Superintendent's Arrest Tinges Board Race

Several Candidates for the Nine-Person Panel Say Replacing Perry Is a Priority

It's been two years since Alexandria School Superintendent Rebecca L. Perry was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, but the controversy has not died.

Even after Perry's apology and the renewal of her contract last year, the issue is simmering, most recently as a central issue in next month's School Board election.

"It's one of the reasons why I decided to run for School Board," Peter H. Smeallie III said last week at a forum for candidates seeking to represent the city's central section. Citing a lack of transparency and communication in the current administration, he said a new superintendent would bring "a fresh start, all the way around."

Some believe that the board's handling of Perry's arrest and subsequent recriminations are why so many members -- eight of nine -- have decided to step down. That opens the field for a whole new board, one likely to be less sympathetic to the superintendent, the only employee the board hires. Several of the 14 candidates running in the May 2 election have, like Smeallie, called a search for a new superintendent a top priority.

Schools have long been a hot topic in tightknit Alexandria. Its only high school, T.C. Williams, was made famous by a film about its efforts to integrate, and the system's student population of about 10,000 is one of the region's most diverse. Among parents, board races attract a lot of interest.

At Monday's forum, candidates Claire M. Eberwein and Yvonne A. Folkerts echoed Smeallie's sentiments, and Arthur E. Peabody Jr. said he thought that Perry should have resigned after her arrest. "That's just the honorable thing to do," he said, adding that the board's decision to keep Perry has made it harder for him to explain the ramifications of drinking and driving to his teenager.

Smeallie criticized the board for "turning inward" when it made its decision. At that point, he said, "communication between the School Board and the community began to fail."

For board races, Alexandria is divided into three sections, each represented by three board members. Candidates in each of the sections have criticized the board's decision. Peter F. Atherton, running in western Alexandria, has said the contract should not have been renewed. Blanche D. Maness, also from western Alexandria, has said the board did not give out enough information about its decision, and Sanford D. Horn, running in the eastern part, has said he would like to investigate whether Perry's actions violated her contract.

Many candidates said the superintendent issue has come up as they canvassed the city for votes.

"I'm being lobbied on both sides, by people who tell me she is a gifted administrator and others who say, 'Show her the door,' " said Elynn B. Simons, from central Alexandria, adding that she wanted to talk to Perry before forming an opinion. "If she is a gifted administrator, what is her plan for restoring the confidence of the community? And if not -- hello, search committee."

Peabody said most voters he has talked to have been "quite negative" about the renewal. Some candidates have brought up the possibility of buying out the remainder of Perry's contract, which ends in 2008. That would cost Alexandria about $400,000.

But Scott A. Newsham, running on the city's east side, said that among the hundreds of people he has canvassed, no one has brought up the issue. And Eileen Cassidy Rivera, running in the same district, said she was "not running to remove the superintendent," adding, "I do believe that the previous School Board, with the superintendent's guidance and assistance, has accomplished quite a bit."