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The Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education approved new boundaries that affect who we elect to represent children, teachers, families and our communities for the next 10 years.
Because the board recognized the importance of community involvement in the process, each board member nominated two citizens to sit on an APS Redistricting Committee. Their charge: meet with the community, explore the options and make a recommendation to the Board of Education.
It should be made clear that the committee was also aware that any recommendation made by it could be approved, altered or completely disregarded by the seven board members.
I want to thank the Redistricting Committee members and the APS Board Services office for giving countless hours to four community meetings as well as other discussion meetings. It is unfortunate that the highest-attended meeting was the one held at Cibola High School, with fewer than 20 community members present.
It is worth noting that the committee’s work was not in vain as the board did approve with a slight revision one of the maps brought forth by the committee. That approval came on a 6-0 vote. One board member was not present to cast a vote.
A compromise was reached, and I would like to present a few facts about the new boundaries and the process by which they were approved:
♦ The final vote by the Board of Education is binding and lawful. Committee members were invited to our Jan. 23 meeting, and the meeting was scheduled to accommodate all seven board members’ calendar commitments. The public received adequate notice of the meeting and the agenda as set forth by the Open Meetings Act.
♦ West Side voters are not denied representation with the new maps. In fact, there is a potential for four West-Siders to sit on a future Board of Education. Districts 1 and 2 remain squarely in the West Side. Districts 3 and 4 were carved in a way that gives a significant voting block to someone living southwest of I-40 and the river and someone living in the Cibola High School/Ventana Ranch neighborhood.
For those who maintain that the newly approved boundaries dilute minority voting strength with a lack of majority-minority districts, please consider:
♦ In current boundaries, four board districts are majority Hispanic (1, 2, 3 and 5). In the newly approved boundaries, five districts will be majority Hispanic (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5).
♦ In current boundaries, three districts are majority white (districts 4, 6 and 7). In the newly approved boundaries, two are majority white (6 and 7).
The redistricting process is complete, and I would urge residents on both sides of the river not to make this a partisan/ethnic/racial/political/east-versus-west battle. That is simply ridiculous. We teach our children to look beyond these characteristics and be accepting of all people. I dare say that some adults in our community would do well to learn from our children.
I take umbrage with West Side residents who maintain they have no voice within the larger APS community. Not only does the West Side have three current board members who are present and accountable to the West Side community, but the area also has adequate infrastructure, two new high schools north and south of I-40, several new elementary schools, a West Side stadium in the near future, and another complex of K-12 schools ready to be built on a piece of land at I-40 and 98th that APS has already purchased.
Our students are not being ignored any longer because of the hard battles fought in the past. As your representative in District 2, I have provided a level of transparency and attention that I believe didn’t exist when I was just a parent.
It is important that we keep in mind that redistricting battles are fought by adults. Children don’t care one bit where our district boundaries lie.
Our community would do well to remember that APS must always be about our kids. I am ready to continue working with my fellow board members, community groups, teachers, parents and stakeholders to put our children first.
Are you?
