The Hart district created a third option for voter districts under a new ballot alignment proposed by governing board members in response to concerns during the public comment portion, officials said.

The district is in the process of gathering public input in the process, with a law firm hired by governing board trustees now offering three maps for voters to weigh in on, according to the school board’s agenda.

The maps are available on the district’s website, as well as at Wednesday’s board meeting. Officials plan to have the changes in place for the district’s next election in November.

The district hosted five community meetings in November and early December to allow for public input on what the new voter districts might look like and the process behind their creation.

Parents and community members were invited to attend the meetings and additional comments were received by email, officials said.

Written comments following the meetings with the first two proposed trustee-area scenarios led to concerns and the creation of a third map.

The initial maps drew concern because they took incumbency into consideration and failed to create a district with a predominately Hispanic population.

The third scenario offered last week creates: District 1, where governing board member Gloria Mercado Fortine lives near Academy of the Canyons on the west side; District 2, where governing board member Robert Jensen, who lives about a mile away in the area with Saugus High School; District 3, in the Newhall area where governing board member Rob Hall lives, which would have the highest Hispanic population; District 4, where governing board member Steve Sturgeon lives, which includes much of the Sulphur Springs District; and District 5, where governing board member Joe Messina lives, which includes Valencia High and much of Saugus, as well.

A recent law change is prompting board members to formally gather input for the maps at a board meeting, Messina said.

The governing board for the William S. Hart Union High School District voted 4-1 to move to district-based elections from at-large in July.

The change wasn’t a popular choice among board members, but it provided them with a “safe harbor” from a potential lawsuit, said Hart district governing board President Steve Sturgeon.

“All five board members basically testified last night that we should be able to vote at large — it gives an opportunity for the entire population to choose who their representatives are,” Sturgeon said after the board approved the changes over the summer. “So this becomes a little more exclusive to an area, which was the intent, and we’ll see how it works.”