Articles

HCC Board Chair says final redistricting map meets Trustees’ criteria

Apr 26, 2023

Houston Community College (HCC) Trustees approved new trustee district boundaries recently to comply with requirements of the Texas Education Code.

Redistricting is the process by which the boundaries of elective districts (e.g., single-member districts) are periodically redrawn in response to changes in the population. The Texas Education Code requires a board to re-divide single-member districts “if the census data indicates that the population of the most populous district exceeds the population of the least populous district by more than 10 percent.”

The previous time the HCC Board of Trustees changed trustee boundaries through redistricting was 2011.

Board Chair Dr. Cynthia Lenton-Gary said HCC trustees adopted a plan that meets criteria agreed upon by the board.

“College redistricting is a complicated process,” Lenton-Gary said. “It requires the thoughtful input of trustees and the community with the goal of assuring voting balance among all constituents. In addition to the consideration of community interests, the Board is tasked with complying with the Voting Rights Act when redrawing district boundaries.

“After a thorough process that included informative meetings in each Houston Community College (HCC) trustee district, and with input from the college’s redistricting team, the HCC Board of Trustees has adopted map Plan 1A, believing that this plan best holds to the Board’s agreed upon criteria, such as: to preserve existing boundaries when possible and preserve constituent relations.

“Plan 1A makes minor adjustments to the boundaries of each trustee district, while maintaining the balance and influence of each district. This important work is the result of meaningful dialogue with the community and the HCC governing board. I am proud to stand with my colleagues in support of this monumental effort.”

More information on HCC’s redistricting process and final district boundaries can be found on the college’s website at hccs.edu/redistricting.