Redistricting for Governing Board Election Wards
Phoenix Union High School District (PUHSD) is re-defining the boundaries of its five single-member governing board districts or wards based on community input.
The school district is complying with a 1990 consent decree born out of a court case to review, and if necessary, re-draw the boundaries based on decennial census information in order to keep each ward as “nearly equal” in population, as possible, and in conformance with voting rights requirements. Because of rapid population growth in some areas of the school district, and population loss in other areas, new ward boundaries have to be created. A map of the current governing board wards is below.
The district held five community meetings, one in each ward, January 18-25. Community members can now draw and submit proposed redistricting maps online using the online mapping tool through February 27.
The new wards should be equal in population size, and should not dilute minority voting strength. The population of each ward should be approximately 130,000. However, based on the 2010 Census, Ward 1 in southwest Phoenix and Laveen has grown to 169,642 residents, while Wards 2, 3 and 4 in South and Central Phoenix are all less than 120,000. Ward 5 in West Phoenix is at 134,846, which is close to the ideal size.
Phoenix Union is working with Research Advisory Services, Inc. to manage the redistricting process. To complete the process by the required April 1 deadline, the following timetable has been developed:
•Thurs., March 1, 6:30 p.m. - Research Advisory Services, Inc., with its collected community input, will present 4-5 alternative maps to the Governing Board at its regular monthly meeting.
•Mon., March 5, 6:00 p.m. - Draft maps will be presented to the community at a public meeting for resident input. Input will be considered through March 22.
•Tues., March 27, 6:00 p.m. - At a special Governing Board meeting, the Governing Board will adopt one final map, which will be submitted to the Department of Justice.
All meetings will be held at the PUHSD district office, 4502 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85012
The reapportioned wards will not be in effect until 2014, when the five single-district governing board terms end. The two at-large governing board seats will be determined in the 2012 election.
CURRENT PUHSD GOVERNING BOARD WARDS:
