Background
On September 14, 2023, the Board of Trustees approved a resolution to begin the process of transitioning to “by-trustee area” elections. This change is being made in furtherance of the purposes of the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA).
LUSD Board members are currently elected in “at-large” elections where each member is elected by voters throughout the District. The CVRA disfavors this method and provides safe harbor to districts that shift to “by-trustee area” elections. Under the “by-trustee area” system, board members are elected by voters in geographical subdivisions of the District. Many local districts and agencies, such as Grossmont Union High School District, Ramona Unified School District, Lakeside Water District, and City of Santee, have transitioned to “by-trustee area” elections.
Process
Over the course of several months, the LUSD Board and administration will engage with the community in a process that will establish five new election areas within the District. The process includes five required School board meetings. Two of these meetings are “pre-map” meetings where the criteria and process are discussed prior to draft maps being created. Next, the demographer for the District will develop different map options that will be published here. Then the Board will hold three additional meetings to discuss the proposed options and voting area scenarios. At the end of the fifth public hearing/board meeting, the Board will vote to approve a “by-trustee area” map. The new map will be in place for the November 2024 election if final approval is given by the County Board of Education’s Committee on School District Organization.
Provide Your Input
At each of these Board meetings, members of the community are invited to provide input and feedback on the process and the proposed maps. Community members also are encouraged to provide input by emailing input@lsusd.net. Use the button below to view our CVRA Community Input Form!
Based on applicable California law, the criteria for creating the trustee-area maps includes the following in order of priority:
- Geographically Contiguous
- Respecting Local Neighborhoods/ Communities of Interest
- City/Census Designated Places
- Bounded by Natural/Artificial Boundaries
- Geographical Compactness
Below is an anticipated schedule of events:
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| September 14, 2023 | Board adopts resolution to initiate transition to By-Trustee Area elections |
| December 4, 2023 | Special Board Meeting: Second Pre-Map Public Hearing and Presentation |
| January 18, 2024 | Board Meeting: First Public Hearing on Voting Area Scenarios |
| February 15, 2024 | Board Meeting: Second Public Hearing on Voting Area Scenarios |
| February 29, 2024 | Special Board Meeting: Final Public Hearing on Voting Area Scenarios Board Selection of Voting Area Map Board Consideration of Change in Election Method |
| March TBD 2024 | County Committee on School District Organization Holds a PublicHearing and Considers Trustee Area Map. Cooperative Strategies sends Final Voting Area Map to the County of Registrar of Voters |
| November 8, 2024 | First Election Held Utilizing Voting Areas |
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