Single-Member Board Districts

Currently, all seven trustees are elected every three years in elections in which all of the voters within the geographic boundaries of RISD may vote for all candidates – a system known as “at-large” representation. The candidates are not required to reside in any particular area, only within the district.

Under the 5-2 plan, RISD will be divided up into five separate geographic single-member districts, and only voters in those districts would be able to vote for board members who run to represent those districts. A candidate must reside within the district for which he or she seeks election. Two places on the school board would continue to be elected at-large, and candidates running for those places may reside anywhere within RISD boundaries and all voters may vote for an at-large candidate.

Many factors were considered by the Board and balanced during the creation of the proposed single-member districts, including traditional neighborhoods, school feeder patterns, demographic makeup via census data, and voting precincts. Additionally, per the settlement agreement, two of the single-member districts were required to be made up by a majority of voting-age residents consisting of minority population. Also, by law, the variance in the population between the largest and smallest single-member districts cannot exceed 10%. All of these factors required numerous tradeoffs in creating the proposed map. Demographic experts worked with the parties on both sides of the lawsuit to arrive at proposed single-members districts that were mutually acceptable. Public feedback to the proposed boundaries is an important part of the process. The final boundaries to submit to the court as part of the formal settlement of the lawsuit are expected to be voted on by RISD trustees in February 2019.

No. Federal and state laws outline the process for changing electoral systems, and do not call for a ballot measure. It is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees to decide on the system and the single-member district boundaries. RISD is soliciting feedback from residents related to proposed single-member district boundaries and will consider the feedback prior to voting to adopt the boundaries.

As part of the settlement agreement, the parties will ask the federal court to allow RISD to postpone the May 4 trustee election until the general election day in November. RISD will use that time to plan for the transition to the new 5-2 system and communicate details with stakeholders and voters.

Until the federal court authorizes RISD to postpone the May election, RISD will continue to take the steps necessary to prepare for a May election, in the unlikely event the federal court does not approve postponing it until November. In early February, the parties will formally request that the court authorize RISD to postpone the May election. We hope for a ruling in advance of the February 15 deadline to call the May 4, 2019 election.

All current trustees are in the process of completing the three year terms to which they were elected. Trustees currently are at different points within their terms, and all will be able to fully complete their current terms. The 5-2 system that includes single-member districts will be phased in starting with the three terms that would expire in November 2019. Current trustees who choose to run for re-election would do so under the 5-2 system. The RISD Board of Trustees must determine its transition plan by August. The transition plan will be finalized in time for potential candidates to file in the November 2019 election and voters to make informed decisions.

No. After the initial trustee election in November 2019, trustee elections would resume in May beginning in 2020.

Review the single-member district map or contact RISD at 469-593-0301.

The RISD Board of Trustees must determine its transition plan by August. The transition plan will be finalized in time for potential candidates to file in the November 2019 election and voters to make informed decisions.

The RISD Board of Trustees will be required by law to consider any required changes in the District boundaries every ten years based on changed census figures.

School districts across Texas employ a variety of electoral systems. Some districts elect all trustees at-large, as RISD has historically done. Some districts have implemented “hybrid” systems, where some places on the board are elected at large and some are elected from single-member districts. RISD is moving to a hybrid system. Other districts employ a hybrid system that allows voters to cast multiple votes for a single candidate if multiple seats are on a ballot. Finally, some school districts, such as Dallas and Houston, elect all members from geographic single-member districts.

In recent years, as demographics across Texas have changed, more districts have moved from an at-large system to hybrid and single-member systems.

Once the new 5-2 system is in place, every eligible RISD voter will be able to vote in three total trustee elections – elections for the single-member district in which they live, and elections for the two at large positions. All eligible RISD voters will still be able to vote in other RISD elections, such as bond referendums.

The answer is the same as if no one ran for an at-large place. The constitutional doctrine of “hold over” could apply.  That doctrine says an elected official continues to serve until his/her replacement is qualified and seated. If that occurred, the current Board member would continue to serve until a special election could be called.

That principle does not apply, however, if the official is not qualified to hold the seat. The person must reside in the single member district. So, once the transition plan is implemented, if the current member does not live in the district up for election, he/she could not “hold over” if no candidate filed to run in that district, and a vacancy would be created.  The Board then would fill the vacancy as directed in the statute that governs vacant Board seats.