Message from June 5th, 2023

UPDATE: 2 Additional Map Options Created

 To date, the District has conducted three public hearings as part of the District's transition from "at-large" to "by trustee area" elections.  Based on feedback at the map public hearing on May 30th, the demographer revised current map options to create two additional map options – Scenario 3A and Scenario 5A.  The original 5 draft trustee area maps will remain under consideration along with the newly released map options – totaling 7 options under consideration. 

All 7 maps are available for review on the District’s website under the “Our District” tab à then click “Board of Trustees” and “Trustee Area Election.”

Click here to view the maps

 As always, we encourage your continued participation and input during the remaining public hearings (June 6th and June 20th).  If you cannot attend and wish to review and/or comment regarding the proposed map options under consideration, please submit your comments and feedback to tsmith@rvusd.org or comment via telephone at (707) 542-7375.  All map preference feedback will be relayed to the Board prior to its discussion and adoption of a map option.

We look forward to your continued participation!

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Message from May 23, 2023

Dear Rincon Valley Community:

As the District continues to move through the process of transitioning to “by-Trustee-area” elections under the legal requirements of the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA), we have reached a critical point.  The District is releasing five map options to the community for study and input.  All five of the map options being considered meet the legal requirements outlined in CVRA.  

The District is providing three in-person opportunities to the community to review and provide feedback over the next month before the Board of Education votes on June 20, 2023 for a map that will be put into effect for the next Board elections in 2024.

This release of map options comes at the end of the “Pre-Map” period wherein the District engaged the community with two public hearings to solicit input before drawing map options. 

Each map option for consideration:

1. Meets the equal population requirement (that each trustee area have equal population with up to a 10% variance);

2. Increases the voting power of the largest protected classes in the District (Hispanic/Latino; Asian; and African American) by Citizen Voting Age Population (CVAP/eligible voters) based on up-to-date CVAP statistics compared to District-wide averages;

3. Complies with the Federal Voting Rights Act;

4. Respects communities of interest as much as possible;

5. Is compact and contiguous as much as possible; and

6. Follows man-made and natural geographic features as much as possible.

7. To View the Proposed Maps, click here

 Upcoming Meeting and Hearing Schedule

May 30, 2023 – 1st Public Hearing regarding Map Options at 6:00 p.m. during the Governing Board meeting at the District Office Board Room (1000 Yulupa Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95405)

June 6, 2023 – 2nd Public Hearing regarding Map Options at 6:00 p.m. during the Governing Board meeting at the District Office Board Room (1000 Yulupa Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95405)

June 20, 2023 – 3rd Public Hearing regarding Map Options at 6:00 p.m. and adopt map option during the Governing Board meeting at the District Office Board Room (1000 Yulupa Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95405)

The Rincon Valley community is invited to attend as many meetings and public hearings as you would like.  If you cannot attend and wish to review and/or comment regarding the proposed map options under consideration, please submit your comments and feedback to tsmith@rvusd.org or comment via telephone at (707) 542-7375.  All map preference feedback will be relayed to the Board prior to its discussion and adoption of a map option. 

We look forward to your continued participation!

Message from March 28, 2023

I am writing to update you and to encourage your participation in an important process led by the Rincon Valley Union School District Board of Trustees.

On March 28, 2023, the District initiated the process of transitioning the method by which the Board of Trustees are elected.  Under the current “at-large” system, all registered voters in the District’s boundaries can vote for all candidates for Board.  Under the new proposed system, candidates will be elected by “trustee areas.”  This means only voters within a given trustee area can vote for candidates who reside within that same area.  The intent of this proposed system is to offer greater opportunities for Board representation for candidates that might not otherwise be elected under an at-large system.  Click here to view the approved Resolution

Transitioning to this new system will require the Board to hold public hearings on proposed trustee area boundaries (or maps) prior to asking the County Committee on School District Organization to approve the change.  If the Committee approves the change, “by-trustee area” voting would be held starting with the 2024 Board of Trustees election, on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.  

The District will be utilizing the services of a professional demographer to prepare draft trustee voting area plans for community and Board review.  The demographer will work with the District’s legal counsel to ensure that all draft trustee area map options are in compliance with the California Voting Rights Act (“CVRA”) and other districting requirements.  The process of establishing the trustee areas will involve using the demographic data from the 2020 Census, in addition to other, accepted population and demographic information.  Please note, that this process has no impact on student and school attendance boundaries.

Before draft map options can be prepared and presented to the community, the law requires the District to hold two public hearings to solicit comments and feedback regarding potential trustee areas.  Thereafter, the District will be hosting a series of public hearings regarding the map options, once created.  The dates/times and locations of the upcoming public hearings are shown below.  You are invited to attend as many as you would like.  If you cannot attend a hearing or meeting and wish to review and/or comment regarding potential trustee areas as well as on the proposed “trustee area” maps, once created, please do not hesitate to submit your comments and feedback to the email address below.  Following the initial public hearings, the proposed maps will be created and posted on the District’s web site.  

You may email any comments or questions to Tracy Smith at tsmith@rvusd.org.  You may also comment by telephone at  (707) 542-7375  

We look forward to your participation in this important process in the coming weeks.

Live Feedback Opportunities (Prior to Creation of Map Options)

Live Feedback Opportunities (After Creation of Map Options)

NOTE:  Board vote on trustee area boundaries to immediately follow third map Public Hearing on June 20, 2023.