Election time is approaching fast, but at this point in time, I feel that the
current electoral system for school board representatives is failing the public
needs. I am a classical example of this failure. When “per-district” elections
are held, we are only allowed to vote for our district’s school board
representative, one out the five school board members. Per-district elections
are fine when they work and district boundries are clear,but for thousands of
St. Johns county residents, per-district elections will fail to represent them
for the up coming elections.
How is this electoral system failing county residents? By giving its residents
a meaningless vote. Elementary school children in my area attend a school
represented by district 1, middle school children attend district two, and high
school children attend district 3. My vote can only go to district 2. My only
child attends district 1. My vote is a waste. The current system is failing
and we need to fix it. At-large elections with a residential stipulation I feel would better serve the public at this point in time.
1986 is long gone, and St. Johns County has drastically changed since then.
2007 calls for “at large” elections for school board representatives, 2007 calls 
for the right to vote for all five, not just one member of the board.
