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467 members, which would bring in the city-wide perspective. He said we create difficult barriers for diversity with an all at large election. Ms. Catherine Peaslee, 307-A 2nd Street, N.W., supported wards and one at large seat. She said the Albemarle County School board has shown improvement since they were elected. Ms. Lisa Woolfork, 142 Stribling Avenue, expressed horror and dissatisfaction with the results of the referendum. She said she disagrees with an elected School Board and feels this is a power grab by the elite. She said this was a backlash in action to the previous Superintendent situation. She said she wished that Council or someone would have stepped up. She said the current system is not working, but it should not have been turned over to those who can fund the campaign. She said we should recoup our loses and increase African American participation and have a system that speaks for everyone, not just those who can fund a campaign. She said we should look at Johnson School as a model. She said she is worried and nervous and does not want her children to lose. Mr. Craig Barton, 717 Locust Avenue, urged restraint as the issue is deliberated. He said he did not vote in favor of an elected School Board, but it has passed and he is committed to making it work. He said he is concerned that historic residential patterns in Charlottesville may not yield a diverse School Board. He said the discussion is appropriate, but a decision is premature without knowing what wards would look like. He said we should look very carefully at what wards would look like in the 18 months before the second election, and Council should move cautiously on a decision. Ms. Heather Walker, 603 Shamrock Road, a former teacher in Charlottesville, urged Council to go with a mixed ward School Board. She said it is important to redraw the wards with City resident involvement. She said there have been very few Councilors who have sent their kids to Clark, Johnson or Jackson-Via. Mr. David Repass, 227 Jefferson Street, said that Council and the School Board are different entities, and the method for one should not be the same as the other. He supported having a School Board elected from seven wards, representing neighborhoods around the six elementary schools. He said with small districts many more candidates will run and very little money will have to be raised. He said at large candidates would need a lot of money and would need help from an organized group, such as the Democratic Party. Mr. John Pfaltz, 1503 Rugby Road, said he campaigned for an elected School Board and one of the major arguments he heard in favor were the cost of an election and the disenfranchisement of disadvantaged groups. He said running at large compounds the situation. He said he favors a mixed ward system. He suggested that information from the Election Study Task Force regarding wards be submitted in the package to the Justice Department. Mr. Walt Heinicke, 1521 Amherst Street, supported a mixed ward and at large system. He said we have appointed School Boards on this basis for ten years and why should it change now. He said many in opposition of an elected School Board cited the loss of diversity as a concern, and he feels having a mixed system would address this. He said that in 2004 the Council Election Study Task Force recommended a mixed ward system for Council. Mr. Heinicke said Council should not do the politically expedient thing. Mr. Charles Weber, 601 Locust Avenue, urged Council to adopt a mixed ward/election districts. He said this has been a bi-partisan effort so far and he hopes it can be kept that way. He said we need to get a School Board that is most responsive to stakeholders and children. He said the real issue is responsiveness and keeping diversity and he supports six election districts based on the elementary schools and one at large seat. He said Council could set it up so that the at large seat could be the chair. He said he thinks this system would promote racial and socio-economic diversity. He said the timelines can overlap. He said Council could ask the General Assembly to make the legislation effective February 1. He said Council should move forward and get the process rolling.