Have your say on what new Johnston County school board election map voters should use
Johnston County voters can now weigh in on which new election maps should be used to select school board members.
Starting with the 2024 election, the school board will be reorganized into seven residency districts representing different parts of the county. The school board selected three different options they want public feedback on before selecting a map next week.
Johnston County residents can go to johnston.k12.nc.us/page/residencydistricts to view the three options and provide comments.
Currently, all seven school board seats are elected at-large with no district lines. The new system will still require candidates to run countywide. But now candidates will run from the district where they live
“We feel like this is a wonderful opportunity for our Board of Education, so we’re excited,” school board chair Lyn Andrews said at this week’s board meeting.
Short deadline for selecting new maps
But things are not going the way school board members had hoped.
On Oct. 23, the school board passed a resolution asking the General Assembly for permission to move from at-large to residency districts. Board members cited how the lack of district lines meant no members are from the southern part of the district.
The school board also asked state lawmakers to move the elections to odd-numbered years when only municipal races are on the ballot.
Legislators approved the switch to residency districts. But lawmakers balked at changing the school board’s election cycles.
They are requiring the seven school board districts to be within 5% of each other in population.
Lawmakers gave the school board until Nov. 17 to adopt the new district maps. If the deadline is missed, the school board will be required to use the same district maps used by the Johnston County Board of Commissioners.
Andrews said they’re not using the commissioners’ maps because they wouldn’t meet the legislature’s population requirements. She said they also want to ensure that each board district has at least one high school within its boundaries.
Seven maps were presented this week to the school board. Board members ranked which three they want the public to comment on.
The school board plans to schedule a meeting next week to select one of the maps.
