RRISD trustees skeptical of switch to single-member districts

The Round Rock school board began the new year by discussing the possibility of switching to single-member districts but expressed hesitancy about such a move.

District staff said a single-member district system could allow for minority communities to have better representation. The board currently has two people of color.

What is a single-member district?

In a single-member district system, trustees are elected based on the area where they live. Currently, Round Rock's Board of Trustees is elected at-large, meaning all district voters have a say on who is elected to each of the seven seats.

If the board moves to a single-member district system, all or some of the seats would be elected based on geographical area.

Trustees see issues with change

During the board meeting on Jan. 18, the trustees said they had concerns about switching to a single-member district system, including representation, student outcomes and increased division on the board.

Board Vice President Tiffanie Harrison, who brought the issue to the board, said she has no strong opinions on the issue but wanted to bring it to the board to have a full discussion. The other six trustees, however, cited potential problems.

Trustee Amy Weir said that before making any kind of decision, she was interested in hosting hearings to understand the public's opinion on the matter. Board Secretary Alicia Markum said she was concerned that about not all learning communities — areas that include each high school and the other schools that feed into it — would fall within district boundaries and the effect that could have on representation on the board.

Trustee Mary Bone said she believes there are more pressing issues the board needs to address before considering single-member districts.

Trustee Chuy Zarate said he is worried that single-member districts might divide the board and could make elections unequitable because of financial differences between candidates. Similarly, President Amber Feller said she was worried the system would fracture the community. She said that before making any decision, she wants to know what residents want.

"With something we cannot go back on, I just don't think its the time to experiment with peoples' lives until we as a community commit to equity for everyone," Zarate said.

Trustee Danielle Weston said she was not convinced that single-member districts would provide benefits to students. She said she has no strong opinion about the decision, but said the discussion should not be had until someone can say how the change will benefit students.

"Its befuddling to me why this is the topic that's taking our time and attention," she said.

Steps to get a single-member system

District staff said if the board moves to the new system, the districts must be drawn to have an equal population and not be drawn based on race.

To adopt the at-large system, the board would have to select criteria to be used for how the districts are drawn. That could range from geographic boundaries and campus feeder patterns. The districts also would need to make sure no current member is removed from office.

The current board members live near McNeil, Round Rock and Cedar Ridge high schools, leaving Stony Point and Westwood high schools unrepresented if the board switches to a single-member district, Feller said.

To make the change, the board would have to send a public notice and hold at least one public hearing. Single-member districts must be adopted no later than the 120th day before the next election, or by July 7 this year, district staff said.

If a petition asking for the adoption of single-member districts receives 15% ― or 15,000 signatures ― of registered voters, the board is required to put the measure on the ballot.

Political divide a possibility, expert says

David DeMatthews, an associate professor of educational leadership and policy at the University of Texas, said that when members are elected at-large, it can create an access barrier as campaigns become more expensive because candidates have more ground to cover.

"The expense of running for (an at-large) school board can certainly limit the pool of people who ultimately decide to run for elections," DeMatthews said. "It does end up filtering to having a disproportionately wealthy middle class, upper middle class, running for school board when it's more expensive."

DeMatthews said while a single-member district system can help to increase diversity, it also can create a political divide or infighting as members can become invested in the interest of only their community and "lose track of the district's vision."

He said that depending on the way the districts are drawn up, districts could have only one person of color on the board who could potentially be blocked by the other members.

"It could be a positive by allowing people in. It could also be disruptive or not work as its intended," DeMatthews said. "What might even work today down the road could also have some drawbacks. So it's a complicated issue."

DeMatthews said changing the way the board is elected will not necessarily make the district more equitable. He said that depends on the superintendent's vision, cohesion within the board and the district's ability to promote equity and inclusiveness.

"I don't think that there's one way of board governance that can solve the issue," he said. "I think it has a lot to do with having quality people on the board and having strong superintendent leadership. It also requires voters who care about equity, care about the future of public schools, educating themselves on who is running and they vote accordingly."

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: RRISD trustees skeptical of switch to single-member districts