School Board districts to get new boundaries

EAST COUNTY — In an effort to represent students more proportionally in Manatee County, the Manatee County School Board is working to adopt new district boundaries for its members.

The School Board Oct. 10 formally began its redistricting process, after board members Oct. 4 agreed to redraw their districts to align them with those used by the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners.

“For years and years, we’ve always talked about having the same boundaries as (Manatee County) commissioners, and we’ve never done it,” Superintendent Tim McGonegal said. “This is really a great opportunity to collaborate with the county. It makes everything so much easier for people running for office and for voters.

“(With) the current map we use, the number of schools in each zone are very dissimilar,” he said. “We’re very pleased that the representation will be much more balanced.”

The County Commission is considering three options for redistricting, one of which — Plan C — is being promoted by the School Board. Plan C is the only proposal that allows for future growth in East County and North Manatee.

McGonegal said the School Board and County Commission plan to hold a joint workshop on the issue sometime during the next month. The School Board plans to host an open house to solicit public input on the issue, as well.

Currently, School Board members Julie Aranibar and Barbara Harvey each represent between 23,200 and 42,250 more people than the other School Board members.

If Plan C is adopted, Aranibar would see the total population in her district fall from 91,994 to 59,945, while Harvey’s figure would drop from 77,002 to 67,236.

“I’m still going to be busy,” Aranibar said, noting she would see the total of schools in her district decrease from 16 to 11. “There’s a perception that you’re only responsible for schools in your district, (but that’s not true).”

Aranibar said she believes realigning the districts will make it easier for constituents to identify the district in which they reside and that it will provide more opportunities for individuals wishing to run for a School Board seat.

“It should be clear to anybody (what the district’s boundaries are),” Aranibar said, noting the School Board district boundaries are not provided by the Supervisor of Elections Office. “There was too much ambiguity on both sides.”

Additionally, under the Plan C proposal, the districts represented by School Board members Bob Gause, Harry Kinnan and Karen Carpenter would see increases of as many as 15,000 constituents.

The redistricting under consideration by the School Board will change only the geographic boundaries represented by each School Board member, not what schools students attend, McGonegal said.

The Manatee County commissioners are expected to vote on the new district boundaries in November or December. The School Board plans to adopt new board member district boundaries during its Nov. 14 meeting, McGonegal said.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].

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