On March 7, 2024, the Brewer Storefront announced the launch of the Texas Voting Rights Initiative (“TVRI”), a statewide effort focused on ensuring that Texas school boards operate in compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (“VRA”). The Storefront undertook an extensive analysis of voting systems across Texas and believes that many operate in violation of the VRA.
The TVRI will continue to analyze voting systems used for electing school board trustees and city council members across Texas, advance written scholarship, and pursue legal action to uphold and strengthen voting rights.
The TVRI is supported by the Brewer Storefront, the public service legal affiliate of the national litigation firm Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors. Since its establishment in 1995, the Storefront has brought numerous successful voting rights lawsuits on behalf of Latino, African American and Asian voters across North Texas.
““The Texas Voting Rights Initiative will promote democratic principles and voter equality at an important time. We believe our political institutions work best when they give all voters an opportunity to elect candidates of their choosing.” ”
Why It Matters – Equality and Opportunity in Education
A lack of diversity and equitable geographic representation on school boards often leads to underfunded schools, school and student achievement gaps, and disenfranchised voters.
In Texas, a considerable academic achievement gap still exists between white and minority students. In 2023, 64% of white students met grade level across all grades and subjects tested on the STAAR exam, compared to 42% of Hispanic students and 36% of African American students who met grade level. Given this disparity, Brewer Storefront believes the communities of color that Texas school districts educate deserve fair representation on elected school boards.
The need for a statewide voting rights initiative in Texas is critical, given its status as the nation’s second largest state, with a population exceeding 30 million people. Texas is a majority-minority state, with Hispanics as its largest population group. Despite this, many elected bodies, including local school boards and city councils, fail to reflect the state’s demographics, especially as voters of color continue to make up an increasing share of the electorate.
The TVRI’s initial focus is on school boards since as of last year, nearly three-quarters of the students enrolled in Texas public schools were children of color, and about 53% of all students were Hispanic.
The Storefront has successfully challenged many at-large election systems and inequitably drawn single-member districts. Through lawsuits filed under the Voting Rights Act, these challenges have argued that such systems deprive voters of color of a fair opportunity to meaningfully participate in the electoral process and to elect school board representatives or city council members of their choosing.
The Storefront pursues its voting rights cases under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits voting practices or procedures that discriminate based on race, color, or membership in a language minority group. This advocacy frequently results in the establishment of single-member districts, ensuring minority voters have a fair opportunity in the electoral process and enabling them to actively participate in shaping the political landscape.
Following its assessment, the TVRI, through the Storefront, issued warning letters to 11 Texas school districts alleging violations of the Voting Rights Act. The school districts are Alamo Heights Independent School District, Angleton Independent School District, Arlington Independent School District, Corsicana Independent School District, Dumas Independent School District, Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District, Garland Independent School District, Humble Independent School District, Lufkin Independent School District, New Braunfels Independent School District, and Texarkana Independent School District.
“We urge these school districts to take proactive steps in adopting election systems that comply with the Voting Rights Act and create districts that give voters of color a fair opportunity to participate in the electoral process,” Brewer said. “Elected school boards should reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.”
The letters request that the school boards in these districts take corrective actions and implement opportunity districts where a majority of eligible voters are Hispanic or African American.
The Storefront previously achieved winning outcomes in Voting Rights Act cases with the Lewisville Independent School District in August 2023, Richardson Independent School District in 2019, Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District in 2015; City of Grand Prairie in 2015; Irving Independent School District in 2014; Grand Prairie Independent School District in 2014; City of Farmers Branch in 2012; and City of Irving in 2009. These school districts and city councils now utilize remodeled voting systems.