Downingtown Area School Board Director
While the proposed state House maps are more fair and representative of local communities than our current legislative districts, I have specific concerns about the newly drawn 155th and 167th districts that I believe should be corrected in the interest of preservation of political subdivisions, communities of interest, contiguity, and community representation. Namely: (1) The split of East Caln Township from Downingtown Borough: In the proposed House map, Downingtown Borough is drawn into the 155th Legislative District, while East Caln Township is drawn into the 167th. However, Downingtown and East Caln are closely linked communities that share many common interests and concerns. East Caln Township is served by the Downingtown Borough Police Department, fire departments, and emergency services, as well as by nonprofits and community organizations serving the greater Downingtown area. East Caln Township lies within the Downingtown Area School District. While DASD is too large to remain wholly in one legislative district, assigning East Caln to the 167th would mean further splitting the school district between legislative districts while diluting the interests of that part of the school district. DASD school board operates on individual regions. As the school board director for Region 5, I represent 2 precincts within Uwchlan Township and part of East Caln Township. The other Director representing East Caln resides in the 158th district. Shifting East Caln to the 167th region places it with a representative who has no knowledge of DASD and will largely represent a neighboring school district. School districts work closely with State Representatives not only to ensure fair laws for public education, but also within the region to help the families of our district. For these reasons, and in the interests of the residents of East Caln Township, I urge the Legislative Reapportionment Commission to place East Caln Township within the 155th Legislative District. Thank you for your consideration. Caryn Ghrayeb, Uwchlan Township, Chester County Downingtown Area School Board Director, Region 5