Austin's school board setup has other problems, according to a review of the district's performance by Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Rylander. Trustees serve four-year terms, and board elections are held every two years with six seats on the ballot during one election and three on the ballot two years later. Theoretically, two-thirds of the board members could be replaced at once, which could mean a loss of stability, Rylander's review found. If changes are made this summer, the board could also install a more conventional election cycle that would have no more than five trustees on the ballot at once. On to the next round Some, however, say they oppose eliminating the at-large board positions because they would get to vote for only one board member instead of three.
Some parents like to be able to have three trustees they can go to for results.
Others worry the public hearings are just a formality and that the board members have already decided how to redraw the single-member districts. Nelson Linder, president of the Austin chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, complained that the board is seeking public input too late into the process. The district must submit its redistricting plan to the U.S. Department of Justice by October. Once the lines are drawn, the board will hold another round of public hearings. The trustees hope those will have better attendance than the ones held last week.