Guest Column

With the issue of the school board redistricting being in the news I asked County Commissioner Robert Stevens if he'd like to do a guest column on the subject to address the issue. Here is his first guest column for "This is Smyrna, TN."

Fair and equal representation is the backbone of our democracy. That is why I and some of my colleagues on the County Commission have been adamant about revisiting the makeup of the county’s school board and road board zones that are based on a 20+ year old map. Over much opposition, the Commission voted 12-7 at its November meeting to reconvene the Redistricting Committee and simply study the zones to determine whether to keep the existing lines or recommend modifications.

We should modify our school board and road board zones. For example, District 4, which encompasses a sprawling area from west LaVergne all the way to Eagleville and Midland, is no longer a contiguous district—it is made up of two unconnected islands (which is legally questionable). The City of LaVergne is divided into three zones, with LaVergne being the small part of each district. This makes it very difficult for a LaVergne resident to get elected, and it encourages elected officials to focus their time on the “majority” area of their districts, thus leaving LaVergne behind. Finally, one district in the middle of the county literally looks like a boat anchor (or a chicken foot), and another district on the east side encompasses much rural area, only to narrowly jut out into the western portion of the county in west Murfreesboro. The point: there is no logic or reason whatsoever in our current districts, and the people we represent deserve better.

When the Redistricting Committee redrew the County Commission district lines a few months ago, it adhered to three standards: contiguity, compactness, and common areas in the same district. These are certainly the appropriate standards to follow in the redistricting process. However, the committee did not spend a single minute looking at the school board or road board map, and therefore did not apply the standards to those districts. After much input from citizens, all I and the others want from the Commission is to apply these standards to the school board and road board districts and redraw them in a logical fashion.

Retooling the map is a complicated issue, both legally and practically, but it can be done. I came up with three alternatives in a short amount of time. With the technology available, the Redistricting Committee can easily create a sensible alternative in short order. Most of LaVergne can be grouped into its own school board district, which will allow that member to focus on that area’s schools, instead of also considering the needs of a sprawling rural district. Smyrna can also be drawn into a district that covers most of its residents. Also, the remainder of the county can be reshaped into districts that are more compact and focus on areas with similar interests. This will allow school board and road members to serve without divided loyalties and spend less time traversing the county.

In summary, the school board handles about 75% of the county budget each year, and making sure we have the best representation possible to decide how our school system will operate is a valid inquiry. To me, spending a few more weeks on the issue to study it and make an informed decision is a no-brainer. We must continue to pursue this issue until the map is modified, or until all available avenues are exhausted. I sincerely hope that the County Commission will modernize from the “status quo” and ensure fair and equal representation for each citizen of this county; you deserve no less.