Petition drive to change BISD board extended to November elections January 01, 2010 4:52 PM Ashley Rodrigue The petition-delivery deadline has come and gone for a group of Beaumont parents trying to change the way Beaumont ISD trustees represent the district. But tonight, Ashley Rodrigue reports, those parents say that doesn't mean their goal has failed.. it just means, it's changed. The message is clear.. and so are the signatures that support it. but the goal to change the way the Beaumont ISD trustees represent the district has flipped focus. Petition drive participant, Paula Gresham said, "We're right in the middle of the petition drive, we've got about a third of the signatures that we need to make this happen." In October, a group of Beaumont parents, upset over district bond projects, started pushing petitions around town, calling for a May 2010 election to change the board's makeup to five, single-member districts, and two at-large positions. Currently BISD's Board of Trustees consists of seven, single-member districts. In order to make that goal a reality, organizers had to collect signatures from 15% of the district's registered voters, which is about 12,000 people, and turn it in before the end of 2009. That deadline has come and gone without a complete collection of signatures, but petition drive participant Paula Gresham says that's actually breathed new life and new goals into the plan. She said, "We're really wanting to redraw the district lines, equal representation." But not everyone feels there's a problem. In the past, BISD Board President Woodrow Reece commented on the drive, saying if it's not broken, don't try to fix it. Some community members have also expressed a similar opinion to drive organizers. But, the group is still moving forward and is now aiming for the November elections. Gresham said, "We want everybody to know this isn't a Sallie Curtis issue, or a Regina-Howell issue, or a South Park issue, this is a Beaumont issue." The group behind the drive is asking any one interested in signing a petition or joining the drive, to visit the "Parents for a New Sallie Curtis" website at salliecurtisparents.blogspot.com.