HOPE – The Hope Public Schools Board of Education did a quick turnaround from its Nov. 15 rejection of proposed board zone redistricting maps to accept both a replacement plan and a resolution on elections under the new plan in a called session Nov. 18.
HPS Superintendent Dr. Jonathan Crossley reviewed the concerns expressed by the board at the Nov. 15 meeting regarding the population deviation from the federally-required 10 percent variation from zero in the original proposal.
Specifically, Dr. Crossley said the board did not agree with the total population figure proposed in Zone 1 represented by Viney Johnson, or the ethnic balance proposed in Zone 7 represented by Alvis Hamilton.
Crossley brought in EFS GeoTechnologies Director of Product Development James Hartshorn to explain the company’s methodology and new proposal. The board hired the company in October to produce data and maps upon which to set new zone boundaries.
Hartshorn said federal law requires public entities such as the HPS to redraw representative zones after each U.S. Census count to reflect the One Man, One Vote concept in the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He said that more often than not requires some shifting of population and geography between representative zones.
“The Arkansas Code is very specific when it comes to numbers,” Hartshorn said. “So, just to be safe, we use a plus or minus five percent deviation.”
But, simply because any particular zone population is greater or lesser than the acceptable deviation does not always mean changes are demanded in that given zone, he said.
“You have to consider the compactness, or how square it is,” Hartshorn said.
Consequently, adhering to traditional boundaries such as geographic features, roads, or waterways is preferred but not always required, he said.
“But, it doesn’t matter if we agree with what it says,” Hartshorn said, noting the law establishes the guidance in drawing the lines based upon population.
Consequently, in drawing the new plan the company made adjustments in all seven zones. The new configuration keeps each incumbent within their current zone.
“He said the law required them all to be substantially equal, and I appreciate them doing that,” Zone 3 Representative Margaret Moss said.
Johnson dissented in the vote to accept the plan and the enabling resolution which sets it as the guideline for the May, 2022 board election.