BOARD POLICY - 9220
The IUSD Governing Board members are elected by citizens of their respective trustee areas, however, the Governing Board operates as a unified Board, representing and supporting the interest of all Irvine communities, residents, students and staff.
Citizen oversight of local government is the cornerstone of democracy in the United States. The governance of the school district has been entrusted to citizens elected by their communities. This system provides accountability to the entire community.
The following outlines board candidate qualifications and the process by which Board members are elected.
Board Member Qualifications
Any person is eligible to be a member of the Governing Board, without further qualifications, if he/she is 18 years of age or older, a citizen of California, a resident of the school district, a registered voter, and not legally disqualified from holding civil office. Any person who has been convicted of a felony involving the giving, accepting, or offering of a bribe, embezzlement or theft of public funds, extortion, perjury, or conspiracy to commit any such crime, under California law or the law of another state, the United States of America, or another country, is not eligible to be a candidate for office or elected as a Board member except when he/she has been granted a pardon in accordance with law. (Education Code 35107; Elections Code 20)
A district employee elected to the Board shall resign his/her employment before being sworn in or shall have his/her employment automatically terminated upon being sworn into office. (Education Code 35107)
The Board encourages all candidates to become knowledgeable about the role of board members included the adopted IUSD governance protocols. The Superintendent or designee shall provide all candidates with information that will enable them to understand the responsibilities and expectations of being a Board member, including information regarding available workshops, seminars, and/or training. The Superintendent or designee shall provide all candidates with the county election official's contact information and general information about school programs, district operations, and Board responsibilities.
Consolidation of Elections
To reduce costs associated with conducting elections, the Board may consolidate Board elections with the local municipal or statewide primary or general election in accordance with Elections Code 1302.
Elections Process and Procedures
The district is divided into trustee areas and each trustee area shall be represented by a Board member who resides in and is elected by voters residing within that trustee area; however, the collective members of the Board are the sole unit of authority over the entire District, a single Board member has no individual authority.
Trustee areas shall be balanced by population as required by state and federal law. Prior to March 1 following the year in which the results of each decennial federal census are released, the Board shall adjust the boundaries of the district's trustee areas based on population figures as validated by the Population Research Unit of the Department of Finance. (Education Code 5019.5)
Policy Adopted: August 21, 2018
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