The Lewisville ISD Board of Trustees on Monday finalized the district’s plan to transition to five single-member districts and two at-large seats, beginning in May 2024.
The change is the result of a resolved federal voting rights lawsuit that challenged the district’s current system of having seven at-large seats. The lawsuit claimed the district’s at-large voting system denied Hispanic, Asian and black voters “a fair opportunity to elect school board representatives of their choice,” because all seven school board members, as they had been for years, were white, while only about 38% of the student population was white.
LISD announced on Aug. 18 that the change was coming, and on Monday evening, it released more details about how it will transition to the new system. There will be five single-member districts that are “substantially equal in total population as required by law, based upon 2020 Census summary population counts.”
“In addition to prioritizing the combined voting strength of Hispanics and Black residents, the districts also ensured four of the five districts represent two high school feeder patterns,” the district said in a news release.
All current trustees may serve out their current term, and the switch to the new system will happen incrementally over the next three years, according to Lewisville ISD. Candidates for Single-Member Districts 1-5 will need to reside in that district, while candidates for At-Large Places 6-7 can live anywhere within LISD boundaries.
“The Board remains steadfast in its belief that every Trustee represents every student across our 127-square mile district, and not just those in close proximity to the residence of a Trustee,” the board said in a statement. “We will work together as we always have to ensure Lewisville ISD continues to engage and inspire learners and leaders, and that all the families we serve feel a sense of belonging in our schools.”
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