Edgecombe schools present three draft redistricting maps as public pushes for full data access

Blake Esselstyn of MapFigure Consulting presented three draft options for redrawing Edgecombe County School Board election districts on Feb. 10, describing the task as unusually complex because a newly annexed area of the county contains a large number of people who must be distributed among seven districts.

The presentation, introduced by Deborah (staff), showed three approaches: option A, which preserves as much of the existing district cores and incumbency as possible; option B (and a minimally modified B2) that prioritizes compact, regular-shaped districts; and option C, which prioritizes communities of interest identified by public input. Esselstyn demonstrated an interactive web map and said staff would make the static slides and, when ready, the shapefiles and block-assignment files available online for public analysis.

Why it matters: the maps follow statutory requirements for “one person, one vote” and must avoid racial vote dilution under the Voting Rights Act, speakers said. Esselstyn noted the demographic impact of the annexation: "the newly added area has a black population that is more than 93% black," and when that area is included the countywide Black share “has increased to 56.40%,” while the white share “decreased to 37.95%,” figures he displayed during the presentation.

Public commenters asked the board to provide full data and time to analyze it. "I want to place in the public record a request that the board share with the community a timeline for consideration and passage of the maps" and "release the shape and block files for each map… so the community members will have the opportunity to recreate the maps," said Susan Perry Cole during public comment. Rachel Allure, a voting-rights attorney with the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, told the board: "The maps must be compliant with the Voting Rights Act and the United States Constitution," and urged the board to weigh majority–Black voting-age population counts, cracking/packing risks, and compactness in evaluating options.

Blake explained differences among the drafts: option A kept incumbents in place where possible; option B prioritized compact shapes and initially paired some incumbents until minor edits produced B2, which avoids pairing incumbents; option C used neighborhoods and the community working group's list of communities of interest to keep certain areas intact. He demonstrated features of the interactive map — address search, layers for each draft option, incumbent locations, precinct lines, and the ability to show only a single district — and said staff would post the materials and, on the board's direction, provide the shapefiles and block assignments.

Board members and staff discussed next steps and outreach logistics. Deborah and Blake recommended posting drafts online, publishing the slides and interactive map, printing large paper maps for several public locations, then scheduling multiple public hearings across the county. Suggested venues included North Edgecombe High, Southwest Edgecombe High, Tarver High, Braswell Library, Pine Tops Library, Tarboro Library and the county administrative building. Staff noted the filing deadline for candidates in 2026 and encouraged a paced schedule: post materials, solicit public comment, host hearings, then return to the board for final narrowing.

The board did not adopt a map at the meeting. Members signaled they would likely move forward with a set of draft options (staff recommended options A, B2 and C) for public review and asked staff to post the interactive map and shape/block files promptly, while allowing the board time to study the files before narrowing options.