old_contents: import geopandas as gpd
  
  
  class district(object):
  
      def __init__(self, geojsonFile):
          self.gdf = gpd.read_file(geojsonFile)
          self.gdf = self.gdf.to_crs(epsg='2163')
          self.area = self.gdf.area
          self.perimeter = self.gdf.length
  
  
new_contents: import geopandas as gpd
  
  
  class district(object):
  
      def __init__(self, pathToGeojsonOrShapefile, epsg='2163'):
          self.epsg = epsg
          self.gdf = gpd.read_file(pathToGeojsonOrShapefile)
          self.gdf = self.gdf.to_crs(epsg=self.epsg)
          self.area = self.gdf.area.values[0]
          self.perimeter = self.gdf.length.values[0]
  
subject: set default projection