What is Trustee Area Districting?

La Habra City School District Board of Education members are currently elected through an at-large election system. In at-large elections, all registered voters within the district elect all governing board members. Under a by-trustee-area election system, the district would be divided into geographic areas—called trustee areas—and one board member residing in each trustee area would be elected only by the registered voters living within that area.

The California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) of 2001 states: “An at-large method of election may not be imposed or applied in a manner that impairs the ability of a protected class to elect candidates of its choice or its ability to influence the outcome of an election.” A protected class is defined as a class of voters who are members of a race, color, or language minority group.

Adopting a by-trustee-area election system ensures compliance with the California Voting Rights Act and helps protect the District from potential litigation.

The Board will hold public hearings to gather community input on the proposed by-trustee areas.  At these meetings, stakeholders will be invited to share input on “communities of interest” that should be considered when shaping draft trustee-area boundaries.

Community of Interest

We Want to Hear from You: Tell Us About Your Community of Interest!

La Habra City School District is beginning the process of transitioning from at-large to by-trustee-area elections. As part of this process, the Board of Education wants to hear from you about how trustee-area boundaries should be drawn. Keeping communities of interest together is an important part of this process. Please choose Trustee Area Districting in our Contact form to share your feedback.

What is a Community of Interest?

A community of interest is defined as a “contiguous population that shares common social and economic interests that should be included within a single district for purposes of its effective and fair representation.” These communities can often be seen as overlapping neighborhoods, networks, and groups that share interests, values, histories, cultures, languages, and identities, and whose boundaries can often be shown on a map.

Examples of factors that may define a community of interest include:

  • Shared interests in schools, housing, community safety, transportation, health conditions, land use, environmental conditions, and other community issues.
  • Social and civic networks, such as churches, mosques, temples, homeowner associations, or community centers, as well as shared use of public spaces like parks, libraries, and shopping centers.
  • Racial and ethnic composition, cultural identity, or households where a language other than English is primarily spoken.
  • Similar socio-economic factors, including income levels, homeownership, or education levels.
  • Alignment with political or jurisdictional boundaries, such as city limits, other school districts, or community college and special district boundaries.

Questions to Consider (for reflection only):

  • Does your community share a culture, characteristic, or bond?
  • Is your community geographic in nature? Can it be identified on a map?
  • How does your community’s relationship with La Habra City School District affect or become affected by policy decisions made by the Board of Education?

Public Hearing Regarding Trustee Area Maps

The first Public Hearing Regarding Trustee Area Maps will be held during the September 11, 2025 Board Meeting.

Trustee Area Locator Tool

The La Habra City School District has created a Dynamic Address Locator to help residents determine where their home address falls within the two proposed Trustee Area Map options.

To use the tool, please navigate to the Dynamic Address Locator and once on the page:

  1. click on the following link: https://locator.pea.powerschool.com/?studyId=238206
  2. Enter your home address in the search bar at the top.
  3. Click on the “hamburger” layers icon on the right side of the page, just under the MySchoolLocator logo. 
  4. Toggle on the boxes for Trustee Boundaries Option 1 and Trustee Boundaries Option 2 to view both maps.

This resource is designed to make it simple for community members to see how each proposed option relates to their residence.