ENCINITAS — The San Diego County Committee on School District Organization adopted a final electoral map for the San Dieguito Union High School District at Monday’s public hearing, marking an apparent end to a controversial redistricting process that started in early January under the school district’s direction.
After taking over San Dieguito’s redistricting process due to “issues calling into question the timeliness and legality” of the district’s selected Map 8, the county held three public hearings and presented three draft maps to the public.
The County Board of Education, acting as the Committee on School District Organization, unanimously adopted Map C at the April 25 meeting, one of the three maps drawn by the demographer ARCBridge Consulting and Training.
Before voting on the map, multiple board members said that Map C aligned best with community requests, including the continuity of city borders, such as Solana Beach, the even distribution of middle and high schools and the preservation of elementary school feeder districts.
“It seems to not be perfect, but it seems to be the one that meets most of the requirements,” said Board member Guadalupe González, who first motioned for its adoption, said.
Of the seven people who spoke during yesterday’s hearing, all supported the county’s involvement in the process and the majority favored Map C.
“These current maps take into consideration minority representation and communities of interest,” one speaker said. “All three I think are acceptable. I live in Solana Beach so I prefer Map C.”
However, some residents of Del Mar raised concerns that Map C divided the Del Mar Heights area from the city of Del Mar, referencing a part of Del Mar Heights west of Interstate 5 grouped with Area 3, the area comprising Carmel Valley and Rancho Santa Fe.
“I would ask if possible to have all of the Del Mar area west of [I-5] together because it is its own community,” another speaker said. “Although I realize the city boundaries are a little bit funky, I think everybody west of [I-5] in Del Mar feels like a unit.”
Other residents raised concerns that in an attempt to have a middle and high school per area and move San Dieguito Academy to Area 3, Map C shifted a LatinX community around SDA and the neighboring Ocean Knoll Elementary.
Board member Gregg Robinson echoed these concerns, but still voted for Map C.
“[Map C] is the best of three good alternatives compared to what you folks were facing,” Board President Rick Shea said, referring to San Dieguito’s controversial Map 8.
The lawsuit against the San Dieguito district’s Map 8 is still pending. Attorney Cory Briggs, who represents two district residents in the suit, said they want the court to deem Map 8 invalid so it cannot be used as a “fallback.”
After its submission to the Registrar of Voters, Map C will replace the district’s 2017 Cranberry Map in time for the November elections.
