West Contra Costa school board will soon release its trustee-area map after a year of controversy

The journey toward the new voting system in the school district began in 2002, when the California Voting Rights Act of 2001 was enacted, making it easier for minority groups to prove at-large elections dilute their vote. Though most California elections have historically been held at-large, the voting rights act has caused a surge of lawsuits in recent years, either threatened or real, prompting more than 100 school districts and cities to shift to trustee-area elections.

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School board approves trustee-area map

The final map will divide the district into five separate voting areas, each of which will elect one board member in future elections. This area-based system will replace the current at-large elections where school board winners are determined by a district-wide popular vote.

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West Contra Costa school board meets for a six-hour, packed discussion on charter schools

On Wednesday night, West Contra Costa Unified School District’s (WCCUSD) first board of education meeting of the year was packed with chatty bouncy children, a sea of blue shirt-wearing Caliber Beta Academy teachers, and people holding orange public comment sheets. Newly-elected school board president Todd Groves began the meeting promptly at 6:30 pm as eager…

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Proposed charter school sparks heated debate

Summit Public Schools had their petition to open a new high school in El Cerrito denied by the West Contra Costa Unified School District – a decision which the Richmond City Council backed. The result: a heated debate about educational opportunity in Richmond, and what effect a new high school might have on existing schools.

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Ivy League Connection gives local youth an academic edge

Ivy League schools are known worldwide for their prestige, academic rigor and exclusive admissions. The Ivy League Connection funds trips to Ivy League summer enrichment programs to create that college-going academic culture in Richmond. Last Thursday, the ILC hosted a private dinner with Elizabeth Hart, the director of minority outreach at Brown University. “If we’re…

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