Commentary: Make your voice heard at public meetings on school board boundaries

An extremely important issue is facing Newport Beach and Costa Mesa residents regarding the future of Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

In the next 45 days, the district has scheduled three meetings to allow the public to view the two maps being considered for boundaries for school board trustee elections.

The current trustees will then vote on the map to be used in the 2018 election. At the 2018 election, we will only be voting for a trustee in our area if their term of office has ended.

This change in voting procedure is due to the district not being in compliance with the Voting Rights Act enacted over 10 years ago. The school district was also recently sued for never having ethnic diversity on the board, so in the future Costa Mesa’s Westside citizens will be able to vote for a candidate of their choice, which might bring more diversity to the board.

The three meetings to discuss the maps are scheduled for Sept. 18 at Newport Harbor High School, which covers the Newport area; Sept. 28 at Costa Mesa High School, which covers the Mesa Verde and Costa Mesa High School areas; and Oct. 9 at the district office on Bear Street, which also covers the Mesa Verde and Costa Mesa High School areas. All meetings are at 6 p.m. Please try to attend one of them.

Current district trustees, if you want ethnic diversity involved in your boundary meetings, you should delete the Oct. 9 meeting and schedule a trustee boundary meeting with the Westside parents.

Your two options for boundaries directly affect this community. Let them have a voice.

Costa Mesa resident MARTIE O’MEARA is a retired teacher.