The Abridged version:
- The Placer Union High School District voted to formally oppose Proposition 50, a statewide redistricting measure.
- The move drew criticism from members of the community and the board itself.
The Placer Union High School District board waded into California’s contentious redistricting debate, voting this week to oppose Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposition to redraw the state’s congressional maps.
The school board’s move on Tuesday drew criticism from individuals, including some of its own members, for weighing in on a political matter.
Board President Jessica Spaid defended the decision, arguing the school district would be affected because the newly proposed maps would split Placer County’s representation under three different members of Congress, making advocacy more difficult.
The county is currently represented by Republican Kevin Kiley.
“When things outside of our district are going to impact our district, it’s our duty as a board and as an elected body to advocate on behalf of our community, our students and our constituents,” Spaid said.
Spaid also criticized the more than $200 million cost of conducting a special election for the redistricting ballot measure.
“Those funds could be used for educational purposes,” she said. “And they should be.”
The school board passed their formal opposition of Proposition 50, which will be on the ballot Nov. 4, 5-2.
Member David Underwood, one of the two no votes alongside student member Cooper Barr, said he was upset to see the move against Proposition 50 on the meeting agenda.
“When I saw this on the agenda I was really shocked,” Underwood said. “Our role as a trustee is to provide and focus entirely on education … We are not a political entity.”
Newsom and the Legislature put the measure on the ballot to counter moves in Texas and some other Republican-led states, which are redrawing congressional district boundaries mid decade. The new lines likely will allow the GOP to pick up congressional seats in the 2026 midterm elections. The California measure would rewrite districts adopted by an independent commission in 2020, improving the Democrats’ chances of winning in as many as five districts now held by Republicans.
About a dozen community members voiced their opinions during the meeting, both in favor and against the board’s measure.
Ed Coons, attorney and former president of the Auburn Area Democratic Club, said he was “grossly offended” by the board’s stance and Spaid’s reasoning.
“This is not a place for partisan politics,” he said. “It’s not your job as a board member to tell us how to vote.”
Placer County Republican Party Chair Mark Wright said, in his comments to the board, that he believed the issue was “pertinent” to the school district.
“Splitting up the county, we lose our voice,” Wright said. “To have three different congressmen to have to go to (in order) to try to get something through to help out this community is going to be very hard.”
Savannah Kuchar is a reporter covering education. She came to Sacramento to be a part of the Abridged team and contribute to a crucial local news source.
