Editorials

EMERYVILLE — The beleaguered Emery Unified School District has accepted the resignation of Superintendent J.L. Handy after alleging that he charged $68,000 in “questionable” expenses to official accounts. 

At a Monday night meeting, the board accepted Handy’s resignation by voice vote.  

It then approved the appointment of Laura Alvarenga as an interim superintendent. 

Alvarenga has worked as a high-level administrator at the Alameda County Office of Education, which took partial control of the financially distressed district as a condition of a $650,000 loan this summer. 

A district review of Handy’s reimbursements and credit card statements revealed $68,000 of the $132,000 he claimed either didn’t have receipts or were for items including personal meals, cellular phone calls as well as pet supplies and “numerous car washes.” 

The investigation dated to Handy’s 1993 arrival in Emeryville.  

He was fired as superintendent of Compton schools after similar charges of funds mismanagement arose in 1992.