School Board Asked To Redistrict

Anita Weston, Reporter

Rich Civic Times 

RANDOLPH, Utah.  March 19, 2014. Bill Cox, Chairman of the County Commissioners, appeared before the School Board.  He indicated that a school board redistricting needs to take place in Rich County.  Currently, the various precincts vary too much in population.  There should only be about a 10 to 15 percent variation is the number of individuals that make up the different precincts.

The Commissioners decided that a redistricting committee needed to be formed.  Because each of the individuals on the School Board currently represent the different cities within the County, they decided to ask the School Board if they would become members of the committee along with at least one member of the County Commission and perhaps one other individual.  That would form a committee of seven individuals who could then go ahead to redefine possible boundaries for the various precincts.

The Commissioners thought that only the school board members on the committee would have the right to make the decisions and vote.  The other two members would be resources and assist in getting the desired and needed information.  The precinct changes will only affect school board representation.  The Commission would like two or three different proposals, and they would be the ones to make the final precinct designations.

Cox thought that other items need to be taken into account as the redistricting takes place such as the number or school age children in each area, the number of registered voters, and so forth in addition to the required population numbers.  The precincts must be contiguous to each other, and public hearings will have to be scheduled and held as possible boundaries are suggested.

One of the school board members noted that perhaps the individuals in the county would feel that members of the school board would be prejudiced.  The board members asked for a bit of time to consider this request.  Cox indicated that the State is currently doing its own census with a sampling method.  He felt this information might also be helpful, and it will take some time before those numbers become available.  He asked that the board discuss this request and let him know at the next board meeting.