Parents say they worry about representation amid FBISD's vacancy on board until next election

FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Earlier this year, the Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees for position 5, Sonya Jones, went back and forth on whether she would resign from her position. She first announced the plan to leave the position a year early, in May of this year. This week, the remaining trustee members were supposed to select someone to fill the position for the remainder of the term, but that didn't happen.

"I'm quite upset, yeah," senior pastor of Horizon Baptist Church, John Strader, said.

Strader has three kids attending school on the east side of Fort Bend ISD. So when his family and many of his congregation lost one of their area's elected leaders in May, he was eager to learn who the new appointee would be, but it turns out no one will be appointed.

"We as a board were unable to reach consensus on one candidate at this time," FBISD Board of Trustees president Kristin Tassin said at the Monday meeting.

Tassin said during Monday's meeting that a number of people applied for the board of trustee's position 5, but that the current members have conflicting views and interests and were unable to agree on a person. Now, the position will be vacant until the next election in May 2026.



"The fact that they say they are not going to appoint makes me really concerned that they are not going to abide by the laws of Texas," Strader said.

Strader is talking about a section of Texas education law that says if a position is vacated with more than a year left on the term, it must be filled in 180 days.

Jones, the former position 5 trustee, announced her resignation in early May, but it wasn't accepted by the board until June, making it unclear if the law applies here.

Outside the legality issue, Strader said the east side is a community that needs a voice on the board. That side of the district has aging infrastructure and has historically been underserved.

"Without representation, it makes us kind of representative. It kind of reinforces those fears and worries that we've been kind of underrepresented for a long time," Strader said.



ABC13 did reach out to two people who identified themselves as candidates for position 5. Eyewitness News heard back from candidate Orjanel Lewis, who did not want to do an interview but said in a statement that the board needs to stop "kicking the can down the road" on this issue.

Eyewitness News also reached out to the district and board of trustees but did not hear back.

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