Keppel adopting by-trustee area elections
PEARBLOSSOM — Keppel Union School District has joined a long list of jurisdictions, including at least 275 school districts in the state, having switched or in the process of switching to a by-trustee area election system as a result of the California Voting Rights Act, which prohibits at-large election systems that result in “racially polarized voting.”
Attorney Kevin Shenkman sent a demand letter to the District on behalf of his clients, the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project and its members who live within the District’s boundaries, alleging that Keppel’s atlarge election system is racially polarized and dilutes the minority vote in violation of the California Voting Rights Act.
Racially polarized voting dilutes minority groups’ ability to elect their preferred candidates or influence the outcome of elections, Shenkman wrote.
Attorney Trevin Sims, a partner with the Lozano Smith law firm, did a presentation on the CVRA. Douglas Johnson, president
and founder of National Demographics Corp., followed with a presentation on the District’s demographics.
The law allows Shenkman to collect $30,000 for each demand letter he sends. The letter triggers a “safe harbor period” whereby the agency must transition to a by-trustee area election system or become subject to the plantiff’s lawsuit,
Trustee Theresa McCafferty asked about the $30,000.
“Most public agencies have agreed to transition within that period or may have fought it to some extent but eventually, through settlement, agreed to pay additional fees and still transition,” Sims said.
The state has made things easy for lawyers to collect $30,000, McCafferty said.
Under a by-trustee area election system, only those voters who live within a trustee’s area can vote for a candidate who must also live in that area.
Dividing the District into five trustee areas could result in a lack of candidates for some areas, McCafferty said.
“I’m just angry at the whole thing and I don’t see it being what’s best for Keppel,” McCafferty said, adding it may be appropriate for other districts.
Should that happen, the Board would appoint a member from within that vacant trustee area.
According to demographic data from the 2020 census, Keppel’s total population is 21,854 people. That would mean each of the five trustee areas must contain about 4,371 people, Johnson said.
The majority of the District’s Latino citizen voting age population are in Sun Village with no geographic concentrations of Black or Asian-American of citizen voting-age population, according to Johnson.
The Board held the first pre-map public hearing on the proposed switch, Tuesday evening. The next proposed pre-map public hearing is Dec. 13. At that time, the Board will have three new members if the current election results hold. McCafferty and Trustee Jannie Dutton did not run for reelection.
The first map consideration public hearing is tentatively scheduled, for Jan. 17, with a second map public hearing tentatively scheduled, for Feb. 7. The final map adoption hearing and approval is tentatively scheduled, for March 21.
The final maps approved by the Board will go before the Los Angeles County Committee on School District Organization. The committee must approve the establishment of trustee areas and the adoption of a trustee area election system.
The timeline is beyond the 90-day safe harbor from Shenkman’s Sept. 26 letter. However, Sims said the attorney has agreed to the extension. That would give members of the public time to provide input into the process.
The top three vote-getters out of five candidates in what will be the District’s final election under the at-large system are Andrew Ramirez, Alma Rodriguez and Blanca Nava. Ramirez leads with 1,319 votes, or 25.19%, followed by Rodriguez with 1,197 votes, or 22.86%, according to the most recent results posted by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.
Nava, with 922 votes, is eight votes ahead of Ana Quiles, who is in fourth place with 914 votes. Board Vice President Georgia Halliman is in fifth place with 885 votes.