Minneapolis Voters Approve School Board Geographic Districts

Suzanee Ziegler:

The school board now has seven members, all elected at large from the entire district. The new plan board will expand from six to nine members, with six of those members to be elected from districts that correspond with the current Minneapolis park board districts. The remaining three board members would be at large. That measure passed 104,283 to 54,042.

Supporters argued that it would guarantee representation from every part of the city and give parents just one point person to contact. Opponents said it would balkanize the board into factions with local, rather than citywide, concerns, could lead to political deal-making on budgets and school closings, and might diminish minority representation. Voters rejected a similar proposal in 1987.

Madison should move to geographic representation, which would significantly reduce the cost of running, and hopefully attract more candidates.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at November 6, 2008 3:11 AM
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