School board picks redistricting option

Representation at Lake Tahoe was a key consideration for school board trustees during their discussion of redistricting on Tuesday night.

Trustees picked the first option of three for the new districting as a result of the Douglas County Census, saying it seemed like the one that came closest to balancing out district representation.

Trustees spent a little time looking at the three options presented by the county and picked the one that expanded the Lake Tahoe area from the crest of the Carson Range to Jacks Valley and Foothill roads.

Robbe Lehmann expressed concerns that extending Lake Tahoe Area 3 too far into the Carson Valley would create the possibility that a resident outside of the Lake would represent Tahoe.

“I think we need somebody from the Lake on this board and that might not happen,” he said. “I’m concerned about that.”

That comment was echoed by Lake Tahoe resident Tod Post.

Tahoe trustee Doug Englekirk said he wasn’t too concerned about it, though he thought Clear Creek would be more homogenous with Lake Tahoe than Genoa, which was the selected option.

School Board trustee and Ruhenstroth resident Heather Jackson said she didn’t feel trustees should limit themselves to just the area they represent.

“We represent everyone in all of the areas,” she said. “I don’t just visit schools in my area. I’ve been to the Lake and Jacks Valley. I think we should make sure when we are voted in that we represent everyone, and as long as we continue to do that, the borders aren’t that restricting.”

School board trustees must live in the district they represent, but they are elected at large. School board trustee is a nonpartisan office.

Public comment is being sought by Jan. 5, 2022.

Trustees didn’t get much help from the public, according to Clerk-Treasurer Amy Burgans.

She said one person from the public selected option 1 and two others selected option 2.

None of the trustees would lose a seat until they were up for re-election, Burgans said.

Under the resolution approved on Tuesday night, District 1 includes Johnson lane north to the county line and east to Highway 395.

District 2 runs up the west side of Carson Valley between the Highway 395-88 line and Jacks Valley-Foothill south to Fairview with a bump out for western Minden.

District 3 includes all of the county west of Jacks Valley and Foothill, including Lake Tahoe.

Districts 4, 5 and 7 divide up the Carson Valley’s central core, with 4 including the northern Gardnerville Ranchos, southern Gardnerville and part of Fish Springs. District 5 runs from the southern edge of the towns to the southern Gardnerville Ranchos. District 7 includes southern Minden, northern Gardnerville east to East Valley Road.

District 6 includes Topaz Ranch Estates and all of the Pine Nuts, in addition to Ruhenstroth.

Burgans said the districts were designed to be as close to 7,700 residents as possible.

County officials are seeking input on the proposed maps, which are located at https://redistricting-douglasnvgis.hub.arcgis.com

Residents have until Jan. 5 to express an opinion on the maps.

Burgans said around 18 people had weighed in on the county maps, so far.