The Sunnyvale School District Board of Education has finalized the third draft of trustee maps and is seeking input from the community. A public hearing will be held tonight, December 9, at 6 p.m. at the District Office at 819 W. Iowa Ave in the Board Room. Those who cannot attend in person are invited to join a live steam of the meeting.
Sunnyvale School District Board elections will be transitioning from an at-large election system to by-trustee area elections. This requires the District to create five geographic trustee areas. Each area will be assigned one seat on the Board. Residents of each district area will be permitted to only vote for candidates assigned to their trustee area.
The District’s decision to transition to a by-trustee election system was in response to the California Voting Rights Act, which prohibits the use of any election system “that impairs the ability of a protected class to elect candidates of its choice or its ability to influence the outcome of an election.”
While the District has declined that their current election system violates the CVRA, they have concluded it is in the public’s interest to make this transition to minimize any future potential for violations or legal claims. You can learn more about the redistricting decision and process here.
This transition will be taking place at more than 300 school districts across the state.
The process began in early September, and official transition will commence during the 2022 election once the trustee area process has been completed. Current Board members will remain in office until the expiration of their terms in 2022 or 2024.
The third round of map drafts consists of two scenarios. They can be viewed at https://www.sesd.org/Page/5412.
Comments and questions are directed to Jesus Romero, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent. He can be contacted by calling (408) 522-8200 x1002 or by email at jesus.romero@sesd.org.