What a new Supreme Court decision means for Spring Branch voters

A federal court ruled last year that Spring Branch ISD violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting the Hispanic vote — but that decision could be reversed after a recent Supreme Court decision.

In the past few years, the district’s at-large trustee system has come under scrutiny after a lawsuit claimed it racially discriminated against the area’s Hispanic community by diluting minority voting power. The district has nearly twice as many Hispanic students as white students.

The district appealed the initial ruling that sided with the plaintiff. The case was put on hold to see how the Supreme Court would handle a similar case, Louisiana v. Callais, a lawsuit over possible discrimination in how the state draws its voting districts. 

READ MORE: Critics say Supreme Court decision will further reduce number of Black, Hispanic Texans in Congress

On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority issued a ruling that weakened minority protections under the federal Voting Rights Act. Under the court’s updated view, states no longer need to draw districts based on racial considerations. If a state dismantles districts that favor Black or Hispanic candidates, challengers would have to provide evidence showing states “intentionally drew its districts to afford minority voters less opportunity because of their race.”

The new ruling from the country’s highest court frustrates some community members in the Spring Branch area who had pinned their hopes on the voting-rights lawsuit against the school district.

“We have seen (the Supreme Court) continuously over the past decade, really erode the rights of minorities and groups of people that have historically needed actions in the law,” said David Lopez, executive director of civic nonprofit Somos Spring Branch. “It is deeply frustrating, and it should be for everyone, no matter what community you identify with. I think voting rights protections protect every single person in this country.”

SBISD relies on an at-large system of voting where residents in the entire school district cast ballots for every candidate and ballot measure. Critics say the practice can weaken the voice of people of color who are drowned out by white voters. They say school board candidates should be elected by voters in distinct districts.

In 2021, SBISD parent Virginia Elizondo sued the school district after running twice for the board and losing both times. She claimed that the district’s system of at-large voting dilutes the Hispanic vote in a district that has almost twice as many Hispanic students as white students. 

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 stipulates that a violation would be in a circumstance where minorities had “less opportunity than other members of the electorate to participate in the political process and to elect representatives of their choice.”

That system of elections, the plaintiff argued, dilutes the Hispanic vote from the north side of the district, making it virtually impossible for their preferred candidate to win.  

ARGUMENTS: Spring Branch ISD trial pits election experts against each other, trustees deny voter suppression claims

Interstate 10 divides the district socioeconomically. The north side is has a large population of Hispanic residents, while the south side, home to Memorial Villages, is a historically white, wealthy area.

The lawsuit also said that the district’s school board did not represent the vast diversity of the district’s student body. Since the district’s inception in 1946, only one person of color has ever served on its board: John Perez from 2022 to 2025.

In April 2025, the judge ordered that the district dismantle its at-large system and plan for single member districts, composed of either seven districts or five districts and two at-large seats. The district, however, appealed that decision.

The recent Supreme Court decision and its possible effect on the Spring Branch ISD lawsuit has brought mixed reactions from the community. 

“Spring Branch voters on the north side, and particularly Latino voters, don’t feel like they have the electoral power,” said Diana Martinez Alexander, a Spring Branch parent and also director at Somos Spring Branch. 

SCHOOL CLOSURE: Spring Branch ISD may close Northbrook Middle School due to enrollment decline

Growing up in the area and having previously worked for the district, Alexander said she felt that students and schools on the north side don’t receive the same resources and support compared to its counterpart.

“I feel like we’ve been disposable or an afterthought for generations,” Alexander said. “This is a pattern of inequity, and I feel like it’s directly tied to the lack of representation on the school board.”

For example, she said Springwood High School’s theater on the north side was falling apart, whereas Stratford High School, on the south side, had a more high quality facility. 

The Supreme Court’s ruling comes days before Saturday’s school board elections in Spring Branch ISD.

Jeri Spence, a candidate who lives on the north side, said the Supreme Court’s decision was frustrating, and that she wants to ensure families who live above I-10 get a voice in their school board.

ENDORSEMENTS: Spring Branch ISD faces a new $24 million shortfall. Elect trustees who fight for funding.

“The entire purpose of a representative democracy is that you represent your constituents,” Spence said. “This decision has implications that are intensely profound.”

On the other hand, Ted Tredennick, a trustee candidate and attorney, said he fears that having single-member districts for the school board could result in fractures that divide the team of elected leaders. He said decisions including funding and resource allocation need to be decided at a district-wide level. 

“Our job is to serve the entire district, not just a neighborhood,” Tredennick said. “I think you’re going to have a lot of dysfunction on a board if you have single-member districts.”

Other candidates have also expressed similar sentiments online, such as incumbent Courtney Anderson who said on her campaign page that single-member districts could result in backdoor politics, infighting and mistrust.

“We do not want to be mandated to elect single-member districts, allowing each voter to only vote for one candidate every three years,” Anderson said. “We can look to neighboring districts to see how this system has failed constituents and more importantly children.”

MORE ELECTIONS: Early voting starts today in runoff for Houston’s open council seat representing Montrose, Meyerland

Candidate Sally Cone called the Supreme Court decision a “significant win” on social media. She said having an at-large trustee system gives voters direct access to all board members, and not just a single one.

Elizondo, the plaintiff in the lawsuit against Spring Branch, said although she has a few concerns about how the Supreme Court’s ruling could affect her case, she feels strongly about being able to prove why the at-large system dilutes the Hispanic vote.

“I’m really curious to see how this is going to play out for all the cases that might be impacted,” Elizondo said. “If you look at our decision, I feel strongly that we still have a case.”