The Lewisville ISD board of trustees voted unanimously to approve a transition from its electoral system of seven at-large seats to five single-member districts and two at-large seats during an Aug. 28 board meeting. The new system will take effect in May 2024, coinciding with the next school board election.
The breakdown
The change comes after a lawsuit was filed against the district in 2022 by plaintiff Paige Dixon, who ran for a spot on the LISD school board in 2021 and lost. Dixon and her attorneys, of the Brewer Storefront firm, claimed Lewisville ISD violated the Voters Right Act of 1965 by “not fairly representing [the] diverse student body.”
In the 2021-22 school year, the district’s population of 49,113 was 30.7% Hispanic, 15.7% Asian, 12% African American, and 4.6% two or more races. The system with seven at-large members allowed citizens to vote for each board position, while the new system will include “at least one single-member district comprised of a majority of eligible minority voters,” according to a statement by the Brewer Storefront.
