[1. CALL TO ORDER IN PUBLIC SESSION]
[00:00:15]
TONIGHT'S SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. THE MEETING IS CALLED TO ORDER AT 6 PM. ROLL CALL, PLEASE?
[1.2. PUBLIC COMMENTS - AGENDA ITEMS]
REQUEST. TO ADDRESS THE BOARD. MAY I HAVE CHRISTINA WILLIAMSTO THE PODIUM, PLEASE? >> GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS.
AM ACTUALLY SPEAKING TONIGHT NOT AS A TEACHER BUT AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER OF BELLFLOWER. I HAD A COUPLE QUESTIONS I WAS READING ABOUT THE CHESTY MAPS. I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU ARE MOVING TOWARDS THIS. BUT I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS. WHAT HAPPENS IF NOBODY RUNS FROM ONE OF THE AREAS? HOW DO WE FILL THE SPOTS. DOES IT COME FROM ANOTHER AREA? DO WE HAVE AN EMPTY SEATS? I AM CONCERNED BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE RUNNING FOR OFFICE FOR SCHOOL BOARD. A CONCERN THAT I HAVE IS, WELL, I DO UNDERSTAND WE WANT MORE REPRESENTATION FROM THE COMMUNITY, I FEEL LIKE IT DOES LIMIT OUR CHOICES BECAUSE YOU MIGHT HAVE ONLY ONE PERSON RUNNING FROM ONE OF THE AREAS AND THEY WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE IN WHETHER THEY ARE WELL QUALIFIED FOR THAT POSITION OR NOT. IT DOES CONCERN ME AS FAR AS THEM MAKING DECISIONS. AND MY SECOND CONCERN IS, INSTEAD OF ME HAVING INPUT ON FIVE PEOPLE REPRESENTING THE STUDENTS IN MY COMMUNITY, I ONLY HAVE A SAY IN ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHERE ALL FIVE ARE STILL MAKING DECISIONS. THESE ARE THINGS I'M THINKING ABOUT IT. I'M NOT SURE IF IT IS SOMETHING YOU'VE THOUGHT ABOUT AND SOMETHING YOU WILL SHARE LATER ON? WE FEEL A LITTLE BIT MORE COMFORTABLE. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, CHRISTINA. DO WE HAVE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THE
AGENDA THIS EVENING? >> WE DO NOT.
>> AT THIS TIME, I WANT TO CALL CUSTODIAL SUPERVISOR, KEVIN MAYS, TO LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
>> PLEASE STAND WITH YOUR RIGHT HAND OVER YOUR HEART.
READY AND WE GET IT. TO NOW. >> I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD INDIVISIBLE WITH
LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. >> PLEASE BE SEATED.
[4. PUBLIC HEARING]
>> THANK YOU, KEVIN. IT IS TIME FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING ON AGENDA ITEM 4.1, COMPOSITION OF THE MAPS ON THE BOARD OF EDUCATION BY THE TRUSTEE AREA MAP COMPILATION. WE HAVE A PRESENTATION THIS EVENING RELATED TO THE ITEM BY DR.
JUSTIN LOVETT FROM NBC, SAY TOGETHER.
>> THANK YOU, PRES. CRUTCHFIELD, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND COMMUNITY HERE TONIGHT TO LEARN ABOUT THE TOPIC. I'M WITH NATIONAL DEMOGRAPHICS. A LOT OF WHAT WE SEE TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION WILL BE IDENTICAL TO LAST NIGHT , THAT IS AS REQUIRED BY STATE LAW. SO, IT IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS, OR ANSWER CONCERNS. AND, I CAN ADDRESS COMMUNITY CONCERNS AS PART OF THE PRESENTATION TONIGHT. JUST TO GIVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE DISTRICT IS DOING AND WHY, IT IS GENERALLY THE BIGGEST QUESTION WE START WITH. THE DISTRICT IS LOOKING AT MOVING FROM THE AT-LARGE SYSTEM WHERE WE ELECT ALL MEMBERS OF THE BOARD FROM ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND THEY CAN LIVE ANYWHERE, AND ALL MEMBERS OF THE DISTRICT CAN VOTE FOR ALL MEMBERS OF THE BOARD TO THE BY DISTRICT AND BY TRUSTEE AREA SYSTEM WHERE THE DISTRICT IS BROKEN UP INTO FIVE TRUSTEE AREAS. EACH TRUSTEE AREA HAS ONE WHO MUCH RESIDE IN THE AREA AND ONLY RESIDENTS IN THAT AREA TO SELECT THE TRUSTEE. IF THERE IS A VACANCY, IT HAS TO BE FILLED FROM THAT PARTICULAR TRUSTEE AREA. ONCE THE AREA IS IN PLACE. NOW, VACANCIES WILL BE FILLED. THE SAME WAY A VACANCY WILL BE FILLED NOW WITH THE LIMITATION THAT THE VACANCY MUST BE FILLED BY A RESIDENT OF THAT PARTICULAR TRUSTEE AREA. SO, IT CAN BE A SPECIAL ELECTION AND AN APPOINTMENT TO THE BOARD. BUT THEY HAVE TO RESIDE WITHIN THAT AREA OF THE DISTRICT. SO, THE REASON WHY THE DISTRICT, AND I WILL MENTION IT IS NOT ABOUT ATTENDANCE AREA AND SCHOOL ASSIGNMENTS OR REALLY, THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BOARD
[00:05:01]
TO ALL RESIDENTS OF THE DISTRICT. WHAT IT IS ABOUT IS HOW THEY RE-ELECT MEMBERS TO THE BOARD. THE REASON WHY THE DISTRICT IS LOOKING AT DOING THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE LAW CALLED THE CALIFORNIA VOTING RIGHTS ACT. IT WAS A LAW THAT WAS PASSED BACK IN 2001. THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY WRITTEN TO ENCOURAGE DISTRICT ELECTIONS. AND , ESSENTIALLY, WHAT IT SAYS IS JURISDICTIONS THAT USE OTHER SYSTEMS OTHER THAN DISTRICT ELECTIONS ARE VULNERABLE TO CLAIMS THERE IS RACIALLY POLARIZED VOTING COMPARED TO THE FEDERAL STANDARDS FOR APPROVING RACIALLY POLARIZED VOTING AND STATE STANDARDS ARE MUCH WEAKER AND MUCH LESS STRICT THAN FEDERAL LAW.FEDERAL LAW, YOU HAVE TO GO INTO COURTS WITH EVIDENCE OF STATEMENTS MADE BY PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE. YOU HAVE TO GO WITH HISTORIES OF INTENTION TO DISCRIMINATE. THE RECORD FOR THE CASES ARE EXTENSIVE AND LONG. SIMPLY HAVING THE LARGE ELECTION IS NOT PROOF IN AND OF ITSELF IN FEDERAL LAW. THAT YOU MIGHT BE VIOLATING THE FEDERAL VOTING RIGHTS ACT. THE CALIFORNIA VOTING RIGHTS ACT WAS DELIBERATELY WRITTEN TO MAKE THE STANDARD EASIER TO PROVE. ESSENTIALLY REDUCING ITS WAY MATH FORMULA. TO MEMBERS OF DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES, PARTICULARLY PROTECTED CLASS COMMUNITIES, WHICH THE LAW DEFINES GROUPS THAT HAVE HISTORICALLY FACED DISCRIMINATION AND BARRIERS TO REGISTRATION AND VOTING. DO THEY VOTE DIFFERENTLY? THAN OTHER GROUPS? EVEN TO PROTECTED CLASS COMMUNITIES, DO THEY VOTE DIFFERENTLY IN ELECTIONS? AND THE PLAINTIFFS ARE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BRING A CHALLENGE AND CAN PICK AND CHOOSE WHICH ELECTIONS THEY WANT TO BRING FORTH AS THEIR EVIDENCE. AND ESSENTIALLY, LIABILITY IS ONLY DETERMINED BY THE MATHEMATICALLY CORRECT EQUATION WHETHER PEOPLE VOTE DIFFERENTLY BASED ON RACE, ETHNICITY OR PROTECTED CLASS STATUS. ESSENTIALLY, EVEN IF WE CAN KNOW IT IS OTHER FACTORS, EVEN IF WE KNOW THERE ARE THINGS LIKE PARTISANSHIP , AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE DISTRICT ON AN ISSUE, AS LONG AS YOU CAN MATHEMATICALLY SHOW IT, YOU ARE POTENTIALLY LIABLE. THIS HAS RESULTED IN A MASSIVE CHANGE.
BOTH LAKEWOOD AND BELLFLOWER HAVE SWITCHED FROM AT-LARGE THE STRICT ELECTIONS BECAUSE OF THE CALIFORNIA VOTING RIGHTS ACT. NEIGHBORING SCHOOL DISTRICTS INCLUDING ABC UNIFIED, LOS ALAMITOS, ANAHEIM AND ALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE JUST AMONG THE MANY OF THOSE WHO HAVE SWITCHED FROM AT-LARGE TO DISTRICT IN TRUSTEE AREA ELECTIONS. THIS NOW INCLUDES ABOUT 200 CITIES STATEWIDE. IT INCLUDES OVER 250 SCHOOL DISTRICTS , COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICTS, CERRITOS COLLEGE -- SORRY. NOT CERRITOS OR CYPRUS BECAUSE THEY ALREADY HAD TRUSTEE AREAS IN THE LAW. OTHER DISTRICTS IN THE STATE STILL AT LARGE HAVE ALL SWITCHED NOW. EVERY SINGLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT IS NOW BY THE TRUSTEE AREA. AND, THIS IS REALLY BECAUSE, IF YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT HAND COLUMN, SOME OF THE SETTLEMENT AMOUNTS THAT BASICALLY, DISTRICTS AND CITIES AND OTHER LOCAL AGENCIES ARE ON THE HOOK FOR. MANY OF THE SETTLEMENTS WENT WELL INTO THE SEVEN DIGITS. ANTEDATES, NOT A SINGLE JURISDICTION HAS WON A CASE AGAINST THE CALIFORNIA VOTING RIGHTS ACT.
THE CLOSEST CITY HAS EVER COME AS THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA.
THAT HAS ACTUALLY SPENT OVER 20 MILLION. THEY SPENT OVER 10 MILLION. AND THEY WON ON APPEAL THAT WENT TO THE SUPREME COURT AND THE SUPREME COURT SAID, WE CAN'T TELL WHETHER THE CITY ACTUALLY WON OR LOST. WE NEED THE LOWER COURTS TO MAKE DETERMINATIONS ON WHAT THE THRESHOLD OF DISCRIMINATION SHOULD BE. THE LAWSUIT IS CONTINUING. THE PLAINTIFF HAS ASKED FOR OVER $20 MILLION IN LEGAL FEES. SINCE WE KNOW THE CITY AND PUBLIC INFORMATION AND SALES OVER $10 MILLION ON THE SUIT. THESE ARE BIG AMOUNTS OF MONEY THAT PARTICULARLY, FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, COME RIGHT OUT OF THE CLASSROOM. AND SO, I WOULD SAY, THE CALIFORNIA VOTING RIGHT ACT IS NOT SOMETHING A LOT OF LOCAL JURISDICTIONS HAVE CHOSEN VOLUNTARILY. WE NEED TRUSTEE AREAS TO SOLVE A PROBLEM OR THEY WOULD BENEFIT. THE COMMUNITY. BUT, IT CERTAINLY SEEMS TO BE THE INTENT OF THE LEGISLATURE TO MAKE IT MORE OF A STANDARD IN DEFAULT METHOD THAN THE TRADITIONAL AT-LARGE SYSTEMS THAT WE ARE USING ACROSS THE STATES. THAT IS WHERE I WILL LEAVE IT. I AM HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT
[00:10:01]
THAT MORE IF YOU HAVE ANY. AND I'M HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT WHAT KIND OF IMPACTS YOU LOOK AT WITH TRUSTEE AREAS. THAT IS SOMETHING CURRENTLY BEING STUDIED BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, THE SEA CHANGE. WE HAVE NOT SEEN THE LONGER-TERM IMPACT OF THE CHANGE TO DISTRICT ELECTIONS. A LOT OF WHAT WE KNOW IS BASED ON BIG CITIES. LIKE SAN DIEGO ADOPTING DISTRICT ELECTIONS IN THE 70S AND SAN JOSE IN THE 1980S. WE DON'T HAVE CASES OF SMALLER JURISDICTIONS ADOPTING DISTRICT ELECTIONS. THE CONCERNS I HEARD TONIGHT ARE ECHOED BY SPEAKERS OF HEARD EVERYWHERE IN THE STATE.SOMEBODY AT ROCKLAND ELEMENTARY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT WHERE I WAS AT LAST THURSDAY MADE THE EXACT SAME COMMENT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE IS A VACANCY AND BEGET SOMEBODY COMING IN AND OUT OF THE DISTRICT WHO WANTS TO RUN FOR THE ELECTION.
IT IS A FEAR I HEARD TIME AND TIME AGAIN. I WISH I HAD AN EASY ANSWER FOR YOU ON THAT QUESTION. BUT, I THINK THAT IS A REAL CHALLENGE. POSED BY THE DISTRICT IN TRUSTEE AREA ELECTIONS. NEVERTHELESS, THE STATE HAS ACTUALLY LAID OUT A FORMAL PROCESS FOR MAKING THE TRANSITION UNDER THE CALIFORNIA VOTING RIGHTS ACT. THE PROCESS INVOLVES TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS. TONIGHT IS THE SECOND OF THESE TWO. TO INTRODUCE THE TOPIC TO EDUCATE AND INFORM AND PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT CRITERION AND STANDARDS USED FOR DRAWING DISTRICTS. AT THE TWO HEARINGS, WE DON'T HAVE DRAFT MAPS. NOT ALLOWED AND WERE NOT ALLOWED TO DISCUSS PARTICULAR MAPS. THAT'LL START AT THE NEXT HEARING. NEXT WEEK ON THE 18TH, WE WILL HAVE DRAFT MAPS OUT. PROBABLY AT LEAST THREE OPTIONS SO WE CAN SEE SOME DIFFERENT LAYOUTS AND WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE. FOLLOWING THAT, WE WILL HAVE TO HEARINGS ON THE DRAFT MAPS. THIS IS TO DISCUSS THE ACTUAL MAPS THEMSELVES, MAKE CHANGES AND ADJUSTMENTS AS NEEDED AND ARRIVE AT A FINAL MAP AT THE FIFTH PUBLIC HEARING ON MAY 23. FOLLOWING THE HEARING, THE WHOLE PROCESS AND CHANGE TO THE TRUSTEE AREAS HAS TO BE APPROVED BY THE COUNTY COMMITTEE ON SCHOOL DISTRICT ORGANIZATIONS. THE MEETING TAKES PLACE IN MID-JUNE. THEY DO HOLD A HEARING HERE IN THE DISTRICT. WE WILL HAVE AN EVENING HERE IN THE DISTRICT PROBABLY IN THE BOARDROOM.
PEOPLE WORK ON DISTRICT STAFF ON MAKING COUNTY COMMITTEE AWARE AND GETTING THE DATES AND TIME OF THAT. WE WILL BE SURE TO HAVE A PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ONCE WE HAVE IT. THIS IS ALSO CAN HAVE THE FIRST TWO SEATS UP FOR ELECTION THIS NOVEMBER IN 2024. THE REMAINING THREE SEATS WILL HOLD THE FIRST ELECTION. IN 2026. JUST TO MAKE IT CLEAR, ANY BOARD MEMBERS ELECTED IN 2022 CONTINUE TO SERVE THROUGH 2026 REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THEY LIVE IN AN AREA THAT IS UP FOR ELECTION OR NOT. ESSENTIALLY, THE TRANSITION DOES NOT AFFECT INDIVIDUAL TERMS. THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE EASILY ABOUT ONCE WE HAVE MAPS TO LOOK AT AND A FINAL MAP TO LOOK AT. IT IS KIND OF A ROLLOUT OVER THE NEXT TWO ELECTION CYCLES. IN 2030, ONCE WE GET THE NEW CENSUS DATA, THE DISTRICTS WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE REDISTRICTING. THAT IS BASICALLY AN EVALUATION OF THE CURRENT DISTRICT LINES ADOPTED.
TO MAKE SURE SEE WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE IN THE POPULATION BALANCE. AND WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE TRUSTEE AREA BOUNDARIES. TO GIVE SOME EXAMPLES, MANY LOCAL CITIES WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS AND HAD THE FULL NUMBER OF HEARINGS. AND DID NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES. BECAUSE IF THEY MEET THE CURRENT CRITERIA AS THE CITY OF BELLFLOWER'S CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT DATA, WE CAN READOPT THE SAME BOUNDARIES IF THERE ARE SHIPS IN THE POPULATION. THE LAW REQUIRES US TO LOOK AT IT TO SEE IF WE NEED TO REDRAW THE BOUNDARIES. WHEN I TALK ABOUT THE CRITERIA, I HINTED AT A COUPLE OF THEM.
LET'S TALK MORE EXPLICITLY. I DIVIDED THE CRITERIA IN THE COLUMNS. BASED ON WHERE THEY ORIGINATE. THE LEFT-HAND COLUMN, FEDERAL LAWS. VISA REQUIREMENTS THE SUPREME COURT AND OTHER FEDERAL COURTS REQUIRE ALL JURISDICTIONS THAT USE DISTRICT TRUSTEE AREAS AND ANY KIND OF ZONES. FIRST AND FOREMOST, EQUAL POPULATION. THIS IS THE ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE PRINCIPLE STATING THAT YOU HAVE TO USE THE CENSUS DATA TO MAKE SURE DISTRICTS HAVE MORE OR LESS THE SAME NUMBER OF
[00:15:02]
TOTAL RESIDENTS . IT INCLUDES CHILDREN, PEOPLE NOT REGISTERED TO VOTE. EVERYBODY COUNTED AS PART OF THE CENSUS COUNT. YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET PERFECTLY DOWN TO ZERO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DISTRICTS AND TRUSTEE AREAS. WE ARE ALLOWED UP TO 10% OF THE DEVIATION. OR A DIFFERENCE IN 10% BETWEEN THE LARGEST AND SMALLEST DISTRICTS. SECONDLY, AFTER EQUAL POPULATION, WE HAVE THE FEDERAL VOTING RIGHTS ACT. WE WILL LOOK AT IT WITH SOME OF THE MAPS LATER. BUT WE HAVE TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT THERE ARE CONCENTRATIONS OF PROTECTED CLASS COMMUNITIES. IF SO, ARE THEY SUFFICIENTLY COMPACT? DO THEY HAVE COMMUNITIES WE CAN IDENTIFY TO KEEP TOGETHER IN THE SAME DISTRICT? RACE CANNOT BE THE ONLY FACTOR OR THE PREDOMINANT FACTOR IN THE CREATION OF A TRUSTEE AREA DISTRICT. BUT, IF THERE IS, IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO SEE WHAT IS NOT ONLY FEASIBLE, BUT WHETHER OR NOT THE MAJORITY DISTRICTS OF PROTECTED CLASS COMMUNITIES MAKE SENSE. FOR EXAMPLE, IN BELLFLOWER, WE WILL SEE THE MAJORITY LATINO DISTRICT BECAUSE NO MATTER HOW WE TRY THE LINES, WE WILL GET SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 3 TO 4 MAJORITY LATINO DISTRICTS. SECOND COLUMN, WE HAVE THE FAIR MAPS ACT CRITERIA. THIS IS RANK ORDERED IN TERMS OF PRIORITY. FIRST HERE IS CONTIGUITY. THAT IS REALLY FANCY WAY OF SAYING ALL PARTS OF THE DISTRICT HAVE TO TOUCH EACH OTHER. AND HAVE ONE EXTERIOR BOUNDARY. YOU CANNOT TAKE A LITTLE POCKET AROUND DOWNTOWN BELLFLOWER, THE PORTION IN CERRITO AND A CORNER IN THE SOUTHWEST AND SAY, WHAT IS ONE DISTRICTS? THEY ALL HAVE TO HAVE AND BE PHYSICALLY ADJACENT OR NEXT TO EACH OTHER.BELOW THAT, AVOID DIVISION OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST. WE NEED TO KEEP TOGETHER, SOCIOECONOMIC AND GEOGRAPHIC AREAS THAT NEED TO BE KEPT TOGETHER FOR THE PURPOSE OF THEIR EFFECTIVE AND FAIR REPRESENTATION. WHAT THE COMMUNITIES ARE, IS SOMETHING THAT IS PART OF THE CONVERSATION. WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO AND TRY TO DEFINE SOME OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES WE ARE AIMING TO KEEP TOGETHER THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT. THIRD, AVOIDING DIVISION OF CITIES AND SENSES IN DESIGNATED PLACES. WE HAVE THREE CITIES MAKING UP A PORTION OF THE DISTRICT. MOST DISTRICTS IN THE CITY, 20% OF THE DISTRICT POPULATION IS IN THE CITY OF LAKEWOOD AND 5% IN CERRITO'S. TO THE EXTENT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO KEEP AS MUCH OF LIQUID TOGETHER AS POSSIBLE.
AND WE NEED TO KEEP CERRITOS TOGETHER. IT IS SOMETHING CRITERIA PRIORITIZES. IN THE AREAS WITHIN BELLFLOWER, AS MUCH WITHIN THE CITY OF BELLFLOWER AS POSSIBLE. AND EASILY IDENTIFIABLE BOUNDARIES. THIS IS THE PRINCIPLE WHEN WE HAVE A CHOICE BETWEEN JOGGING THROUGH A NEIGHBORHOOD AND USING A MAJOR STREET AND NATURAL AND MAN-MADE FEATURE THAT SERVES AS A REAL DIVISION LINE. WE NEED TO USE THE BIGGER DIVISION LINES. SOMETIMES THEIR PHYSICAL BOUNDARIES, LIKE ANYTHING FROM A CANAL TO A MAJOR ROAD AND FREEWAY. SOMETIMES THEIR POLITICAL BOUNDARIES. LIKE WITH THE CITY'S INTERSECT. WITH THE DISTRICT. WITHIN THE DISTRICT. AND LASTLY, COMPACTNESS. THE LAW DEFINES COMPACTNESS AS NOT BYPASSING ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE TO GET TO A MORE DISTANT GROUP OF PEOPLE. IT IS AIMED AT HOOKS AND FINGERS AND WEIRD GEOGRAPHY AIMED AT GETTING A PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOOD IN-HOUSE INTO A DISTRICT AND TRUSTEE AREA.
THESE ARE RANK ORDERED. IF IT IS THE NATURAL DIVISION BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY THE CITY BOUNDARY LOOKS AND THE WAY THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS ACTUALLY BUILT OUT AND DESIGNED. THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE TO DO FIRST. BEFORE WE WORRY ABOUT COMPACTNESS. FINALLY, THE FAIR MAPS ACT HAS PROHIBITION.
THE DISTRICTS CANNOT BE JOHN FOR THE PURPOSE OF FURTHERING AND DISCRIMINATING AGAINST A POLITICAL PARTY, AND INCUMBENT OR POTENTIAL POLITICAL CANDIDATE. WHAT IT MEANS IS WE HAVE TO DRAW THE DISTRICT LINE TO THE FACTORS. WE CANNOT CONSIDER THEM AND THEY CANNOT BE A REASON FOR OR AGAINST THE PARTICULAR SELECTION OF A MAP. AND THEN, AT THE BOTTOM, WE HAVE OTHER TRADITIONAL DISTRICTING PRINCIPLES. THIS IS WHAT COURTS RECOGNIZE AS BEING VALID TO CONSIDER. WE CAN CONSIDER THEM AS A FINAL CHOICE BETWEEN TWO. I USE SCHOOL LOCATIONS AS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THIS. IF WE HAVE TO
[00:20:02]
MAPS AND WE THINK WE DO AN EQUALLY GOOD JOB OF EVERYTHING ON THE LIST. BUT ONE OF THEM HAS A MORE EQUITABLE DIVISION OF SCHOOL SITES. THAT CAN BE A VALID REASON TO MAKE IT THE FINAL MAP YOU SELECT. IT IS NOT SOMETHING WE CAN PRIORITIZE OVER SOMETHING LIKE CONTIGUITY OR KEEPING NEIGHBORHOODS TOGETHER. IT CAN BE THE FINAL CHEWED TEST BETWEEN TWO DIFFERENT MAPS WE THINK DO A REALLY GOOD JOB. WHAT IS IT ALL LOOK LIKE? WHEN WE TALK ABOUT NUMBERS? THE CENSUS FOUND 84,200 RESIDENTS , SHOWS SHY OF 84,200 RESIDENTS, WITHIN BELLFLOWER UNIFIED. THAT'S WHAT WE DIVIDE BY FIVE TO GET THE IDEAL POPULATION. IN OTHER WORDS, EACH OF THE TRUSTEE AREAS WILL HAVE A FIFTH OF THE POPULATION. IN ADDITION, WE ALSO HAVE TO DO , AND ARE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE STATISTICS AND RACIAL NUMBERS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT. AND FOR THAT, WE USE THE SECOND BOX, CITIZEN VOTING AGE POPULATION BOX. BECAUSE, THAT IS THE POPULATION OVER 18 WITH U.S. CITIZENSHIP. THAT THE COURTS LOOK AT AS THE ELIGIBLE VOTER NUMBER. EITHER WAY, WE DON'T ACTUALLY SEE HUGE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TOTAL AND CITIZEN VOTING AGE POPULATION IN THE DISTRICT. IN MANY JURISDICTIONS, THE DIFFERENCES ARE MUCH WIDER. THE DISTRICT OVERALL IS ABOUT HALF LATINO. BOTH BY TOTAL POPULATION AND BY ELIGIBLE VOTERS. THERE IS A SMALL DIFFERENCE, MOST LIKELY REFLECTING THE LATINO COMMUNITY TENDS TO BE YOUNGER. IN THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. WE WILL LOOK AT THE NUMBERS IN MORE DETAIL IN THE FOLLOWING SLIDES. I WILL COME BACK TO THOSE NUMBERS LATER. WE DO HAVE OTHER DEMOGRAPHICS AVAILABLE .ON THE INTERACTIVE WEB VIEW ON ONE OF THE TOOLS, WE HAVE MAPS WHERE YOU CAN VIEW A LOT OF THE MEASURES LIKE RENTERS AND OWNERS AND SINGLE AND MULTIFAMILY HOUSING, INCOME EDUCATION AND SO FORTH. AND THESE ARE VERY STANDARD MEASURES WE USE IN ALL THE PROJECTS. IF THERE ARE ONES THAT COME UP THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT SPECIFICALLY, FOR BELLFLOWER UNIFIED, CERTAINLY ADD TO THE LIST AS WELL. WHEN WE DO THE MAPS, EACH MAP WILL HAVE DEMOGRAPHIC SPREADSHEET ATTACHED THAT GIVES A BREAKDOWN OF MANY OF THE MEASURES ACROSS ALL THE DIFFERENT TRUSTEE AREAS. IN EACH MAP. LOOKING AT THE RACIAL DEMOGRAPHIC FOR THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT, WE LOOK AT THE ELIGIBLE VOTER BREAKDOWN BLOCK BY BLOCK. WE USE CENSUS BLOCKS HERE. THEY ARE THE SMALLEST UNIT OF CENSUS GEOGRAPHY THEY CAPTURE NUMBERS AT. WHEN THEY GO HOUSEHOLD BY HOUSEHOLD, THEY DON'T REPORT EACH INDIVIDUAL HOUSEHOLD. BUT WITHIN A LITERAL SQUARE BLOCK AND RECTANGULAR BLOCK IN THE BIN. THESE ARE THE UNITS WE WILL BE BUILDING UP INTO THE TRUSTEE AREAS. THE WAY THE COLORING WORKS, THE AREAS IN YELLOW AND PINK ARE OVER 65 OR 75% LATINO, RESPECTIVELY. AREAS IN THE LIGHTER BLUE AND PURPLE BLUE , THOSE ARE UNDER 35 AND 25% LATINO RESPECTIVELY. WHAT WE CAN SEE IS THAT, LATINOS MAKE UP A MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION IN THE CITY OF BELLFLOWER. PARTICULARLY ON THE WESTERN AND NORTHERN SIDE OF BELLFLOWER. NORTH OF THE 91 FREEWAY. IN PARTICULAR. WE ALSO LOOK AT THIS FOR THE ASIAN AMERICAN AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY. WE DON'T HAVE NEARLY AS MUCH AREA WITH THE MAJORITY ASIAN AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN POPULATION. WE SEE SOME CONCENTRATIONS OF ASIAN AMERICAN IN THE SOUTHEASTERN PORTION OF THE CITY IN CERRITOS AND SOUTHEAST LAKEWOOD. WE SEE THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN POPULATION CONCENTRATIONS AROUND THE FREEWAY , THE 91 FREEWAY. AND SO, THESE ARE AREAS THAT MAY NOT BE AT THE LEVEL OF FEDERAL VOTING RIGHTS CONCERNS. THERE ARE BIG CONCERNS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COMMUNITIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS. THAT BRINGS US INTO DEFINING NEIGHBORHOODS.
THE WAY THAT WE THINK ABOUT DEFINING WHAT A NEIGHBORHOOD IS IS THIS IDEA THAT A NEIGHBORHOOD HAS SOME SORT OF THING THAT IS SHARED AMONG PEOPLE WHO RESIDE CLOSE TO EACH OTHER. I REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE PHYSICAL BOUNDARIES OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS BECAUSE WE ARE DRAWING DISTRICTS ON THE GROUND. AND SO, IF WE CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT SOME FACTORS ARE THAT UNITE PEOPLE TOGETHER, WITH THE SHARED ISSUES AND PROBLEMS AND NEED FOR COMMON REPRESENTATIVES. WE WANT TO DO THAT. YOU KNOW. WE LOOK AT THE DEMOGRAPHIC NUMBERS AND IT CAN CERTAINLY TELL US SOMETHING
[00:25:01]
ABOUT THE POPULATION. BUT IT CANNOT TELL US AND CAN'T BE SUBSTITUTED FOR THE LOCAL KNOWLEDGE. AND THE COMMUNITIES LOCAL KNOWLEDGE OF WHERE DIFFERENCES AND DIVISIONS ARE ON THE GROUND. THESE AREAS IN SCHOOL BOUNDARIES ARE COMMON, ESPECIALLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BOUNDARIES AND DISTRICTS. IT IS CERTAINLY NOT THE ONLY ONE. IN MANY JURISDICTIONS HAVE THEIR OWN UNIQUE COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST WE WANT TO MAKE SURE TO ACCOUNT FOR. JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME HIGHLIGHTS. WE DO HAVE SOME INFORMATION ON THE LINE, YOU CAN VIEW IT ONLINE IN THE INTERACTIVE WEB VIEWER LOOKING AT WHERE WE SEE RENTERS AND OWNERS ON THE LEFT AND CHILDREN AT HOME. AND TO SHOW YOU THE DIFFERENCES. RENTERS ARE VERY MUCH CLUSTERED IN CENTRAL BELLFLOWER AND AS WE GET SOUTH AND OUTSIDE OF CENTRAL BELLFLOWER, THE PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO RENT GO DOWN. WHEN WE LOOK AT CHILDREN AT HOME, IT IS A PATCHWORK. THE AREA WITH THE LOWEST PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN AT HOME IS NEXT TO THE AREAS WITH MOST. THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN AT HOME. THESE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS WE WANT TO LOOK AT. WE HAVE TO DONE INTERPRET THAT AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE DISTRICT. IN ADDITION TO THE REVIEW TOOL I ALREADY MENTIONED, WE HAVE ANOTHER TOOL I WANT TO TALK ABOUT BRIEFLY. FIRST OF ALL, THE ONLINE TOOL IS THE ONE YOU GO TO WHERE YOU CAN VIEW THE DEMOGRAPHIC DATA. THERE IS A BOX ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE LISTING ALL THE LAYERS OF DATA AS WE ADD AND DRAFT MAPS. THEY GO ON THE TOOL AS WELL SO YOU CAN LOOK AT THE MAP LINES OVER THE DEMOGRAPHIC DATA IF YOU CHOOSE TO DO SO. WE ALSO HAVE A DRAWING TOOL THAT ALLOWS YOU TO SORT OF PAINT THE DISTRICTS AS YOU WANT THEM TO. THIS ONE AND SO BASICALLY, YOU SIGN UP FOR AN ACCOUNT. THE TEMPLATE IS LINKED ON THE WEBSITE. AND, WHAT YOU CAN DO IS, YOU CAN LITERALLY GO IN BLOCK BY BLOCK AND PAINT EACH BLOCK WITH THE DISTRICTS YOU WANT TO ASSIGN IT TO IN THE TRUSTEE AREA YOU WANT TO ASSIGN IT TO. ANYTIME YOU FINISH A MAP ON THE PARTICULAR TOOL, SIMPLY COPY THE URL AND EMAIL IT IN AND WE WILL TROT IN YOUR SUBMISSION.IF YOU DRAW PARTIAL MAPS AND SINGLE TRUSTEE AREA AND'S TO TRUSTEE AREA ALL THE WAY UP TO A FORMAT, WE WILL DRAW ANYTHING IN. IT LETS YOU SHARE THE URL SO IF YOU WANT TO COLLABORATE AND WORK WITH OTHER PEOPLE, YOU CAN DO THAT ON THE TOOL AS WELL. I SHOULD ALSO MENTION FOR THE TOOL, WE DO HAVE GUIDES, INCLUDING A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION, STEP-BY-STEP, AS WELL AS TWO VIDEOS. SHORT AND LONG VIDEO THAT'LL WALK YOU THROUGH USING THE TOOL. AND SO, IT BRINGS ME TO THE END OF THE PRESENTATION. TONIGHT, WE ARE FOCUSED ON ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROCESS AND COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST. AND WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO. SO WE CAN GO BACK AND DRAW THE BEST DISTRICTS WE CAN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. TO THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. AT THIS TIME, I DECLARE THE PUBLIC HEARING OPEN. MAYBE MATT DOES ANYBODY FROM THE PUBLIC WANT TO
SPEAK ON THE ITEM? >> KNOW? QUESTIONS FROM THE
BOARD? MISS GAZA? >> THANK YOU, PRES.
CRITCHFIELD. MY QUESTION IS, IS THERE A SPECIFIC NUMBER OF MAPS ONE PERSON FROM THE COMMUNITY CAN SUBMIT?
>> THE ANSWER IS, NO. IF YOU SUBMIT MULTIPLE MAPS, LET US KNOW WHICH MAP YOU ARE INTERESTED IN AND WHICH ONE YOU THINK DOES THE BEST JOB. I HOPE ANY MAP WE GET WILL BE A PRODUCTIVE PART OF THE CONVERSATION. THE MORE YOU EXPLAIN WHY YOU'RE SUBMITTING A MAP AND PUTTING IN THE DETAIL, IT TELLS US ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST AND NEIGHBORHOODS HE REPRESENTS. THE BETTER. WE WILL DRAW IN
ANYTHING WE RECEIVE. >> THANK YOU. DR. SUE
ELHESSEN. >> ON THE JUNE 2024 COUNTY COMMITTEE HEARING, WILL THEY FINALIZE A DECISION OF THAT MAP? IS THERE A WAITING PERIOD WHERE THEY GO BACK TO DELIBERATE? I WAS WONDERING ABOUT THE PROCESS.
>> EVERY COUNTY IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. WHAT THE L.A.
[00:30:05]
COUNTY COMMUNITY TYPICALLY DOES IS THEY HOLD THE MEETING IN THE DISTRICT. BUT THEY DON'T TAKE ANY ACTION AT THAT POINT. NEXT BOARD MEETING, THEY HANDLE ALL THE REQUESTED TRANSITION TO THE TRUSTEE AREAS. AT THE SAME TIME FIRST THING IN THE HEARING. WHERE THEY DO AN APPROVAL. OF THEM.THE COMMITTEE? >> I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY. BUT
I CAN DEFINITELY FIND OUT. >> OKAY, THANK YOU.
>> WE CAN DEFINITELY FIND OUT.
>> THANK YOU, DR. SUE. MS. STEWART'S? I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. I WANT TO DRAW THE MAP.
>> CAN YOU GIVE ME SOME ADVICE. CAN I FOCUS ON THE 16,000 OR 17,000 IN EACH GROUP? CAN YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE AREA IN THE OTHER? HE SAID BELLFLOWER IS 75% AND LIQUID IS 20 AND CERRITOS IS 25. COULD IT BE FEASIBLE TO BREAK THE 25 UP TO TWO AND THE OTHER INTO THREE? IF THE MEMBER DRAWS A
MAP, WHAT IS MY FOCUS? >> ONE OF THE REASONS WE HAVE THE SLIDE TOGETHER THIS WAY IS BECAUSE WE WANT TO WALK THROUGH IT FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END. THE FIRST PRIORITY IS MAKING SURE THAT DISTRICTS HAVE THE SAME NUMBER OF RESIDENTS AND TRUSTEE AREAS. THE NUMBER, 16,840 APPROXIMATELY. THAT IS THE FIRST GOAL. IF WE ARE MORE THAN ABOUT , AND BELOW, SAY, AND WE HAVE TRUSTEE AREAS IN THE RANGE. I'M DOING QUICK MENTAL MATH. 16,000 TO ABOUT 17,000. 17,300, GIVE OR TAKE.
17,000, 400. WE ARE PROBABLY FINE. IF WE HAVE LARGER AND SMALLER, WE WILL RUN INTO THE 10% DEVIATION. ON THE TOOL, YOU CAN SEE THE DEVIATIONS FOR EACH TRUSTEE AREA. THE TOOL HAS A FEATURE YOU CAN VIEW. YOU'LL BE ABLE TO TELL WHETHER OR NOT THAT IS TOO MANY PEOPLE WERE TOO FEW RESIDENTS.
SECONDLY, I DON'T WANT TO OVER EMPHASIZE. BECAUSE IT IS ACTUALLY NOT OKAY IN THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT TO SIMPLY PUT UP THE MAP AND SAY, I WILL DRAW AROUND THE LATINO AREA.
THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT SAYS THAT IS NOT WHAT WE DO. THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT ACTUALLY SAYS, THE NEXT THING TO WORRY ABOUT IS, LET ME GO DOWN TO THE MIDDLE COLUMN. NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST. WE WANT TO SEE, YOU KNOW? THIS IS PROBABLY A PLACE WHERE MOST PEOPLE START. IF WE ARE THE COURSE OF EACH OF THE FIVE TRUSTEE AREAS, WITH NEIGHBORHOOD OR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE THEY GOING TO INCLUDE? AND WORK FROM THERE. WORK FROM THE NEIGHBORHOODS YOU THINK NEED TO BE KEPT TOGETHER. IS THERE A DIVISION LINE THAT REALLY MAKE SENSE TO YOU? AND, WE CAN SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE IT IS.
>> IT IS POSSIBLE THERE COULD BE LIQUID CERRITOS AND BELLFLOWER ALL-IN-ONE. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE BROKEN DOWN
INTO THE CITIES PARTICULARLY? >> IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, TO THE EXTENT WE ARE FOLLOWING THE LAW. THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST IS WHY WE BREAK UP THE CITIES. SO, WE WANT TO JUSTIFY THE AREAS. ESPECIALLY IF WE ARE DIVIDING , YOU KNOW. I KNOW FROM THE NUMBERS. YOU CAN GET ONE DISTRICT AND LIQUID. LAKEWOOD IS ONE DISTRICT. THAT IS ALMOST THE IDEAL POPULATION FOR ONE DISTRICT. THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU WANT THE FINAL LINES TO BE. WE NEED TO JUSTIFY THAT ACCORDING TO NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST. HOW DO THE NEIGHBORHOODS WITHIN LIQUID LINK TO NEIGHBORHOODS ADJACENT TO LIQUID AND BELLFLOWER? AND SO, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY. THIS IS THE NAME OF THE COMMUNITY OF INTEREST. IT COULD BE A SIMPLE AS AN ATTENDANCE AREA AND SCHOOL BOUNDARY. I WANT TO KEEP THE ELEMENTARY AREA TOGETHER. AND SO, THEREFORE, I AM LINKING AND USING, I DON'T KNOW. BELLFLOWER BOULEVARD, BELLFLOWER BLVD., LAKEWOOD BOULEVARD, AS THE DIVIDING LINE. THAT IS MY JUSTIFICATION FOR SEPARATING EAST AND WEST LIQUID. BUT BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE LAW WORKS, WE WANT TO POINT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMMUNITY OF INTEREST IF WE ARE GOING TO BE DIVIDING A CITY FOR A PARTICULAR REASON.
[00:35:03]
>> THANK YOU. I'M THINKING AHEAD BECAUSE I FEEL A TALK WITH THE LAKEWOOD RESIDENTS. TALKING WITH ONE PERSON AS A REP FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY MIGHT NOT BE GREAT FOR THEM IN
THEIR MINDS. >> YES. THIS HAS COME UP A LOT. THIS WAS THE LAW AND THEY TOOK THE LANGUAGE STRAIGHT FROM THE STATES. THE STATE CRITERIA THEY USED FOR CONGRESSIONAL AND STATE LEGISLATIVE REDISTRICTING. YOU MAY THINK THAT, IN CONGRESS AND SACRAMENTO, IT DOESN'T MAKE MUCH SENSE TO DIVIDE THE CITY OF LAKEWOOD IT'S A THREE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS AT ONE POINT IN THE 90S. MAYBE IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. THEY PUT THE LANGUAGE IN THERE AND COPIED AND PASTED IT FOR ALL THE SPECIAL DISTRICTS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS. ESPECIALLY FOR A LOT OF LOCAL JURISDICTIONS THAT MAY NOT MAKE A LOT OF SENSE. I KNOW ONE DISTRICT WHERE YOU HAD TO LITTLE PIECES OF THE CITY THAT CAME IN SEPARATELY ALONG THE SAME AS IF IT. WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO KEEP THEM TOGETHER BECAUSE WE COULD NOT FIND A COMMUNITY OF INTEREST REASON TO SEPARATE THEM. WE ARE LOOKING AT COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST. I EMPHASIZE THAT AT THE CORE OF
THE WHOLE PROCESS. >> I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU.
OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE THE CRITERIA THERE IN ORDER OF PRIORITY. WHEN IT COMES TO THE SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLS OF RESIDENCE TO SUPERIMPOSE THAT UPON ONE OF THESE MAPS WHERE THE BOUNDARIES ARE FOR EACH SCHOOL BECAUSE THAT WILL PROBABLY HELP US AS WELL. WE CAN PUT THE BOUNDARIES ON THE INTERACTIVE REVIEW MAP IF THEY'RE NOT ALREADY.
>> WE CAN SEE THEM AND YOU CAN HAVE THEM. TO WORK WITH THE DISTRICT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THOSE LINES.
>> THANK YOU. >> MISS STEWART?
>> ARE WE ABLE TO GET THE MAP TOOL ON THE WEBSITE? IS THAT
>> THANK YOU. >> HOW MANY MAPS, WITH THE TOOL, DO YOU SEE AS A SUCCESS FROM THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER? WE WANT TO GET AS MANY BOYS AS HARD AS POSSIBLE. HOW MANY OF
YOU ARE EXPECTING THAT? >> THAT IS A HARD QUESTION.
THERE IS NO FIXED NUMBER. WE HAD CASES WHERE WE HAD 15 MAPS AND IT WAS ONE INDIVIDUAL SUBMITTING ALL 15 MAPS. HE DID EVERYTHING THAT HE COULD TO SHOW ALL THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS IN HIS MIND. INCLUDING FOUR MAPS THAT ALL DIFFERED BY SINGLE BLOCK EACH. WE DON'T WANT IT. THAT IS NOT VERY HELPFUL LOOKING AT FOUR MAPS THAT LOOK IDENTICAL ON POWERPOINT SCREEN. BUT THE MAP TOOL IS NOT ONLY USEFUL AS A WAY OF SUBMITTING MAPS BUT A WAY OF EXPLORING WHAT YOU CAN DO. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE EVEN USED THE TOOL AND NOT ENDED UP SUBMITTING A MAP USING IT TO UNDERSTAND THE DECISIONS AND TRADE-OFFS THAT EXIST IN THE MAPS THAT THEY THOUGHT THE THIRD OR FOURTH PUBLIC HEARING. I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW? I CANNOT PUT A FIXED NUMBER ON IT. BUT WE HOPE TO GET MAPS IN. AND WE DO HOPE IF YOU DO, YOU GET THEM AND MAYBE A DAY OR TWO BEFORE THE DEADLINE SO WE HAVE TIME TO DRAW THEM IN AND PROCESS THEM BECAUSE, WE DO HAVE TO ANALYZE THE MAPS BEFORE THEY GO OUT PUBLICLY. TO STANDARDIZE HOW THEY ARE PRESENTED AND ALL THAT. AND TO MAKE SURE ANYTHING WE GOT OFF THE WEB TOOL MEETS THE CRITERIA. TO BE ABLE TO TELL HIM RESIDENCE THIS MAP MAY LOOK GOOD BUT IT DOESN'T MEET THE
CRITERIA IF IT DOESN'T. >> WILL THE BOARD CONSIDER THE MAPS? WE'LL SEE THE MAPS PRESENTED FOR THE COMMUNITY? FOR ESSENTIALLY, THE DEADLINE FOR POSTING MAPS THAT WE DISCUSSED AT THE NEXT HEARING IS APRIL 18. THERE WILL BE ANOTHER DEADLINE OF MAY 2. BEFORE THE HEARING ON MAY 9.
STATE LAW REQUIRES WE HAVE EVERYTHING AVAILABLE FOR AT LEAST A WEEK BEFORE THE HEARING AT WHICH IT IS DISCUSSED.
>> WHERE ARE THE MAPS GONE TO BE SEEN AT THE HEARING? TO THEY WILL BE POSTED ONLINE AND AVAILABLE AT THE DISTRICT
OFFICE. >> POSTED ONLINE WHERE?
>> WHEN DONE, THEY WILL GO DIRECTLY THERE?
>> THEY WILL BE PROVIDED TO US DIRECTLY AND THEN WE WILL POST
THEM. >> I DO HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION REGARDING THE TIMELINE OF ELECTIONS. I UNDERSTAND, WE CANNOT CHANGE OR ALTER ANYBODY'S CURRENT SURFACE OF
[00:40:02]
THE BOARD THROUGH 2026. WHEN IT COMES TO UPCOMING ELECTIONS, AND WHICH DISTRICTS WILL BE UP. HOW WILL THAT WORK? NOW WE GO BY THE TRUSTEES INTO THAT ARE UP. AT ONE POINT DESELECT WHICH AREAS WOULD BE UP FOR ELECTION?>> SO ESSENTIALLY, THE FINAL DETERMINATION IS MADE AT THE COUNTY COMMITTEE HEARING. HOWEVER, EACH MAP WILL BE POSTED WITH THE SEQUENCE OF ELECTIONS. WHICH TRUSTEE AREAS WILL BE UP FOR ELECTION IN WHICH YEAR. BECAUSE WE KNOW THE PROCESS THE COUNTY COMMITTEE USES TO MAKE THAT DETERMINATION. ESSENTIALLY, IF THERE IS A MEMBER IN A PARTICULAR TRUSTEE AREA WHO WILL BE UP FOR ELECTION IN 2026, THE AREA IS ASSIGNED TO 2026. ANY REMAINING SEATS IF THEY HAVE TRUSTEES IN 2024, THE AREA IS ASSIGNED TO 2024.
VACANCIES ARE SIGNED AS APPROPRIATE. GENERALLY SPEAKING, IF THERE ARE TWO MEMBERS THAT ARE ON THE SAME CYCLE. IN AN AREA, THAT LEAVES THE VACANT TRUSTEE AREA SOMEWHERE ELSE THAT'LL BE PUT UP IN THE SAME YEAR AS THOSE
TWO. MEMBERS TERMS WILL OCCUR. >> I BELIEVE I FOLLOW. THE TRUSTEE AREA WAS UP IN 2024, THAT ALSO HAD ANOTHER TRUSTEE IN THE AREA AS WELL. IN TWO YEARS, THE PERSON WOULD NOT RUN FOR THE SEAT? THEY HAVE TO RUN FOR THE FOLLOWING?
>> IF THERE IS ANY 2026 MEMBER IN A PARTICULAR SEATS, THE AREA
WILL BE UP IN 2026. >> RIGHTS. IF IN THE 2024, THEY ARE ALSO IN THE AREA THAT IS UP, IT MEANS THE SEATS
WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE TO THEM. >> THAT'S RIGHTS.
>> IT'LL BE A VACANT SEAT IN THE DISTRICT ASSIGNED TO 2024.
>> THAT IS THE WAY THE EDUCATION CODE SAYS WE DO IT.
WE HAVE TO DO THE BEST EFFORTS NOT TO. IT'LL BE TO IMPAIR VOTERS IF WE COULD ASSIGN RANDOMLY. THEY DON'T ASSIGN RANDOMLY. THEY USE THE PROCESS TO FILL WITH THE COUNTY COMMITTEE SAYS IS TO FILL THE VACANCIES AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. ANY VACANT AND ANY PAIRING OF ANY MEMBERS ON TWO YEARS, THE VACANT SEAT SOMEONE IN THE AREA HAD WILL HAVE TO
BE FILLED FIRST. >> THAT'S INTERESTING. YOU CAN CONSIDER THE TRUSTEE INCUMBENTS. WE HAVE TO DO IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH THE GOAL. IT IS KIND OF TRICKY IT SOUNDS
LIKE. >> THEY DID NOT MODIFY THE EDUCATION CODE LANGUAGE WHEN THEY PASSED THE FAIR MAPS ACT.
I HAVE A JOB LINED. AND I HAVE MAPS WITHOUT ANY EARS ON THEM TO THE ATTORNEY. THE ATTORNEY FIGURES OUT WHAT THE SEQUENCING WILL BE. WHATEVER YOU ADOPT, THE COUNTY COMMITTEE HAS THE FINAL DETERMINATION ON WHAT IT IS. THEY WILL MAKE THE FINAL APPROVAL OF THE SEQUENCE. BASED ON THAT FORMULA.
>> OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? CHRISTINA?
>> OKAY. TO WRITE OVER TO YOU.
>> LISTENING TO THIS, IT SOUNDS LIKE A BIG DEAL. JOHN'S.
AND I WAS WONDERING. ARE WE CONSIDERING INVITING STAKEHOLDERS FROM THE COMMUNITY TO WORK TOGETHER TO COME UP WITH A MAP? I FEEL EVERYBODY HAS THE PERSPECTIVE OF WHERE YOU LIVE. I KNOW ABOUT MY POCKET AND WHERE I LIVE BUT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT OTHER AREAS IN MY DISTRICT. IT MAY BE SOMETHING TO CONSIDER BECAUSE IT IS KIND OF A BIG DEAL. THE RELEASE MAPS ARE ONLY A WEEK AWAY. THAT SEEMS AWFULLY FAST.
WE HAVE HAD INSTANCES WHERE MAYBE WE MOVED A LITTLE TOO QUICKLY ON THINGS. SOMETIMES YOU DO HAVE TO GO SLOW IN ORDER TO GO FAST. I DON'T KNOW THESE ARE DATES WE WOULD CONSIDER MAY BE MOVING BACK. IT JUST SEEMS AWFULLY FULL STEAM AHEAD. EVEN IF I WENT HOME THIS WEEK AND STARTED WORKING ON MAPS. AM I GOING TO BE ABLE TO PUT SOMETHING GOOD IN A WEEK WHEN I AM SEEING THIS INFORMATION NOW LOOKING AT THE DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS. THAT'S A LOT CONSIDER TO GET DONE IN A WEEK AND ALSO STILL HAVE OUR LIVES. THANKS.
>> THANK YOU, CHRISTINA. THAT IS ONE OF THE PURPOSES OF HAVING THE PUBLIC HEARINGS. I DO LIKE THE TOOL, THE
[00:45:05]
COLLABORATIVE TOOL, SHARING AROUND AND WORKING WITH PEOPLE ON THE MAPS AS WELL. THERE WILL BE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO COME IN. I HOPE WE GET A LOT OF VOICES FROM THE COMMUNITY WITH THIS. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC? COMMENTS? ARE YOU SURE? OKAY. AT THIS TIME, IF THERE IS NO OBJECTION, THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 6:40 6 PM.>> MR. PRES., WE HAVE TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
>> THAT'S RIGHT! A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. IF THERE IS NO OBJECTION, THE
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.