How to Engage Communities in School Board Redistricting Processes: An Example from New Orleans

Every ten years following the release of the U.S. Census data, school districts must review the boundaries of their school board member districts to determine whether the districts are population-balanced; contiguous; and comply with all local, state, and federal laws including the Voting Rights Act of 1965. After providing redistricting services for the City Council for New Orleans, Louisiana, FLO assisted the Orleans Parish School Board with redistricting services. FLO worked closely with District staff and Board members to develop guidelines for the redistricting process that aligned with the Board’s vision. A key component of the project was community engagement. FLO partnered with a local communications firm, The Hawthorne Agency, Inc., to develop and implement a strategic communications plan that included community outreach, four public hearings at Board meetings, and two sets of in-person and live online community meetings in each of the seven districts. Community members were able to submit feedback on their communities and the draft maps by attending the meetings, calling or emailing the District, or by using the Redistricting Engagement Portal that FLO created. Comments received from the public and the Board members were crucial to development of the draft map options and the final map options. 

Using input received from District leadership, the Board, and the community, FLO developed and revised a series of draft maps that met all legal requirements and aligned with the values of the community and the guidelines set by the Board. The Board adopted a new map in February 2023 that balanced the population of each district (with less than 6.7 percent overall deviation between district populations), with minimal changes to the prior boundaries.