MILTON — Following its review of the decennial census, Santa Rosa County District Schools has proposed redrawing school board member voting districts to adjust for increased growth rates in different parts of the county.
To ensure that each of the five districts for the Santa Rosa County School Board members are – as nearly as practicable – equal in population, district staff, in conjunction with the Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners' GIS department, created the newly proposed district lines in accordance with Section 1001.36 of the Florida Statutes.
This proposed redistricting does not affect school attendance zones; no students or schools will be affected. School board member voting districts are based on the county's population as a whole, not of school-aged children. As school board members are elected at large, district changes will not affect the voters' ability to vote for school board candidates.
Redistricting requirements
Changes to school board district lines may only be made in an odd-numbered year. Additionally, districts shall be compact; and, where feasible, utilize existing political and geographical boundaries.
No apportionment plan or individual district shall be drawn with the intent to favor or disfavor a political party or an incumbent. Districts shall not be drawn with the intent or result of denying or abridging the equal opportunity of racial or language minorities to participate in the political process or to diminish their ability to elect representatives of their choice; and, shall consist of contiguous territory.
The agenda item on redrawing district lines, with links to the current districts and the proposed changed areas, is available online at https://bit.ly/3p8MMmn. Hard copies of the maps are available at the Douglas A. Dillon Administrative Center, 6032 Highway 90 in Milton.
Email comments to harrelj@santarosa.k12.fl.us by Dec.1. All communications received are public records.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Deadline approaching for feedback on Santa Rosa County District Schools map