Rosamond — Dr. Justin Levitt of National Demographics presented the fourth public hearing on Southern Kern Unified School District’s transition from at‑large to trustee‑area elections, reviewing five draft maps and the legal and practical trade‑offs the board must weigh.

Levitt told trustees the maps comply with federal law, including the Voting Rights Act, and keep population deviations under 10 percent. "All of our maps include majority‑Latino trustee areas, and one has a significant African American population," he said, describing how the maps differ in keeping neighborhoods and communities of interest intact.

Levitt compared the green, orange, purple, yellow and yellow 2 options, noting differences in how each map treats Rosamond Boulevard, the freeway corridor and rural unpopulated areas. He explained the yellow 2 option was developed from board feedback to better unite particular neighborhoods and to locate a potential future campus in Trustee Area 5.

The demographer also reviewed the required election sequencing: boards must select a map before assigning which trustee areas will hold their first elections, and no incumbent has their term shortened by the transition. "Switching to trustee areas is not an instantaneous process," Levitt said, and described the mechanics of staggered first elections across 2026 and 2028.

Public attendees asked map‑specific questions and Levitt demonstrated the interactive online review map that lets residents zoom to census blocks and view demographic overlays. Trustee discussion afterward focused on neighborhood continuity and school‑site balance; several trustees said the yellow 2 map better respects neighborhoods and distributes school sites more evenly.

The board directed legal staff and the demographer to prepare a resolution for a final selection at the board’s January 20 meeting.