County schools Superintendent Charles Weis warned local officials this week that if a successor isn't in place when he leaves June 30 for another job, school districts could grind to a halt and more than 11,000 employees might not get paid.

The county superintendent's signature is required on every check paid to an employee of or vendor to school districts throughout Ventura County. Weis steps down at the end of June, however, and has said payroll checks or warrants issued after that date can no longer carry his signature.

Weis said he has the authority to delegate that task only to a properly appointed county superintendent. The superintendent position is an elected office, but the Ventura County Board of Education has the authority and plans to appoint a successor to serve until Weis' term ends in 2010.

Weis told trustees in March that he was a top finalist for the position of Santa Clara County superintendent and announced his resignation in April. Only last week did trustees hire a consultant to help with an outside search for a successor, leaving little time to recruit, interview and appoint someone by July 1.

The board has asked its attorney to check out what can be done to make sure the checks continue going out and school employees keep getting paid after Weis leaves. State officials also have been asked to look at the issue.

There has got to be a way'

"There has got to be a way," said county Trustee Marty Bates. "I can't believe that could occur."

Board President Chris Valenzano said he doesn't think employees and companies need to worry.

"I think Dr. Weis has provided some inaccurate information," Valenzano said. "There has to be a mechanism in place for when a superintendent dies or resigns."

That mechanism, however, seems unclear, other than appointing a new county superintendent to serve until the term runs out.

Bates wants to hold a special board meeting next week to discuss the issue and get the search started. Valenzano, however, said he doesn't plan to call a meeting. The board is scheduled to meet June 11.

It doesn't make sense to move forward with the search without deciding on a timeline, Valenzano said, and that issue is being researched. "The paychecks aren't going to stop just because Dr. Weis leaves," Valenzano said. "It's a ridiculous argument to me."

Chaos feared

Others aren't so sure. "I think it's a big deal," said Rick Miller, superintendent of the Oxnard School District. "I think this whole county could be in pretty big chaos."

His K-8 school district has about 1,500 employees who need to be paid to pay for groceries and rent and other basic needs. Unless someone comes forward with "clear legal authority" who says the checks can go out some other way, "we're all dead in the water," Miller said.

In July 2007, the office paid 3,113 hourly school employees in Ventura County about $2.3 million on the 10th of the month, their usual payday. On July 31, paychecks were issued to 8,500 other employees, for a total of about $24.5 million. Even though many school employees don't work during the summer, they opt to have their paychecks spread throughout the year.

Vendors' bills will start coming due even earlier than July 10, county officials said, and typically total tens of thousands of dollars.

The cycle will repeat itself each month, with payrolls getting much larger once the school year begins.

In an e-mail to county board members this week, Weis said, "We should work together to find an appropriate and legal signatory for these warrants."

If trustees "can't get their job done on time," Weis said Friday, they might have a few other options. For example, they could try to appoint someone who would agree to take the job for only a short time — until the board appoints someone else.

Complications are possible

While the board has the authority to appoint Weis' successor, the only way for that person to leave the office is through a recall election or a voluntary resignation, Weis said.

Adding to the confusion, the process of appointing someone to fill an elected superintendent position is relatively rare. It's not like a school district superintendent, which is not an elected position and has different rules.

Valenzano said he found a county that has gone through such an appointment recently, but in that case, the former superintendent agreed to stay on until the new one could take over.

Appointment is best thing'

Weis said trustees could ask the county Board of Supervisors to make the appointment and call for an earlier election, or try to get a quick court opinion allowing someone else to sign the checks, such as the county auditor.

"The best thing is to appoint a qualified county superintendent," Weis said, adding that he thinks there are sufficient candidates within the county office or in local school districts, which might make a July 1 selection possible.

Trustees said they don't think they are dragging their feet on an appointment.

"I think we're doing everything we can to do it in the right manner," Bates said. "I think Dr. Weis has done an excellent job, and I hope we can find someone as good or better than him. To do that, it takes time."