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BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A parents group in Baton Rouge has laid out a lengthy case against reducing the size of the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board.
The Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/1rjqImA ) the group says the plan lacks research to justify it and would give extra advantage to wealthier candidates and those with special interests supporting them.
Meanwhile, a lawyer for the state NAACP says the civil rights organization will sue if any of the five proposed new maps, ranging from 10 to as few as seven districts, are adopted as is.
Tania Nyman gave the presentation for the group One Community, One School District in a meeting Wednesday. The audience of about 50 was dominated by people opposed to reducing the size of the School Board.
Nyman said it's suspicious that the planned July 24 vote by the School Board on reducing its size is taking place so close to Aug. 20-22, when candidates will qualify for the Nov. 4 School Board elections.
Alfred Tillman Bester with the NAACP said the five proposed maps dilute African-American voting strength on the school board and will increase the population in each district, making good representation more difficult.
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Information from: The Advocate, http://theadvocate.com
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