At a special called school board meeting the Coffee County Board of Education discussed the upcoming redistricting.
Since the early 1990s, Coffee County Schools’ district map has mirrored that of the Coffee County Commission but the current map that Coffee County Commission is discussing using would cause school board president Brian McLeod and vice president Galen McWaters to be in the same district. That would mean the next time the two are up for election they would either have to face each other or one would not seek reelection.
Board attorney James Tarbox told the board that he believed that the school board could legally draw up their own map, as long as it follows legal guidelines over the seven-district map. The districts would need to have equal population represented and no two districts could have more than 10 percent of the average population in the county. District five is also Coffee County’s only minority-majority district and must remain so.
After discussing the issue, board member Eric Payne proposed that the board have its own map drawn up and Sherry Eddins seconded his motion. All those in attendance approved the motion. Board member Mike Bailey was not in attendance.
Tarbox told the board that the board needs to have its new district map finalized by the end of November because of legal requirements to have it settled before upcoming elections. The board will present a proposed map at the Nov. 4 board meeting and vote on it. If it is approved, the map will be made public for viewing and members of the public can voice their opinions at a board meeting likely to be called on the week of Thanksgiving.
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