Superintendent proposes redistricting for USD 397 years ago
By ROWENA PLETT
Staff writer
Bob Kiblinger, superintendent of Centre USD 397, presented information April 13 to the board of education regarding possible redistricting of board member districts. He presented it not as an action item but as "something to think about."
According to Kiblinger, K.S.A. 72-6769 was amended by the state legislature to require: "board member districts that are as compact and equal in population as possible" and "member districts are to be no more or less than 5 percent of the mean population of the school district." The amended law went into effect July 1, 2006.
The 2000 census population for USD #397 is 1,580, as determined by the Kansas State Department of Education. The populations of the current six member districts are: District 1, Tampa, 192; District 2, Ramona, 235; District 3, Lost Springs, 201; District 4, Burdick, 211; District 5, Lincolnville, 473; District 6, Pilsen, 265. The mean is 527.
Kiblinger said he and the board clerk have been working with the Marion County election officer to determine a viable plan to meet the requirements of the legislation.
Because of the heavy concentration of population in the Lincolnville area, it was not possible to arrive at six separate member districts to comply with the new law without disrupting the voting plans for USD 397 cities, townships, etc., within Marion County.
Kiblinger presented a plan that would create three districts with two board members per district, plus one member at-large.
The plan would combine the Burdick and Pilsen areas into one district even though they are not adjacent to each other. Several board members were averse to that idea.
Kiblinger said the district also could be divided into two districts with three members each or could elect all members as at-large.
The suggestion was made to keep the member districts as they are as long as patrons don't complain.
It was pointed out that the current member districts have the same proportion of population in 2007 as when the school district was established in 1958.
