Community college district reshuffles alignment

Deirdre Newman

NEWPORT-MESA -- Residents of the Coast Community College district

experienced a shift in their alignment last week.

The move was not due to an earthquake, but to the redrawing of trustee

areas based on the 2000 Census, which was unanimously approved Feb. 20.

The district, which extends from Seal Beach to Newport Coast, has had

the same trustee areas for the past 25 years at least, said Walt Howald,

board president.

So it was about time the board took a look at its borders and redrew

them to reflect a more accurate picture of modern residential areas,

Howald said. “Because of development in Huntington Beach and down

coast, the five district resident areas had become very different in the

number of human beings in each,” Howald said. “The census in 2000 gave us

an opportunity to equalize this.”

The new zones each have an average of 125,000 residents.

Although trustees have to live in the area they will ultimately

represent, voters from throughout the district elect them.

In addition to equalization, the realignment was also an attempt to

bring the trustee areas into line with city boundaries. For instance, the

Balboa Peninsula of Newport Beach used to be in an area with Costa Mesa,

but now it, along with the rest of Newport beach, is in its own area. The

Santa Ana River bed also provides another natural dividing line between

the two areas, Howald said.

The realignment plan will now go to the County Board of Education.