board for those

who hold a title, which means you have the support of the board,” Franco

said.

Brooks, who nominated Leece for the clerk position last year, did not

nominate her for president this year because, he said, he felt the motion

would fail.

As the new president, Brooks said his two top priorities will be

increasing parental involvement and continued implementation of the

$163-million school bond.