Voting Rights Case Has Implications for School Districts

Supporters of the Voting Rights Act gather outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington last week, as the justices heard oral arguments in a case attempting to overturn the law. The outcome could affect school districts.

—Evan Vucci/AP

By Mark Walsh

Washington

A major provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that affects hundreds of school districts, especially in the South, went before the U.S. Supreme Court last week.

The historic law requires states and other jurisdictions covered by its Section 5 to obtain federal approval for any change in voting practices or procedures. For school systems, the law covers periodic alterations to voting districts for school board members or changes in the makeup of a board, such as switching from at-large to single-member districts.

The 2006 renewal of the law by Congress extended for 25 years Section 5's special treatment of states and jurisdictions with a history of voter discrimination. The renewal was challenged by Shelby County, Ala., which argues that the law is an...