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Residents urge Edgecombe County school board to adopt 'Map C' in redistricting
Summary
At the March 10 Edgecombe County Public Schools meeting, a series of residents and community leaders urged the board to select Option C (Map C) for redistricting, saying it keeps precincts and communities of interest intact and better balances Black voting‑age population across districts. Speakers requested additional in‑person hearings in affected towns.
At the Edgecombe County Public Schools board meeting on March 10, a string of community speakers urged the board to adopt ‘‘Option C’’ (Map C) in the district redistricting plan to keep precincts and small towns whole and to distribute voting‑age populations more evenly.
Theresa Austin Stokes (Speaker 12), introduced by the chair as the first public commenter, told the board she and neighbors prefer Option C because it keeps small towns and precincts together and reduces confusion for residents: “Option C … keeps municipalities, precincts, and districts whole. Make as few changes as possible.”
Susan Perry Cole (Speaker 10), a resident of the Edgecombe County side of Rocky Mount, thanked the board for transparency and urged the board to respect communities of interest. She told the board that “MAPC has the best distribution of Black voting‑age population across all districts of all of the maps” and said Map C avoids a high concentration of Black voters in particular districts seen in the other options.
Camilleus Dancy (Speaker 8), regional director of an Eastern North Carolina civic group, said equity means keeping communities intact and cautioned against changes that create confusion for voters. “Keeping the community together should be the main thing,” he said, adding that the board’s choices should prioritize what is best for Edgecombe County rather than incumbents’ electoral convenience.
Other speakers who voiced support for Option C included Jackie King (Speaker 15), who said the map keeps incumbents in separate districts and preserves precinct integrity, and Tanisha Patterson (Speaker 11), president of the Southeast Rocky Mount Community Organization, who said Option C would help keep Meadowbrook (the district’s largest precinct) intact and improve voter engagement.
Speakers asked the board to continue public information meetings in Rocky Mount and other affected communities (Tarboro, Pine Tops and parts of Edgecombe County) so residents can review proposed maps, ask questions and offer feedback before the board finalizes a plan. No formal vote on a redistricting map occurred at the March 10 meeting.
The board had previously waived the public‑comment cap for the night to permit nine signed speakers to address the board; the redistricting proposals will remain under consideration in upcoming board work sessions and hearings.
