The process to move to trustee area or ward elections in the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) stalled after the Contra Costa County Board of Education rejected the trustee area map adopted by the WCCUSD school board.

The process seems to be moving again. Last week, the WCCUSD agreed to a court order requiring the district to move to trustee area elections by the year 2020. The WCCUSD is being sued by Walnut Creek lawyer Scott Rafferty.

However, the school board must adopt a second trustee area map for the process to move forward.

In order to obtain community input on the second map, I recommended WCCUSD staff develop a comprehensive community outreach plan. Staff will be presenting that plan for consideration at the September 26, 2018, school board meeting. The public is invited to comment on the plan.

Although the move to trustee area elections has been controversial to say the least, I strongly encourage WCCUSD residents to participate in the process and reach their own conclusions after a thorough review of the facts.

Otherwise, individuals who do not live in our school district may decide who represents us on our school board. This is not a scare tactic. There is evidence that Rafferty worked behind the scenes to block the trustee area map adopted by our locally elected school board.