Parents group to meet about remake of BISD board

By EMILY GUEVARA
October 13, 2009
Posted: October 13, 2009, 12:25 AM CDT Last updated: October 13, 2009, 1:50 AM CDT

A group of Beaumont ISD taxpayers hopes to change the way its members are represented on the school board.

Andre Cokinos, a Beaumont resident and father to one Sallie Curtis Elementary student, is spearheading a campaign to bring two at-large seats to the seven-member BISD board. There currently are no at-large seats and each trustee represents one district.

"This would be a way to help the taxpayer, to help the school district with the bond issue, to voice concerns," said Cokinos, 47, a sales manager for Thermal and Mechanical Equipment Co.

In single-member districts, each trustee represents taxpayers in a certain geographic area. With at-large seats, the trustee represents all taxpayers in the school district.

Cokinos said the combination single-member/at-large plan would give taxpayers more representation, essentially getting three board members instead of just one.

"What it does is it just brings more voices to the table as far as taxpayers," he said by phone Monday. "It kind of opens the whole system."

Beaumont ISD taxpayers are invited to attend a meeting to discuss changing the way board members are elected.

When: 3:30 p.m. Oct. 21.

Where: Jefferson County Courthouse Jury Impaneling Room (new side of the building).


Comments

thecatman wrote:
Nearu, according to city-data.com, Beaumont is about 46% black, and 43% white. Most of the rest is Hispanic and other. So yes the NAACP would probably have no objections.
10/13/2009 09:43 AM CDT

nearu wrote:
Fred actually the NAACP would like this. I think that each district should have their own representation. One day the people of beaumont will begin to see that if they just get out and vote, they can control their own representation. I think this will play in favor of the NAACP. With Beaumont being around 45% black and growing and 46% white and declining. This would really favor NAACP in the next two or three years.
10/13/2009 08:59 AM CDT

fredsaid wrote:
Great idea. Will the NAACP let them do it???
10/13/2009 08:19 AM CDT

HillebrandtHoney wrote:
I'm thrilled there are people ready to take a stand in BISD. But is the current school board membership ready to give up their monopoly? Let's hope this group gets enough participation to bring real representation to Beaumont. Several other school districts have all at-large seats.
10/13/2009 06:32 AM CDT