Cobb School Board Approves Reapportionment Map Vote

The Cobb Board of Education voted 6-1 on Thursday to put a new reapportionment map on the Aug. 10 work session agenda for a board vote.

The board supported a map board Chairwoman Alison Bartlett presented first at the meeting and that she said included input from all board members.

Board member David Banks presented a second map that he finished last week. He said he worked on it with board member Lynnda Crowder-Eagle and shared it with other board members through an email.

Bartlett pointed out to Banks that his map would put her and Crowder-Eagle in the same post, which Banks acknowledged and said “both of you are up for re-election next year.”

“You’re creating a post that neither of us live in,” Bartlett said.

Bartlett later said that the map she worked on with the rest of the board tried to better evenly distribute the district’s 16 high schools among board member posts. She, along with others included in the redesigning process, aimed to keep communities and schools within the boundaries of their current post.

Attorney Clem Doyle reminded the board that the state legislature ultimately determines the redistricting maps for local governments and school boards. Doyle also said state officials prefer to get unanimous consent on the maps.

“What are the chances of that happening here?” Doyle asked with a grin.