[KHTS] – Newhall School District officials are adopting voting districts for their November 2015 elections, officials said Thursday.

The districts have yet to be drawn up, but school officials are headed in that direction after a 4-1 vote in Tuesday’s meeting. Brian Walters was the lone vote against.

The district previously planned to move to cumulative voting and even-year November elections, but district officials said there was concern those moves might have still prompted a lawsuit alleging a California Voting Rights Act violation, officials said.

“We were really looking at the best possible option for adhering to the intent of the law, which is to maximize participation (from the protected classes in the CVRA),” Smith said, referring to the previous plan, “which is the spirit and intent of the law.”

However, after county officials indicated cumulative votes would not be something the Registrar Recorder’s Office could accommodate immediately, district officials decided “trustee area” elections, or districts, would be the best route.

“Trustee areas is the method that has been upheld by all of the court cases, so far,” Smith said.

The board has authorized up to $19,500 to National Demographics Corp. to create options for the district.

The board also discussed outreach that would accompany the meetings to discuss the new boundaries, however, the district has not yet set those dates. The schedule would be posted to the site as soon as they’ve been set.

Newhall officials plan further discussion about the maps and dates for outreach at the next meeting May 6, Smith said.

Public Hearing Scheduled

• Attend a public hearing on Thursday, April 30 (6:30 pm, Newhall School District Office, 25375 Orchard Village Road, Valencia) and/or Monday, May 4 (Newhall Elementary School Cafeteria, 24607 Walnut Street, Newhall
• View prospective trustee area maps at the NSD website starting, April 30. Go to:

http://www.newhallschooldistrict.net/. Comment on the proposed maps can be emailed to: pcordeiro@newhall.k12.ca.us. Alternatively, comment can also be made by telephone (661-291-4000, ext. 4162).