Public Hearing Notice: School district considering trustee-area elections
–A message from the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District–
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
POTENTIAL COMPOSITION OF TRUSTEE-AREA ELECTION SYSTEM COMMENCING WITH THE 2022 GOVERNING BOARD ELECTION ACTION
The public hearing on the potential composition of trustee-area prior to drawing of maps, pursuant to Elections Code Section 10010, Subdivision (a)(1), (First Hearing) of the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District will be held at the Paso Robles District Office Board Room, located at 800 Niblick Rd., Paso Robles on Tuesday, April 27, 2021 at 6:00 pm.
The public is invited to participate and provide public comment. You may provide live public comment by calling (805) 608-4230 during this agenda item, or provide 450 words or less, written comments to info@pasoschools.org. Written comments will be accepted until 3:00 p.m. via email on the day of the meeting.
Livestreaming of the Board meeting is available via the following media outlets:
- English: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTG5DZtaQn-Mo3IGcohE2Mw
- Spanish: https://pasoschools-org.zoom.us/j/84123605162
- Voice of Paso: https://www.voiceofpaso.com/bearcat-video/
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Paso Robles Joint Union School District (“District”) Board of Education (“Board”) will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, April 27, 2021 at 6:00 pm, to consider whether to submit a waiver to the State Board of Education allowing for implementation of by-trustee area elections without the requirement of an election. In the interest of public health and in compliance with Executive Orders N-25-20 and N-35-20 issued by California Governor Gavin Newsom, the meeting will be held virtually.
On February 26, 2019, the Board adopted Resolution No. 19-15, a Resolution Approving Authorization to Initiate a Transition to a By-Trustee Area Election System Commencing with the 2022 Governing Board Election. That resolution provided for the transition from at-large elections, where each trustee is elected by all voters within the District, to by-trustee area elections, where each trustee must reside within a designated trustee-area boundary, and is elected only by the voters in that trustee-area. As provided in Resolution No. 19-15, the Board intended to wait until the release of the 2020 Census data, scheduled for March 2021, and then immediately begin the transition process. Due to COVID-19 pandemic-related delays, the 2020 Census data is not expected to be made available to state and local agencies until September 30, 2021, or later, which is a substantial delay from the original due date of March 31, 2021.
At its Tuesday, April 27, 2021 meeting, the Board will consider whether to adopt a Resolution declaring its intent to re-initiate the transition using 2010 data. A school district seeking to transition to a by-trustee area election system must submit an application to the local County Committee on School District Reorganization (“County Committee”) for approval. If the County Committee approves the school district’s application, California Education Code section 5020 would require an election to approve the move to by-trustee area elections. To avoid the costs associated with an election and to ensure timely implementation, the Board is considering seeking a waiver from the State Board of Education of this election requirement, as well as certain other Education Code sections related to the election requirement. If the waiver is granted by the State Board of Education, no election to approve the change to by-trustee area elections will take place, and the County Committee’s decision on the District’s application will be final.
Pursuant to Education Code sections 5019 and 33050, the Board invites community input on the proposed waiver request. You may provide live public comment by calling (805) 608-4230 during this agenda item, or provide 450 words or less, written comments to info@pasoschools.org. Written comments will be accepted until 3:00 p.m. via email on the day of the meeting.
The Board will have a series of public hearings regarding the formation of by-trustee areas prior to any final action.
Should you have any questions regarding this notice, please direct them to Assistant Superintendent, Business Services, Brad Pawlowski at bpawlowski@pasoschools.org.
Paso Robles Joint Unified School District
800 Niblick Road, Paso Robles, CA 93446
Dated: April 22, 2021
