County clerks in California in the 1980s promoted the idea of consolidating odd-year school board elections with even-year statewide elections. That made sense. Holding school elections with more visible statewide elections could lead to increased voter turnout and spread out costs. So lawmakers changed state law to allow school boards to move board elections from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years.
But to accomplish the shift, the law contained a major flaw, allowing school board members unilaterally to lengthen their own terms to longer than four years.
The most recent case is in the newly merged Twin Rivers Unified district, in north Sacramento. Board members last week voted to hold their election with the statewide primary in June 2012 – seven months after their scheduled November 2011 election.
It didn’t matter that the State Board of Education in 2007 specifically called for new Twin Rivers Unified board members to have a four-year term with a November 2011 election – or, alternatively, a three-year term with a November 2010 election.
It didn’t matter that the Sacramento County Registrar of Voters recommended last April that the board consolidate with the November 2010 election. It didn’t matter that the League of Women Voters of Sacramento County urged a November 2010 election.
All other school districts in Sacramento County will hold November elections this year. By selecting June 2012 election, Twin Rivers board members not only lengthened their terms by seven months, they put themselves on a different election cycle from other districts. This was a bad decision from beginning to end – and state law allowed it.
Sen. Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley, and Assemblyman Paul Fong, D-Cupertino – the chairs of the Senate and Assembly elections committees – should work with their members to draft a fix to the law. Incumbents unilaterally adding seven months or a year to their own terms is just plain wrong. The law, instead, should allow boards to shorten their terms to three years to consolidate with even-year elections.