February 10th, 2022:

County Committee Adopts Map Option 4 for Future By-Trustee Area Elections

Last Thursday, the District and County Board engaged in their final meeting to discuss and to adopt a final map and election sequence to meet the requirements under the California Voter Rights Act, or CVRA.  The CVRA requires that trustees be elected by those living in their trustee area and not at-large, as has been the case in our community for decades. As a result of this process, the County Committee selected map option 4 to align with the county’s Supervisorial District Boundaries, making it easier on voters during election times. For more information on the adoption process we used to make our final selection, you can visit dnusd.org/cvra, or listen to last Friday’s podcast, where we spoke with Jonathan Berry-Smith of the law firm Lozano Smith, Don McArthur, the President of the Board of Trustees, and Alissia Northrup, the Del Norte County Clerk to discuss the CVRA districting process and the selection that was made.

Adopted Map Link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IcDTAy8w7bUOBbKqqeTXNqt0B0D7H7-b

CVRA Informational Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/michael-hawkins-890916695/coffee-conversation-episode-66-cvra-by-trustee-area-election

Background:

The Del Norte County Unified School District (“District”) Board of Education (“District Board”) is currently elected using a “hybrid at-large” election system, meaning that governing board members must live in defined trustee areas, but are elected by voters of the entire District.  On August 12, 2021, the District Board adopted Resolution # D21-22-4, declaring its intent to transition to by-trustee area elections, where each Board member must reside within the designated trustee area boundary, and is elected only by the voters in that trustee area.

District Board members also sit as the Del Norte County Board of Education (“County Board”), meaning any change to the method of election to the District Board will result in a corresponding change to the method of election for the County Board.  As a result, on August 12, 2021, the County Board similarly adopted Resolution # C21-22-2, declaring its intent to transition to by-trustee area elections.

See the presentation on the process to transition to by-trustee area elections made by Lozano Smith here.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Public Hearing Before the Del Norte County Committee on School District Organization Pursuant to Education Code Section 5019, Regarding the Del Norte County Unified School District’s Proposal to Adopt By-Trustee Area Elections

Pursuant to Education Code sections 5019 and 5030, the Del Norte County Committee on School District Organization (“County Committee”), upon application from a school district’s governing board, is authorized to change the method of election in a school district under its jurisdiction.  On February 10, 2022, the Board of Education of the Del Norte County Unified School District will select a preferred trustee area boundary map and staggering sequence of elections, and adopt a resolution to submit to the County Committee for consideration and potential approval. 

District board members also sit as the Del Norte County Board of Education, meaning any change to the method of election to the District Board will result in a corresponding change to the method of election for the County Board.  Therefore, the County Board of Education will also adopt a resolution to submit to the County Committee for consideration and potential approval on February 10, 2022.

When considering a school district’s proposal to adopt an alternative method of electing governing board members and to establish trustee areas, Education Code section 5019, subdivision(c) requires a county committee to call and conduct at least one public hearing in the district.

Notice is hereby given that the County Committee will conduct a public hearing on the proposal to establish trustee areas within Del Norte County and to establish a by-trustee area election method for the members of the Del Norte County Unified School District Board of Education, and members of the County Board of Education, as follows:

Date:               Thursday, February 10, 2022

Time:              4:45 pm

Location:    

Del Norte County Unified School District

Education Center Building Boardroom

301 W. Washington Blvd.

Crescent City, CA 95531

In the interest of public health, this meeting will take place both online and in person.  A link to the meeting can be found in advance of the meeting at the School District website: Del Norte Unified School District / Homepage (dnusd.org).

For convenience, comments may be made via email in advance, and the County Committee may provide a telephonic option for verbal comments. If you wish to address the County Committee, you may email your public comment in advance to: ashaw@dnusd.org.

Should you have any questions regarding this notice, please call the County Superintendent’s Office at (707) 464-0200, ext. 10200. 

January 14th, 2022:

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Second Map Consideration Hearing for the Establishment of Trustee Areas for the Governing Board of the Del Norte County Unified School District and County Board of Education

The Del Norte County Unified School District (“District”) Board of Education (“District Board”)
is currently elected using a “hybrid at-large” election system, meaning that governing board
members must live in defined trustee areas, but are elected by voters of the entire District. On
August 12, 2021, the District Board adopted Resolution # D21-22-4, declaring its intent to
transition to by-trustee area elections, where each Board member must reside within a designated trustee area boundary, and is elected only by the voters in that trustee area.

District Board members also sit as the Del Norte County Board of Education (“County Board”),
meaning any change to the method of election to the District Board will result in a corresponding change to the method of election for the County Board. As a result, on August 12, 2021, the County Board similarly adopted Resolution # C21-22-2, declaring its intent to transition to by-trustee area elections.

On September 9 and September 23, 2021, the District and County Boards held two joint public
hearings to receive input from the community on the trustee-area map creation process, pursuant to Elections Code section 10010, subdivision (a)(1). On January 13, 2022, the District and County Boards held the first of two statutorily required public hearings to receive community input on the draft trustee area boundary maps, which are available to view on the District’s website, pursuant to Elections Code section 10010, subdivision (a)(2).

Notice is hereby given that the District Board and County Board will conduct another joint
Public Hearing to receive community input on these maps, pursuant to Elections Code section
10010, subdivision (a)(2). The second of these two public hearings will occur as follows:

Date: Thursday, January 27, 2022
Time: 4:00 pm
Location: Del Norte County Unified School District
Education Center Building Boardroom
301 W. Washington Blvd.
Crescent City, CA 95531

 
In the interest of public health, this meeting will take place both online and in person. We will
post a link to the meeting on our website in advance of the meeting: https://www.dnusd.org/.

For convenience, comments may be made via email in advance, and the District may provide a telephonic option for verbal comments. If you wish to address the Board, you may email your
public comment in advance to: ashaw@dnusd.org. 
 
Should you have any questions regarding this notice, call the Superintendent’s Office at (707)
464-0200, ext. 10200.

January 13th, 2022:

Legal counsel, Lozano Smith, and demographers, Planwest Partners, Inc., presented information on the trustee area creation process and the proposed trustee area maps.  Following the presentation, the first of two statutorily required public hearings were held to receive input from the community on the content of the proposed trustee-area maps, pursuant to Elections Code section 10010, subdivision (a)(2).

You can view the presentation, including slides discussing the differences between the draft maps boundaries, made by Lozano Smith and Planwest Partners here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1UyN1ownFX6sGryMbinyY1_lGfDM5X1N-/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=106567438086585507195&rtpof=true&sd=true

January 3rd, 2022:

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

First Map Consideration Hearing for the Establishment of Trustee Areas for the Governing Board of the Del Norte County Unified School District and County Board of Education

The Del Norte County Unified School District (“District”) Board of Education (“District Board”)
is currently elected using a “hybrid at-large” election system, meaning that governing board
members must live in defined trustee areas, but are elected by voters of the entire District. On
August 12, 2021, the District Board adopted Resolution # D21-22-4, declaring its intent to
transition to by-trustee area elections, where each Board member must reside within a designated trustee area boundary, and is elected only by the voters in that trustee area.

District Board members also sit as the Del Norte County Board of Education (“County Board”),
meaning any change to the method of election to the District Board will result in a corresponding change to the method of election for the County Board. As a result, on August 12, 2021, the County Board similarly adopted Resolution # C21-22-2, declaring its intent to transition to by- trustee area elections.

On September 9 and September 23, 2021, the District and County Boards held two joint public
hearings to receive input from the community on the trustee-area map creation process, pursuant to Elections Code section 10010, subdivision (a)(1).

Draft trustee area boundary maps will soon be published by the District’s demographers for the
public’s consideration, and will be available to view on the District’s website. Notice is hereby
given that the District Board and County Board will conduct a joint Public Hearing to receive
community input on these maps, pursuant to Elections Code section 10010, subdivision (a)(2). The first of these two public hearings will occur as follows:

Date: Thursday, January 13, 2022
Time: 4:00 pm
Location: Del Norte County Unified School District
Education Center Building Boardroom
301 W. Washington Blvd.
Crescent City, CA 95531

In the interest of public health, this meeting will take place both online and in person. We will
post a link to the meeting on our website in advance of the meeting: https://www.dnusd.org/Page/1.

For convenience, comments may be made via email in advance, and the District may provide a telephonic option for verbal comments. If you wish to address the Board, you may email your
public comment in advance to: ashaw@dnusd.org.

Should you have any questions regarding this notice, call the Superintendent’s Office at (707) 464-0200, ext. 10200

September 23rd, 2021:

Legal counsel, Lozano Smith, and demographers, Planwest Partners, Inc., presented information on the process and criteria for drawing trustee-area boundary maps.  Following the presentation, the second of two statutorily required public hearings was held to receive input from the community on the trustee-area map creation process, pursuant to Elections Code section 10010, subdivision (a)(1).

See the presentation on redistricting and the criteria for drawing map boundaries made by Lozano Smith and Planwest Partners here.

September 9th, 2021:

Legal counsel, Lozano Smith, and demographers, Planwest Partners, Inc., presented information on the process and criteria for drawing trustee-area boundary maps.  Following the presentation, the first of two statutorily required public hearings were held to receive input from the community on the trustee-area map creation process, pursuant to Elections Code section 10010, subdivision (a)(1).

See the presentation on redistricting and the criteria for drawing map boundaries made by Lozano Smith and Planwest Partners here.