KISD General Counsel Justin Graham explained this move means current board members serving in positions on the ballot will serve until the November election. Those elected to the positions in November will serve 2.5-year terms instead of 3-year terms so that the positions remain on the May election cycle.
During discussion, board members expressed several reasons for their vote to postpone the election. These reasons primarily concerned public safety and following state and federal leadership regarding social distancing practices.
Board President Courtney Doyle, who is not running for reelection for Position 4, also alluded to the fact that hosting a May 2 election after weeks of stay-at-home orders and social distancing practices is not fair to candidates' campaigns.
"It does cut into someone's three years, but at the same time I don't think that [candidates] would have a fair election cycle if we chose to do this [election] in May," she said. "I think it's a lose-lose situation here for the candidates that have signed up to to run."
The KISD board election will be held on the general election date with national, state and county elections on Nov. 3. This action does not reopen candidate filings, and all applications for a ballot by mail filed for the May 2 election will remain valid for the Nov. 3 election, per board documents.
Graham said his office will communicate with all candidates regarding new deadlines for financial reports and other filling deadlines.
With this move to postpone the elections, Fort Bend, Harris and Waller counties—rather than KISD—will oversee the election so the operation of the board election will look differently, Graham said. He added that this election will likely see a spike in polling numbers due to presidential election in November.
"This won't be the last time we talk about it," Graham said. "We're going to have to order a new election; we're going to have to talk what the polling sites are going to be and how that may change."
Katy ISD ballot
The KISD board of trustees has three positions and five candidates on the ballot:
Position 3
Incumbent Ashley Vann, board secretary
Position 4
Michael Dillard
Leah Wilson
Position 5
Incumbent Bill Lacy, board vice president
Greg Schulte
Voting deadlines
Here are the new voting deadlines associated with the Nov. 3 election date, per board documents:
Oct. 5: Voter registration
Oct. 23: Ballot by mail request deadline
Oct. 19-30: Early voting
