The board approved calling a special election to replace the vacant position at an Aug. 25 meeting in a 5-1 vote, with trustee Sheila Taylor opposing. The election comes after trustee Buddy Bonner resigned this summer due to the district’s nepotism guidelines.
The details
District documents state Bonner's term does not end until 2027. State law requires that if a school board member steps down with more than one year remaining in their term, the district must hold a special election to select their replacement within 180 days.
The election will be in conjunction with the Nov. 4 general election, district officials said.
The filing application opens Aug. 26. The last day to file an application to be placed on the ballot is 5:00 p.m. Sept. 3, per district documents.
The context
Bonner announced his departure from the board July 16 in a Facebook post.
“I have a family member who will be employed by Lewisville ISD in the 2025-2026 school year and falls within those affinity guidelines, thus my early departure,” Bonner said in the post. “While I am leaving earlier than planned and have about 2 years remaining on the term to which I was elected, I am proud of the Board of Trustees’ work the past 4 years and my role as a part of the Team of 8.”
What they’re saying
Taylor opposed calling for the election because of the district’s financial situation, citing the cost of an election.
“I fully respect community involvement in the selection of our trustees; however, as a CPA, I’m deeply concerned about the district’s financial position,” Taylor said. “I believe it is more responsible on my part to appoint someone rather than spend over $100,000 on a special election, especially since the seat would be on the ballot anyway again in May during the regularly scheduled election.”
Trustee Allison Lassahn spoke in support of calling for a special election.
“I firmly believe that we need to put this before our constituents,” Lassahn said. “Elections are not cheap ... I believe that’s part of the cost of doing business, and it’s very important for us to give our constituents a voice.”
