Written by Mark Payne, LINKnky politics and government reporter
The Covington board of education adopted a resolution calling on Governor Andy Beshear to veto the new legislative boundaries swiftly passed by the Republican-dominated General Assembly.
The move follows the adoption of a similar resolution at the Covington city commission.
Both local governmental bodies see the redistricting of Covington representation as damaging to urban interests.
Board member Tom Haggard introduced the resolution at the board of education meeting last week.
“As an urban school district the needs of many of students and families are quite different from their counterparts in more suburban districts,” Haggard said.
The resolution outlines the diversity of the school district’s 4,000 students: 45. 6 percent White, 30.6 percent African American, 14.1 percent Hispanic, and 9.2 percent as two or more races.
“Students who live in an urban school district face economic and social challenges that are not typically faced by more suburban areas,” the resolution said.
Redistricting of state legislative and federal congressional districts follows each decennial U.S. census. In Covington, concerns have been raised about House District 65 – currently represented by Democrat Buddy Wheatley – which would be made much more suburban-focused as it is moved westward in the county. House District 63, a mostly inner-ring suburban Kenton Co. district represented by Republican Kim Banta, would assume the northern parts of the 65th, while the 64th District, represented by Republican Kim Moser, would creep northward to encompass parts of Covington’s eastern neighborhoods along the Licking River.
Three downtown Covington precincts currently in Senate District 23 – represented by Republican Chris McDaniel – would also be moved, to Senate District 27, a mostly Campbell Co. district represented by Republican Wil Schroder. The Covington board of education building would be shifted to the 27th District.
“The representation of our school district is going to be quite diluted by these new maps, both House and Senate,” Haggard said.
The resolution also calls on the Kentucky Speaker of the House and House Leadership, as well as the President of the Senate and Senate Leadership, to draft legislative boundaries that “preserve, protect, and nurture the historically responsive representation of Covington Independent Public Schools.
“For us, when we look at these maps, some our elementary schools are going to be in a different House district than our high school, and our central office is going to be in a different Senate district than the majority of the rest of our schools,” Haggard said
“I think it makes it difficult to have our voice heard down in Frankfort.”
Photo: Covington Board of Education building (RCN file)