By Trustee Area Election CVRA
Update March 10, 2022
At the March 9, 2022, Board Meeting, the Board of Education selected Map #3 as the By-Area Trustee Election Map to submit to the County Committee for School District Organization for approval.
If approved, the voting precincts shown below will be used for the November 2022 School Board Member election. Registered voters in each Trustee Area will vote for one candidate who also resides within that Trustee Area.
SMBSD Map #3
Presentation in English to the School Board from March 9, 2022
Presentation in Spanish to the School Board from March 9, 2022
Update: February 24, 2022
draft map survey added in english and spanish
Survey window has closed.
English and spanish february 23, 2022, school board meeting presentations added.
February 23, 2022, English version of the post-map presentation to the school board
february 23, 2022, spanish version of the post-map presentation to the school board
Four DRAFT "By-Area" Trustee Election Maps available for review.
Please click on each link or map to see the draft map AND the Trustee Area demographic breakdown.
For information about the transition from "at-large" to "by-area" trustee elections, please scroll down below the maps.
Interested people have two upcoming opportunities to share their thoughts about the DRAFT Maps, the transition from an "at-large" to "by-area" trustee election process and related topics. Additionally, a survey to gather feedback about the 4 map scenarios will be available in English and Spanish soon.
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Wednesday, March 9, 2022, 6 p.m. – Post-Map Public Hearing #2 Trustee area map scenarios will be presented and discussed.
Members of the community who wish to speak during the Public Hearings about this issue should contact Kristyn Cornejo at kcornejo@smbsd.net or click HERE prior to the Board Meeting.
SMBSD DRAFT Map #2
SMBSD DRAFT Map #3
CAUSE Suggested DRAFT Map #4
CAUSE is Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy - a community advocacy organization
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Transitioning from "At-Large" to "By-Trustee Area" Elections
SMBSD Board of Education Trustees are elected in even-numbered years and serve staggered, four-year terms. There are five Trustees. SMBSD has used an "at-large" election system where voters living in the entire school district boundary elect all five members of the School Board who also live somewhere within the boundary.
The California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) prohibits the use of an 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.” For most California government entities with elected representatives, such as City Councils or School Boards, abiding by the CVRA law now means changing from an “at-large” method of electing those who represent the community to a “by-trustee area” method of election.
While the District does not believe that its current form of elections violates the CVRA, it does believe that it is in the public interest to begin the process to transition from at-large to by-trustee area elections to minimize the future potential for impermissible racially-polarized voting or legal claims. The only election system that provides the District complete protection from a CVRA legal claim is a by-trustee area election system.
Santa Maria-Bonita School District is transitioning from at-large elections to by-trustee area elections. Beginning in November 2022, registered voters who live in specific areas of the SMBSD boundary will vote for a single SMBSD Board of Trustee candidate residing in the same specifically drawn trustee area.
The public is invited to provide input on the district’s “by-area” map development during upcoming Public Hearings.
Under the proposed system, candidates will be elected within and by “trustee areas.” This means only voters who live within a specific geographic area can vote for candidates who also reside (live) within that same area. The intent of this proposed system is to offer greater opportunities for Board Member representation by candidates who might not otherwise be elected under an at-large system.
A “by-trustee area” election system will divide SMBSD's overall boundary into five (5) "by-trustee areas" for voting purposes only. Voters in each "by-trustee area" will choose their School Board representative, who must also live in that "by-trustee area." A map will be created and approved by the School Board to designate five geographic areas within the SMBSD boundary that correspond to five new voting precincts to elect SMBSD Trustees.
These geographic voting areas will not impact student attendance boundaries or students’ school of residence designations.
On January 26, 2022, the Santa Maria-Bonita School District held Pre-Map Public Hearing #1 to gather input from the community about the process of transitioning from at-large elections to by-area elections.
The School Board will hold additional Public Hearings on the following dates:
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Wednesday, February 9, 2022, 6 p.m. – Pre-Map Public Hearing #2 Suggestions for creating trustee areas will be presented and discussed.
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Wednesday, February 23, 2022, 6 p.m. – Post-Map Public Hearing #1 Trustee area map scenarios will be presented and discussed.
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Wednesday, March 9, 2022, 6 p.m. – Post-Map Public Hearing #2 Trustee area map scenarios will be presented and discussed.
Members of the community who wish to speak during the Public Hearings about this issue should contact Kristyn Cornejo at kcornejo@smbsd.net or click HERE prior to the Board Meeting.
In March, the SMBSD Board of Education will consider approving a new Trustee Area Map to go into effect for the November 2022 elections.
SMBSD is developing the process of transitioning from at-large to by-trustee area elections utilizing 2020 Census data. The District has hired professional demographers to ensure the proposed trustee areas are population balanced and legal experts to advise the Board on the correct steps to complete the transition.
Information about Pre-Map Public Hearing #2
Información sobre Audiencia pública previa al mapa n.º 2
CVRA Presentation to the School Board by consultant
Presentation #2 to the School Board by consultant
Presentation #1 to the School Board in SPANISH from consultant
Presentation #2 to the School Board in SPANISH from consultant
Frequently Asked Questions about the CVRA
Frequently Asked Questions in SPANISH about the CVRA
This is the SMBSD student attendance boundary. The area within the dark black outer line will be divided into five geographic areas for the purpose of election voting. The voting areas will not affect the schools students currently attend.