Study suggests changing Newport-Mesa trustee area boundaries

A study of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s trustee areas suggests the boundaries need to be adjusted to even out the populations in each area.

Irvine-based DecisionInsite, Newport-Mesa’s demographic consultant, conducted the study on the seven trustee areas, which have not been altered since the school district formed 50 years ago.

“The trustee areas have remained the same, although populations have changed within the trustee areas,” district spokeswoman Annette Franco said.

Initial data presented to the school board Tuesday showed that both Area 2, which contains six Costa Mesa schools, and Area 7, which contains five Westside Costa Mesa elementary schools, including Rea and Victoria, have a population of nearly 40,000. More than half of Area 7’s population is Latino, unlike the six other areas.

Area 6, containing Woodland Elementary School in Costa Mesa and three Newport Beach schools, and Area 3, containing Back Bay High School and Kaiser and Mariners elementary schools, have populations just over 19,000.

Area 4 has the largest population, 46,171. It includes Corona del Mar middle and high schools and five Newport Beach elementary schools.

Estancia and Early College high schools, TeWinkle Intermediate School and three Costa Mesa elementary schools are in Area 1, where the population is 17,464.

Area 5, where the population is 16,369, has only one school, Newport Elementary.

District staff plans to research alternatives for trustee area adjustments and present them for discussion at the August board meeting.

“Trustees will review and discuss to determine potential next steps for the boundary changes,” Franco said.

Any trustee area adjustments would not affect school attendance boundaries, district officials said.

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Alex Chan, alexandra.chan@latimes.com

Twitter: @AlexandraChan10