No school board candidate is being gerrymandered

Brooksville, Fla. - School board members opted for “Rev, Amended, Modified, Scenario B” map in redistricting dispute.

The final decision on redistricting maps was made by Hernando County School Board at their Special meeting.  The school board attorney argued that all maps were defensible and no school board candidates would be affected with their decision.  The school board gave final 3-2 vote to approve  “Rev, Amended, Modified, Scenario B” map submitted by the Hernando County Commission.  Their decision makes the school districts the same as the districts of county commissioners.

Denis Alfonso, school board attorney,  indicated that all maps could be subject to a challenge.  But it was his legal position that all maps would be defensible.

"No school board candidate is being gerrymandered to involve the school board," Denis Alfonso said.

County Commissioner John Druzbick spoke in defense of the county commissioners plan to go with “Rev, Amended, Modified, Scenario B” map instead of their original map.  Druzbick explained the pitfalls of the map submitted by the NAACP/Local 5092 branch, saying it didn't follow major roadways.

Matt Foreman, school board member, changed his position on the issue of gerrymandering from the previous meeting. He added that it would have been better if the school board had been considered before the county commissioners made their final decision.  "But none of us operate in a vacuum," Foreman said.

School board member James Yant voiced concerns about future legal actions by the NAACP after final approval of county commissioners maps.  "Why would we want to, as a board, get involved in a position that possibly cause legal action," He said.

Paul Douglas, president of NAACP/Chapter 5092 explained the Voter's Right Act in regards to the rules on redistricting.  He argued that the decisions on maps must be free of any gerrymandering.

"It must not be gerrymandering," Douglas said. "We have lawyers, too, and this is not legal."

At the conclusion of the meeting, Douglas said the national branch of the NAACP had already contacted him about the final decision of the school board.  He said $10 million had been allocated by the civil rights organization to fight decisions about redistricting.  Douglas said their local chapter would be the 38th challenge in the state of Florida.