Salary advance will be completely paid back over time
After living in Santa Monica for almost a year, the superintendent of schools may finally get his new home.
Last week the Santa Monica- Malibu Unified board of education approved advancing John Deasy $85,785 for a down payment on a Santa Monica home located north of Wilshire Boulevard.
The advancement will be paid back in the form of lower salary increases and bonuses, and it must be paid back in full before Deasy leaves the district.
The school board has been paying Deasy a monthly $1,500 housing stipend since he was hired last July. However, about two months ago the board attempted to loan Deasy $100,000, but the plan was shot down by the Los Angeles County Board of Education. County officials said using the public’s credit rating for personal matters violated the state’s constitution.
But Deasy put a down payment on a home, thinking the loan would be approved. When the loan was denied he was still short some of the money. That’s the reason the amount of the loan and the salary advance are different. could do it,” said Julia Brownley, school board president. “It was the only way we could create it in such a way that it is not a loan but allow John to pay it back over time.”
When the school district was hiring a new superintendent, the school board added a requirement that the new chief administrator live in either Santa Monica or Malibu — the two communities that make up the school district.
“We thought we were negotiating a contract that would afford John the ability to live locally,” Brownley said. “But it turned out not to be the case because housing in Santa Monica is very expensive.”
According to local real estate broker Faith “Judy” Wisansky of Century 21 Better Homes, finding affordable housing in Santa Monica can be difficult.
She said three-bedroom homes north of Montana Avenue will list for more than $1 million. Homes north of Wilshire Boulevard are ranging between $700- $900,000, while homes in Ocean Park and Sunset Park average $500-$700,000, according to Wisansky.
“It seemed like the only way we “I think it’s essential the superintendent live in our community. He is a community leader.” — — JULIA BROWNLEY School board president
Similar homes in the Pico neighborhood average in the low $400,000 range.
“But between Pico (Boulevard) and Olympic (Boulevard) is not considered a prime area,” she said. “We’re in a transition period there.”
Wisansky said some “fixer-uppers” in Sunset Park and Ocean Park can be found in the mid-$400,000 range.
Home buyers have to act quickly because Santa Monica real estate goes fast.
“It’s a sellers market right now,” she said. “You can get multiple offers on property right now.”
And because the city is built out, the costs of homes is not likely to decrease in value, Wisansky said.
“We don’t have that much land left here,” she said. “People don’t preserve the homes they buy, they knock them down and rebuild. There’s not a lot of land left to build new homes.”
Both Deasy and school board members believe it is very important for him to live in the community where he works.
“I think it’s essential the superintendent live in our community,” Brownley said. “He is a community leader. If you watch any superintendent do their job, it goes around the clock.”
Deasy said where he works has always been important to him.
“It’s important to me and my family, and I also want to work in the community where my kids go to school,” he said. “To be settled makes us very happy, this is a very good community.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 1, 2002. Read the original PDF.