Stop Gerrymandering of our School Districts

Without soliciting any community feedback and with limited discussion among the school board members, the school district proposed and the school board voted to approve (6-3) a new regional map. This map was seriously flawed:

• The proposal takes away the voting rights of two precincts for 6 years (voted for school board directors in 2019, should be voting in 2023 under current map, won't vote until 2025 under proposed map).

• It gerrymanders the school district to create 7 strong republican districts and only 2 strong democratic districts.

On December 8th the school district, without telling the Democratic members of the school board, filed their map with the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas.

We oppose this map (first one below) and have taken steps to intervene.

Proposed Gerrymandered Map

Fair and Equitable Map

To inform the judge handling the review of this map, we filed a petition to consider a fair alternative map (second one above).

The map we filed with the court:

• Is a three-region map, with three school board directors in each region.

• Does not create Democratic leaning districts but rather fair, non-gerrymandered districts, and is reflective of the registration of the school district (D: 48.3%, R: 51.6%. Note: Independents are not considered in this analysis). 

• Does not disenfranchise any voters by taking away their right to vote in 2023.

• Gives us a fighting chance to win elections. 

We believe that in side-by-side evaluation of the two maps, our regional map is clearly superior and the only map that provides voters in Central Bucks School District with fair elections, which is a protected right under the PA Constitution.

Republicans always said the government should be run like a business

Imagine this: the owner of a small business orders some things needed for his business but when it comes time to settle up, he cancels the checks he wrote or just refuses to pay in the first place. That would not reflect well on his credit rating, let alone his ability to get supplies from the suppliers he shafted. (I say “his” credit rating because what woman would be so irresponsible?)

The above scenario is not how successful businesses are run. If you can’t afford the supplies in the first place, you don’t order them.

Which brings us to the debt ceiling.

And never mind the disaster that “businessman” Donald Trump created. Donald Trump used the buy now and don’t pay later methodology but his karma is coming due.

CBSD crafting policy without teacher or staff feedback

Central Bucks School District Will Actually Host Town Halls With Teachers About Classroom Censorship Policy, But After It Already Passed

January 13, 2023 by Cyril Mychalejko

Too little, too late: Why weren't teacher and staff feedback elicited and prioritized during the crafting of the policy?

Central Bucks School District Superintendent Abram Lucabaugh sent an email Wednesday to teachers and staff requesting their attendance to a series of town halls to discuss new Policy 321, which will ban LGBTQ Pride flags and muzzle discussions and teaching in the classroom. 

“Over the next several weeks I will be hosting six ‘town hall’ forums for our teachers, paraprofessionals, and administrators to listen, ask questions, and open a dialogue to better understand how we can position you to engage in your work within the context of this policy and to do so with confidence and impact,” wrote Lucabaugh in an email leaked to the Bucks County Beacon.

But why weren’t teacher and staff feedback elicited and prioritized during the crafting of the policy? 

“As a teacher, I not only feel unheard and untrusted, I ache for our students – not just LGBTQ+ students – all students because Policy 321 is an attempt to close them off from the world that exists outside of Central Bucks,” said Rebecca Cartee-Haring, an English teacher at CB West High School. “Teachers need real leadership from our administration and not a PR tour after a decision has already taken from us our teachable moments.”

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