The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District has begun to transition from at-large elections to by-trustee area elections.
The previous at-large system gave voters the ability to vote for all of the board members. The new by-trustee area system will only allow voters to vote for a candidate who lives in their district.
On April 10, 2018, SMJUHSD adopted the resolution to transition from at-large elections to by-trustee elections.
According to a news release, the district is using a demographer, who has been working with a legal team to ensure fairness and adherence to legal requirements, to prepare the proposed maps based on the 2020 Census data. These maps can be accessed on the school district’s website for review by the public.
On Nov. 30, a special board meeting will be held to discuss how the district’s boundaries and neighborhoods should be represented. The public is invited to comment and share their opinions.
For more information, visit http://www.smjuhsd.k12.ca.us.
— Katherine Zehnder
