School redistricting workshop today
A brand new map of St. Johns County’s five School Board and County Commission districts will be presented this morning at a School Board workshop at district headquarters on Orange Street.
The new plan, called Map K by its creator, county resident Randy Covington, is a modification of Map J, a compromise plan presented to and rejected by the County Commission last week.
Covington said he knows the commission had by consensus decided not to accept any new plans and to simplify the choices between Revised Plan C and Revised Plan E.
“County Attorney Patrick McCormack said at the time that there’s no way to stop someone from submitting a new plan,” Covington said.
The workshop begins at 8:30 a.m. with the School Board electing a new chair and vice chair.
After they complete a business item, the workshop begins at 9:30 a.m.
One subject the board will probably discuss is the redistricting impasse with the county.
Weeks back, the School Board unanimously approved “Revised Plan C,” which they said matches the intent of amendments 5 and 6 of the Florida Constitution by keeping the districts compact.
Critics of Revised C say it dilutes the minority percentage in District 2 from 14 to 10 percent.
But several county commissioners and a number of black leaders said they prefer Revised Plan E, which brings District 2 into downtown St. Augustine, be adopted. It combines the communities of Hastings, West Augustine and Lincolnville and raised the minority population of District 2 to 16 percent.
Critics say Revised Plan E is gerrymandering for racial purposes and as such is expressly forbidden by amendments 5 and 6.
A decision on which plan to adopt will be made in early December, even though the law gives both boards until Dec. 31 to decide.
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