Changes are coming to OKC school board boundaries. Here's what you should know.

Nuria Martinez-Keel, Oklahoman
·4 min read
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Mark Mann, Paula Lewis and Sean McDaniel are shown in 2021 during the Oklahoma City Public School Board meeting.
Mark Mann, Paula Lewis and Sean McDaniel are shown in 2021 during the Oklahoma City Public School Board meeting.

A 12-year wait is over for redrawn school board boundaries in Oklahoma City Public Schools.

The district Board of Education unanimously approved a new map on Monday that designates which neighborhoods, schools and parts of town that seven of its board members represent.

The changes align with results of the 2020 U.S. Census. They will not affect where any children attend school. It simply adjusts the boundaries of each school board member's represented area, called a "board district" in Oklahoma City, to account for shifts in the local population.

For example, the state Capitol building at 2300 N Lincoln belonged to District 4 in the old map, but the new boundaries move it into District 5. Families living near the Capitol will not have to send their children to a different school, but their school board representative might change.

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New boundaries approved by the Oklahoma City Board of Education for seven board seats align with population shifts found in the 2020 U.S. Census.
New boundaries approved by the Oklahoma City Board of Education for seven board seats align with population shifts found in the 2020 U.S. Census.

Why did the OKC school board seat boundaries have to change?

Redistricting typically occurs on a 10-year cycle with the release of each U.S. Census. That cycle stretched to 12 years this time because the COVID-19 pandemic delayed completion of the census.

State law allows no more than a 10% difference in the population of the most populous board district and the least populous. That means if any OKC school board member's represented area has over 10% more residents than another's, the board seat boundaries have to be redrawn.

The previous Oklahoma City Public Schools board seat boundaries, depicted here, were drawn from the 2010 U.S. Census. These boundaries were changed in light of the 2020 U.S. Census to a new map following a board vote Nov. 14, 2022.
The previous Oklahoma City Public Schools board seat boundaries, depicted here, were drawn from the 2010 U.S. Census. These boundaries were changed in light of the 2020 U.S. Census to a new map following a board vote Nov. 14, 2022.

Oklahoma City's most populous school board district, District 4, had 6,221 or 21.47% more residents than the least populous, District 5, census data found. District 4 covers the central core of Oklahoma City while District 5 reaches across the northeast side and Spencer.

The new boundaries establish an 8% difference, or 2,500 people, between the most populous and least populous areas.

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How does the OKC school board boundaries change affect residents?

Some Oklahoma City residents will have a different school board member representing them if their neighborhood has been reassigned to a different board seat. The new school board position boundaries will not change any attendance zones, meaning no child will have to attend a different school because of the board's redistricting.

Anyone interested in running for a school board position should take note. The new boundaries will be in effect for the 2023 school board elections. Candidate filing for 2023 school board races is only weeks away on Dec. 5-7. The primary election is Feb. 14 and the general election is April 4.

District 6 in southwest Oklahoma City, currently represented by Gloria Torres, is the only Oklahoma City Public Schools board seat up for election next year.

Oklahoma City Board of Education member Gloria Torres is pictured at an April 2021 meeting,
Oklahoma City Board of Education member Gloria Torres is pictured at an April 2021 meeting,

How were the new OKC school board boundaries decided?

Board districts must follow clearly visible, definable and observable boundaries, such as streets, railroad tracks and — when possible — voter precincts. The consulting company Oklahoma City schools hired for the redistricting process, RSP and Associates, and the school district's redistricting committee also considered school attendance zones, high school feeder patterns and natural dividers like the Oklahoma River.

Board districts must be “compact, contiguous and as equal in population as practical," according to state law. No more than a 10% difference is allowed in population between the most populous and least populous board districts.

The redrawn boundaries must include one sitting board member in each board district.

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How will I know if my OKC school board district has changed?

The Oklahoma City district's school locator tool informs residents the schools and board district where their home is assigned. Simply search by address.

School board districts are also included in voter registration information. Registered voters can access that through the Oklahoma State Election Board's Voter Portal.

Does redistricting affect every OKC school board member?

All seven board districts had changes to their boundaries, though some more than others. But, there's one member of the Oklahoma City school board who is exempt from redistricting — the chairperson.

Residents in all parts of the Oklahoma City district elect the board chairperson, currently Paula Lewis. That seat's boundaries encompass all of Oklahoma City Public Schools, not any particular neighborhoods within the school district.

Reporter Nuria Martinez-Keel covers K-12 and higher education throughout the state of Oklahoma. Have a story idea for Nuria? She can be reached at nmartinez-keel@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @NuriaMKeel. Support Nuria’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: What we know about the changing of OKC school board boundaries