Wichita BOE discusses redistricting
The Wichita Public Schools' Board of Education has started its redistricting process.
Redistricting must be done every 10 years, in line with Census data.
Current figures show the district has grown by 9,500. That figure puts districts one, two and six over the target population of 54,416. District 3, 4 and 5 are below the number. The districts are advised to be within 5 percent of the figure.
BOE President Lynn Rogers said the board should be cognizant to not push board members out of their current communities.
"It would be my desire to move as few people from one category to another," Rogers said. "Again, District 1, 2 and 6 would all be up for re-election or election, for whoever wanted to run. If we move people out of those districts, they could, in essence, be viewed as disenfranchised for a couple of years until their seat came open."
The district current has six board members within districts and one at-large. The board members that fill each seat:
- District 1 - Betty Arnold
- District 2 - Connie Dietz
- District 3 - Barbara Fuller
- District 4 - Jeff Davis
- District 5 - Lanora Nolan
- District 6 - Lynn Rogers
- At-Large - Sheril Logan
Dietz stressed communities.
"I think it is far more important that we keep our communities together, and we don't dramatically change a makeup so that it appears as though we are doing some gerrymandering," she said. "I think our districts need to reflect our communities, and the diversity that we have in our communities."
The districts could be separated into two representatives per district and an at-large. The board intends to have the process complete by the end of September or early October to meet the election commission's guidelines in time to adjust their boundaries.
Dietz also expressed interest in assigning at least one high school to every district, as well as assigning schools to the at-large position.
Nolan stressed that redistricting is not the same as boundary changes, which affected where students went to school.
The district said it will post any redistricting changes on its website and notify the community to receive feedback before a final decision is made.
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