The Schools You Save May Be Your Own
The 2022 redistricting of the EBR School Board is one of the most critical in its history.
Please note: This is an abbreviated version of the post entitled, “A Good Law is Hard to Find.” An earlier version was previously published on The Bayou Progressive, a non-profit, non-partisan news organization serving the Greater Baton Rouge area. You can find the original post here: https://bayouprogressive.com/2022/02/the-schools-you-save-may-be-your-own/
THE SCHOOLS YOU SAVE MAY BE YOUR OWN
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board is currently undergoing redistricting, the mandated process by which political bodies redraw their boundaries to adjust for changes in population size and distribution. Redistricting occurs at least every ten years in conjunction with the decennial census. The final maps adopted have a profound impact on how communities are represented, which in turn affects policy and distribution of resources.
This year’s redistricting of the EBR School Board may be one of the most critical in its history. The total population within the school system boundaries is 387,169.[1] The school board is currently composed of 9 single-member districts. In order to ensure that each person’s vote carries about the same weight, the districts must contain approximately the same population. With 9 single-member districts, the ideal district size is 43,019, a size far larger than a typical school board district in Louisiana. Each district must be within 5% of the ideal, but the 2020 Census data indicate that several of the districts are wildly outside the acceptable range. That malapportionment alone indicates the need for a significant revision of the current map.
In addition, the current districts do not accurately reflect the overall demographics of the school district’s population. According to the census data provided by the school board’s demographer, the total population is 47.5% Black and only 40.9% white. While neither racial group constitutes a majority, those numbers indicate there should be more majority-Black districts than majority-White districts. However, five of the 9 single-member districts are majority-White. Three are majority-Black. One is a “swing district”; its total Black population is only 50.3% and its total Black voting age population is only 47.8%. That is statistically insufficient to qualify it as a majority-Black district. That’s unacceptable. The map will have to be dramatically reconfigured to ensure it will allow for equal representation.
To help ensure a fair map is adopted, community members should learn about the redistricting process. They should also be aware that the political landscape changed profoundly in the last couple decades. In 2010, the Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case dramatically altered campaign finance rules, authorizing corporations and outside groups to spend unlimited funds in elections. In 2013, the Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder effectively eliminated the Department of Justice’s oversight of new maps in jurisdictions with a history of voter suppression, including East Baton Rouge Parish. Department of Education programs, such as No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top, promoted the proliferation of charter schools, which are publicly funded but governed by undemocratic boards—a new and insidious form of voter suppression. These factors are having a significant impact on our elections.
Consider the 2014 reapportionment of the East Baton Rouge School Board. Less than a year after the 2013 Supreme Court decision eliminated Department of Justice oversight of all new maps, the EBR School Board began the process of reducing the number of single-member districts in response to pressure from the Baton Rouge Area Chamber. The board shrank from 11 to 9 members, enlarging the single-member districts to a size comparable to a state House seat. In the following election, campaign contributions poured into the races supporting the pro-charter school candidates.
Maps of political jurisdictions are expected to abide by certain guidelines in order to ensure the constitutional principle of one person, one vote. Districts must be compact; contiguous; of approximately equal population size; and protect communities of interest. But the recent developments, especially the two Supreme Court decisions, have rendered the standard guidelines inadequate. They alone do not sufficiently ensure that each person’s vote carries about the same weight. Consequently, the integrity of our elections has been eroded.
If we want to restore some integrity to the democratic process by which we elect our representatives, we must also consider the ratio between elected officials and constituents. We must determine what constitutes the healthiest ratio possible and use that to determine the ideal number of single-member districts in any new maps.
Unfortunately, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board has been going in the wrong direction. Between 1980 and 2010, the school board had 12 single-member districts. But in 2010, the board was reduced to 11 single-member districts, and in 2014, the board was reduced again to 9 single-member districts. Each reduction in board size naturally increased the ratio between constituents and elected officials. This is the underlying cause of many stakeholders’ recent complaints regarding school board members’ disinterest in their concerns. During this 2022 redistricting process, it is critically important that we restore or ideally increase the number of single-member districts in the new EBR School Board map.
How Many Single-Member Districts Do We Need?
Any increase in the number of single-member districts would be beneficial, but it is important to balance that with the other guidelines required to create fair maps, the most important of which is balanced racial makeup. More Black people live within the school system boundaries than white people. Neither racial group constitutes a majority, but the numbers still support the need for more majority-Black districts than majority-White districts. Since the district itself is neither majority-Black nor majority-White, not all districts must be either majority-Black or majority-White. A fair map could include a minimal number of “swing districts,” districts in which neither racial group constitutes a majority. If the racial makeup is appropriately balanced, such districts would favor neither a Black or white candidate since any candidate able to appeal to members of both racial groups would be in a better position to win an election.
Other possible considerations include the following:
A good proposal may be for 11 single-member districts. This is the number of single-member districts in the last map subjected to preclearance and approved by the Department of Justice. It would also reduce the ratio of elected official to constituents to 1 : 35,197.
One cause for concern with an 11-member map is that BRAC, et al was able to first “win narrow control” of the board in 2010 after the board was reduced from 12 to 11 single-member districts. Eleven single-member districts may be insufficient to protect the integrity of our elections.
A better proposal may be for 12 single-member districts. The EBR School Board had 12 school board districts before Citizens United was decided and the Baton Rouge Area Chamber began its campaign to enlarge the districts. With 12 single-member districts, the ratio of elected official to constituents would be reduced even further to 1 : 32,264.
The best proposal may be for 15 single-member districts. This is the highest number of districts currently allowed under statute, and it would reduce the ratio of elected official to constituents to 1 : 25,811. That’s much closer to the ideal population size recommended in 1971: 1 : 23,763. School board races would once again be competitive; it would not be necessary for candidates to garner campaign contributions from billionaires and financial interests in order to win an election. In addition, with fewer constituents, elected officials would be more responsive to stakeholders.
What next?
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board is currently undergoing the redistricting process. There will be several meetings dedicated to the issue before a map is proposed and adopted. (Please see the timeline below.) It is critically important that concerned citizens get involved in this process. Here are several things they can do:
Make note of the important dates for the Redistricting Workshops. (Schedule below.)
Email the school board members to ask that they request the demographer to draw up illustrative maps with an additional number of single-member districts. At the time of this post, maps with only 9 and 11 single-member districts have been requested by School Board members.
Ask the demographer to discuss and evaluate maps with additional districts. (Community groups are prepared to submit their own maps if no school board member officially requests the demographer to create illustrative maps with additional single-member districts.)
Before the workshop process is complete, send an email to the demographer with the school board members copied to express support for a specific map. (In order to ensure this email is entered into the public record, it may be prudent to send the same email addressed to the school board members with the demographer copied.)
Attend the regular School Board meeting on Thursday, March 3rd to testify on the record, tailoring one’s remarks accordingly.
Be prepared to submit copies of a preferred map if it differs from the one proposed by the school board.
Attend the regular School Board meeting on Thursday, March 17th to testify once again.
Join with other community groups organizing around this issue. Follow Restore the EBR School Board on Facebook.
Democracy is not a spectator sport. At least it shouldn’t be. In order to ensure the election of our school board members remains democratic, we must have a fair map; a map that provides for equitable representation; a map that ensures money doesn’t dictate the outcome of an election; a map that restores or increases the number of single-member districts for the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board. Community members, public school stakeholders especially, should focus on this current redistricting process to help make that happen.
To learn more about the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board history, read “A Good Law is Hard to Find: 2022 Redistricting of the EBRSB—its implications for our public schools and democratic elections.”
The EBR School Board Redistricting Workshop Calendar.
Sat. February 5th, 9am: Public Forum
Woodlawn High School
15755 Jefferson Hwy, Baton Rouge, LA 70817
(Not an official meeting of the Board. Some or all Board Members may attend.)
Thurs. February 10, 5pm: Redistricting Board Workshop
Professional Development Center
3000 N Sherwood Forest Dr, Baton Rouge, LA 70814
Sat. February 19th, 9am: Public Forum
Park Elementary
2680 Bogan Walk, Baton Rouge, La 70802
(Not an official meeting of the Board. Some or all Board Members may attend.)
Thurs. February 24th, 5pm: Redistricting Board Workshop
Professional Development Center
3000 N Sherwood Forest Dr, Baton Rouge, LA 70814
Sat. February 26th, 9am: Public Forum
Instructional Resource Center.
1022 S Foster Dr, Baton Rouge, LA 70806
(Not an official meeting of the Board. Some or all Board Members may attend.)
Thurs. March 3rd, 5pm: Regular Board Meeting: Plan Recommended
1050 S. Foster Dr. Baton Rouge, LA 70806
Thurs. March 17th, 5pm: Regular Board Meeting: Plan Adopted
1050 S. Foster Dr. Baton Rouge, LA 70806
[1] This is the population count used by Mike Hefner, the demographer hired by the EBR School Board. There is some discrepancy in the population total used by various demographers. This is caused primarily by uncertainty surrounding the school system’s boundaries. The boundary of EBRPSS is not contiguous with that of East Baton Rouge Parish since the parish contains not one but four school systems. The discrepancy is minor. The previous demographer estimated the total population to be 387,019, resulting in an ideal district size of 43,002.