Hannah Smith resigns from Carroll ISD board of trustees

Prior to her position for CISD, Smith spent 20 years in litigation at various law firms and worked for Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, according to information on her trustee profile page—which was removed Aug. 22. She also held a variety of roles within CISD that included:

• A member of the Budget & Finance Committee
• A member of the Student Health School Board Committee
• On the focus group for the previous CISD superintendent opening
• A substitute teacher
• A parent teacher organization volunteer

In the original email, Bryan stated the board would decide to leave the position vacant, appoint a replacement or hold a special election. The board ultimately decided to leave the position vacant until May 2024, bringing the number of trustees down to six. The board has previously operated with a vacant position, and this is not unfamiliar territory for the committee members, Bryan said during the meeting. The decision also allows the district to save money by not holding a special election, which he estimated would cost anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000.

What they’re saying

“I would suggest that we just keep it open, and whoever is interested in joining us next year, they can run at the regular time; they won’t have to run two campaigns,” Trustee Eric Lannen said.