Pennsbury, civic group go to court to rebalance voting districts
The district's move is common when some districts grow larger than others. A group backed by the teachers union is seeking a drastic change from three voting regions to nine.
Lawyers for the Pennsbury School District and a civic group backed by its teachers' union will be in Bucks County Court this morning to present plans for rebalancing the district's voting regions.
The district is proposing minor changes to its three voting regions to even out the population of 71,000 and preserve the principle of "one man, one vote."
The civic group, Concerned Residents of Pennsbury (CROP), is seeking a more radical revision, dividng the district into nine regions. CROP, led by the unions for the teachers and support staffs, says the none regions would provide for more balanced representaton.
In filing its petion to the court, CROP inadvertently included internal memos stating that its plan would eliminate the seats of one or two school board members who have fought the unions and their candidates at the polls and in contract negotiations.
Provided "the opportunity to cut off the head of the snake by denying [board Vice President Simon] Campbell a seat to run for, why not go for the kill?" one memo said.
CROP's lawyer, David Truelove, scoffed at the district's accusation that the group was politicizing the process.