EL MONTE – The El Monte Union High School District is inviting the public to provide input on draft maps developed as part of the school district formation process. The District is transitioning from at-large elections to by-trustee area elections to comply with the California Voting Rights Act.

Beginning in November 2022, residents will vote for a single Board of Trustees candidate residing in their newly drawn trustee area, comprised of one-fifth of the entire school district.

Draft maps are on display at emuhsd-by-area-trustees.com. They will be officially unveiled during a public hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 6. The maps were created by a demographer hired to assist the District in establishing by-trustee area maps according to state and federal legal criteria.

“We are committed to ensuring that this process is transparent, inclusive and prioritizes the values and voices of our school community,” said Dr. Edward Zuniga, EMUHSD Superintendent. “Public participation is critical to making this process a success.”

Community Open Houses
The District will host five community open houses, during which attendees may provide input on the maps and corresponding election plans via presentations and small group discussions. All meetings will provide in-person and virtual access via Zoom. Residents may attend any or all open houses; presentations will be consistent for all of them. The meetings will take place as follows:

• October 13, 6-8 p.m.
Arroyo High School
4921 Cedar Ave., El Monte
• October 14, 4-6 p.m.
South El Monte High School
1001 N. Durfee Ave., South El Monte
• October 16, 9-11 a.m.
Rosemead High School
9063 E. Mission Dr., Rosemead
• October 27, 6-8 p.m.
Mountain View High School
2900 Parkway Dr., El Monte
• October 28, 4-6 p.m.
El Monte High School
3048 Tyler Ave., El Monte

Meet the Map Team
Residents may also create and submit their own map(s) and/or make an appointment to meet with the demographer and ask questions about the draft maps, as well as provide input on possible modifications. Each meeting will be approximately 30-45 minutes and take place at the District office, Board Room, 3537 Johnson Avenue, El Monte. To make an appointment, in person or virtually, please contact (626) 444-9005, ext 9805.

Public Hearings – with public comment
The Board will host a variety of public hearings on the proposed maps, which can all be accessed by the public in person or via livestream on YouTube at https://www.emuhsd.org/boardlive. Comments from the public will be received by the Board. Revised maps and any additional proposed maps generated from the sessions should be submitted to the EMUHSD Superintendent’s office by Nov. 19. Maps that meet state and federal legal criteria will be presented during the regular board meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 8. The board anticipates narrowing the number of maps for review during its meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022.

Once the public has provided final input, the Board of Trustees expects to select a final trustee map during a public hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. The approved map will then be presented to the Los Angeles County Committee on School District Organization.

Language Options
The District can provide translation services for the open houses and public hearings, specifically Spanish, Cantonese and Vietnamese. Requests for these or other language services must be submitted 72 hours in advance.

Contact Info and Appointments
To set up demographer appointments or request language assistance, call (626) 444-9005, ext 9805. For more information on the district formation process and to provide input on draft maps, visit emuhsd-by-area-trustees.com.