What is redistricting and why does it need to be completed?

Each local education agency (school district), area education agency (AEA) and community college is governed by a board of directors that represents the population within the boundary lines of their area.  The Iowa Code requires that community colleges (260C.13), area education agencies (273.8) and local school districts (275.23A ) realign director districts following each federal decennial census to be as equal as practicable to the ideal or average population for that district.

Director Redistricting Requirements and History

Who needs to do it?

According to Section 275.12 of the Iowa Code, there are five optional plans to elect school directors.  Of Iowa’s 374 public school districts, 193 utilize a plan that involves director districts.  These districts, as well as AEAs and community colleges, must realign their district boundaries to reflect as nearly as possible the ideal population as determined by the census.

Iowa School Districts by Director District Type

How will the Director Redistricting Happen?

A statewide steering committee has been convened by the Department of Education to develop and implement a plan to meet Iowa Code requirements.  To help facilitate the redistricting project and make the best use of public resources, the Department of Education is working cooperatively with a steering committee comprised of members from community colleges and AEAs, as well as representatives from the Iowa Association of School Boards, Iowa Association of Trustees, and the State Library.

Statewide Decennial Census Director District Redistricting Project Steering Committee

Department of Education Coordination Staff

What needs to happen?

Director district realignment for school districts, AEAs, and community colleges occurs as part of a sequence of redistricting throughout the state.  Legislative, city and county election precinct redistricting must be completed by November 1, 2001, after which time a third party vendor, selected by the Statewide Redistricting Steering Committee, will analyze 2000 Census population data and propose redrawn director districts for LEAs, AEAs and community colleges.

The redistricting must be completed and described in a board resolution by local education agencies by April 30, 2002; by community colleges by June 1, 2002; and by area education agencies by July 1, 2002. According to the Iowa Code, the local education agency board resolution can occur no earlier than November 15, 2001. For school districts, a copy of the plan must be filed with the area education agency administrator in which the school's electors reside. The State Commissioner of Elections shall receive a copy of the school district plan that will be reviewed for compliance. Also, the school board must notify the county commissioner of elections of each county in which a portion of the school district is located. The boundary changes take effect July 1 of 2002, following their adoption for the next regular board election.

Sequence of Activities

What has been done so far?

The steering committee has issued a request for proposals developed by the Department of Education and a subgroup of the committee is evaluating vendor bids.  This subgroup will recommend a vendor to the steering committee at a meeting scheduled for June 12, 2001.  Prior to awarding the contract, the steering committee will require the selected vendor to make a presentation at a meeting (June 19, 2001 at 1pm in the IACCT Board Room, 707 E. Locust, Des Moines) open to AEA and community college administrators and presidents.

Minutes From December 4, 2000 Meeting
Minutes From May 30, 2001 Meeting

Who will pay for the Redistricting Project?

The direct costs for the redistricting project will be shared by the community colleges and area education agencies.  The Department of Education is providing staff and resources for coordination and facilitation of the project.

What will be the end result of the redistricting project?

The selected vendor will deliver the population statistics and maps of the redrawn boundaries for schools districts, AEAs and community colleges, along with a report that includes a description of current director districts and options, optimizing between minimizing distance and equalizing the population distribution.  This information will be made available in ASCII and shape file databases.  Training will be available to facilitate other uses of the databases developed through the project.

Vendor Deliverables

Who can I contact for more information?

A representative from each community college and AEA has agreed to serve as a project contact for administrators and staff in their respective agencies.  Any questions or concerns should be directed to the contact for your AEA or community college.

Community College Contact List
Area Education Agency Contact List