(The Center Square) – A proposal to align Caddo Parish School Board election districts with Caddo Parish Commission districts triggered lengthy debate amid procedural confusion Tuesday night before failing.
Board member Dr. Terence Vinson proposed aligning school board precincts and districts with parish commission boundaries.
Vinson said the change would simplify elections and reduce costs by allowing the parish commission and school board to use nearly identical district maps.
“It just makes fiscal sense for us to save money,” Vinson said.
Vinson also noted that seven school board members are expected to leave office, making the timing appropriate for boundary adjustments before new incumbents take office.
The proposal quickly devolved into questions about exactly what maps were being considered and whether members fully understood the proposal before them.
Board attorney Reginald Abrams later warned members the maps attached to the agenda documents appeared to reflect current school board districts rather than the proposed parish commission alignment plan.
“I don’t want you to make a mistake,” Abrams told members.
The debate also exposed broader tensions over parliamentary procedure after Vinson attempted to change his vote following a motion to end debate.
“We’ve been saying this is a new system,” Vinson said. “You all have made excuses about that all night. If a board member is saying, ‘What’s the purpose of us doing the voice vote if you can’t say what you feel?’ I’m all I’m saying is allow board members the respect from this board. Be collegial. If they want to vote no or yes, allow them to do that. Now, if a man has said, ‘Hey, I want to vote no,’ and the official vote hadn’t tallied and gone in, he should be allowed to say, “Wait a second. I’m changing my vote.”
Board President Don Little ruled the vote could not be changed after electronic submission.
“You don’t walk out of a booth in your precinct and change your mind and walk back in,” Little said.
After back and forth between Little and Vinson, Abrams said the vote was affirmed when Little called the motion and said the motion passed.
The proposed redistricting failed 9-2 with one abstention.
