San Diego Community College District

The San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees is seeking public input as it moves forward with a redistricting process that will include updates to the maps used to elect its five-member board.

In addition, the SDCCD is proposing to transition to “by-trustee area” elections commencing with the 2022 election cycle. In the past, trustee candidates would first run in district-only elections with the top two vote getters in each district then running in a citywide general election.

The SDCCD has hired a mapping and demographics consultant and will be holding a public hearing at its regular Board meeting on July 22 to receive public input regarding the redistricting process based on maps of estimated population growth in current trustee areas. A revised timeline of activities for census-based redistricting and transition to by-trustee-area elections will also be presented. Draft trustee-area maps will be presented at a public meeting after the U.S. Bureau of the Census releases 2020 Census data in the fall.

According to Trustee Bernie Rhinerson, who serves on the SDCCD’s Subcommittee on Redistricting, the redistricting process will ensure continued participation by all segments of the community in future elections.

“As a district committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, it is critically important that elected trustees are representative of the communities they serve and that all members of the electorate can participate equally in the electoral process,” said Rhinerson.

The district is legally required to conduct a redistricting process based on the 2020 Census. The U.S. Bureau of the Census has delayed the release of the 2020 Census data to September 30, 2021. Through the remainder of 2021 and into early 2022, the district will continue to seek input as it acquires additional Census data, publishes draft trustee-area maps, and takes other steps. The district must meet a statutory deadline of February 28, 2022 to complete the process and it must secure approval from the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges before that deadline.

The district’s five trustees are elected in even-numbered years to four-year terms by the voters of San Diego. In addition, three SDCCD students also serve a one-year term filling a student trustee position on a rotating basis.

More information on the July 22 Board of Trustees meeting.

The board meeting can be viewed at 4 p.m. on July 22, 2021 on the District's YouTube Channel.