Vermilion Parish School Board still wants nine-member board

The Vermilion Parish School Board hired demographer Mike Hefner to begin figuring out how to create nine school board districts.
The school board voted at least two years ago to go from an eight-board to a nine-board because of the population’s rise in the northern part of the parish.
When the board voted to go to nine districts, they also decided to wait until the 2020 census was completed to get accurate population numbers.
Typically, by now, Hefner would have the 2020 census numbers of the population in Vermilion Parish. But due to of COVID-19, getting census results have been pushed back by at least six months, explained Hefner.
“I was hoping to get data in August, but because of COVID, the Census data has been extended into 2021. Until the census data is released, I can not do anything.”
The original game plan was to have the new 2020 census population numbers by April and then begin drawing new lines and then having public meetings to let the public go over the new district lines at public meetings.
Everything needed to be approved and finalized before qualifying begins in July of 2022 for the November school board election in 2022. Vermilion Parish voters would be voting for school board members for nine districts in 2022.
But with the new census data being pushed back at least six months, Hefner could not give a definite date on when the new district lines would be drawn. There is also a chance that when the 2022 school board election rolls around, the new nine school board districts may not be completed in time for the election.