The Fresno Unified School District had no other option than to adopt a plan that changes the current trustee voting system from districtwide balloting to a system in which trustees are elected only by voters of the areas they are running from. The current system violates state and federal laws.
Civil rights activists had threatened to sue the district because of its at-large voting system. Trustees run from specific areas in Fresno Unified, but all voters in the district can vote for them. Critics say that lessens the chances for minority candidates to win.
Under the plan approved unanimously by the trustees, candidates not only must reside in a specific area, but only voters of that area can vote for them. The new system will take effect in time for next year's trustee elections.
We support the change because we believe that trustees can better represent their constituents in district elections. But we also are concerned that the new system could lead to trustees only representing their areas and not the district as a whole.
Trustee Michelle Asadoorian made that point while supporting the change: "There could be a tendency for trustees to become very territorial rather than thinking about all the kids," she said.
Trustee Carol Mills, who had been pushing for the change, told the school board that the district should make the switch as "expeditiously as possible." Superintendent Michael Hanson praised the board's move: "The board has taken swift action to make sure we will be in compliance for the 2010 election."
Lawyers who considered suing the district over its elections system also agreed with the latest action. "We celebrate and applaud the school district for doing the right thing," said Catherine Lhamon of Public Counsel, a public interest law firm based in Southern California.
It's always better to make these changes through the political process, rather than have a court order force the district to make a change through a costly legal process.
A few rules are needed to help foster a feeling of community. We encourage a free and open exchange of ideas in a climate of mutual respect, but any post that violates someone's right to use and enjoy fresnobee.com is prohibited. Before you post, please read the terms of use and obey these simple guidelines.
Here are the ground rules:
Contents of this site are © Copyright The Fresno Bee. All rights reserved.
E-Mail
Print
@Nyx.CommentBody@