Despite Criticisms, LAUSD Redistricting Map Approved by City Council

09Dec
by La Comadre

The Los Angeles City Council has approved the recommended Los Angeles Unified School District redistricting map. As per the Los Angeles City Charter, the school district map must be recommended by the school district and then approved by the Los Angeles city council, before the ordinance is signed by the Mayor.  After a contentious debate over several district changes and one member calling the map gerrymandered, the school board eventually voted on a split vote to accept the LAUSD map with new boundaries.

Some critics have come from residents of the San Fernando Valley’s District 4, who will be grouped with communities in West L.A. The Santa Monica Mountains will divide Valley communities from those in West L.A. and residents are concerned their voices will be overshadowed by wealthier voters on the Westside. The map has also been criticized by communities in Southeast L.A. because the redrawn political boundaries could continue to disenfranchise voters. For two decades, Southeast L.A. has been grouped into District 5, which has wealthier residents from Northeast L.A. The Northeast has a higher voter turnout, which negatively impacts residents in the Southeast who haven’t been able to elect a candidate from their community in years.

On November 1, 2021, Dr. George McKenna of District 1 sent a letter to Chief Legislative Analyst Steven Luu, complaining about the lack of public input, and called the map badly gerrymandered. Take a look at the proposed map below to check if you are still represented by the same school board member and whether your district has changed.  

The new map of LAUSD, approved by LA City Council.

Despite Dr. McKenna’s and others’ objections, the map was approved and forwarded to the Mayor for signature. The Mayor is expected to sign both the school district map and the City Council map next week.

Comadres, how will the redistricting map affect your community and schools?

What do you think?
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La Comadre

We are Moms, Tias, Ninas and Play-Tias who love children in our lives and we want to help every child succeed in school. Navigating schools and education—from preschool to college—is hard. We want to help each other with this. We are all in this together with you. We want to be a resource for you and for all of the children you love. Whether you need some info or you have info to share, you know where to go…LA Comadre.

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