Sec. 814. Redistricting Criteria. (a) The Commission shall adopt Board of Education district boundaries that comply with the United States Constitution, the California Constitution, and the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965. Each district shall have a reasonably equal population with other districts, except where deviation is required to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act or as allowable by law. (b) In addition to following the requirements of subsection (a), the Commission shall adopt Board of Education district boundaries using the following criteria as set forth in the following order of priority: (1) To the maximum extent practicable, districts shall be geographically contiguous. Areas that meet only at the points of adjoining corners are not contiguous. Areas that are separated by water and not connected by a bridge, tunnel, or regular ferry service are not contiguous. (2) To the maximum extent practicable, and where it does not conflict with the preceding criterion in this subsection, the geographic integrity of any local neighborhood or local community of interest shall be respected in a manner that minimizes its division. A “community of interest” is a population that shares common social or economic interests that should be included within a single election district for purposes of its effective and fair representation. Characteristics of communities of interest may include, but are not limited to, shared public policy concerns such as education, public safety, public health, environment, housing, transportation, and access to social services. Characteristics of communities of interest may also include, but are not limited to, cultural districts, shared socioeconomic characteristics, similar voter registration rates and participation rates, and shared histories. Communities of interest do not include relationships with political parties, incumbents, or political candidates. (3) To the maximum extent practicable, and where it does not conflict with the preceding criteria in this subsection, districts shall be bounded by natural and artificial barriers, by streets, or by the boundaries of the Los Angeles Unified School District. District boundaries should be easily identifiable and understandable by residents.