Pete Moye’
Opinion Button
The recent lawsuit filed by three former board of trustee candidates against the Cerritos Community College District has put students in the middle of two sides that have lost focus of what is truly important: students’ education.
The plaintiffs claimed the Latinos of the 13-city district surrounding Cerritos was being silenced because the at-large voting system prevented more than one Latino board member at a time.
In the opinions of the plaintiffs, Latinos were not being presented accordingly.
If you live in one of the 13 cities that belong to the district, go out there and vote so you too could be represented at this school.
The board meetings may seem boring, but the decisions made in each and every meeting directly effects each and every student on campus.
While the Voting Rights Act was passed in 2001 the CCCD Board of Trustees failed to change the voting system to by-trustee until September 2011.
The by-trustee system approved by the board will re-district the previous district lines into sub-districts and allow voters the opportunity to choose a representative from their area to the board.
Although the board took action, the damage may already be done.
Not only do Cerritos College students not feel affected, but most don’t even know of the severity of the situation.
Should students care about this when most students on campus don’t even know what the board of trustees do?
Or can’t even name one member off the board?
Of course.Why?
One reason is because the board of trustees is made up of the people who make all the decisions regarding our district.
Also, whenever a lawsuit is filed, a substantial amount of money is involved in order to pay for attorney fees and other expenses.
And while the school is already making cuts regardless, the lawsuit can possibly cause cancellations of even more classes and programs.
Not to the mention that tuition will most likely be raised again to pay for this lawsuit.
Do you know how you were hoping for those extra math and English classes?
Not going to happen.
All the while, the majority of the student body is blind to the threat to its education.
With open board meetings held on campus twice a month, students need to get informed about what the board is doing.
