Conroe ISD’s Board of Trustees voted to open a public application process to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Trustee Nelson, trustees said. The board cited the cost of holding a special election for what would be a short term as the primary reason for choosing applications and interviews instead.

The board set the application window to open "around noon" tomorrow and close at 5 p.m. on January 6, with interviews scheduled for January 13 and a potential selection that night, Unidentified Speaker 2 said. "We would do for May... over a $150,000," Unidentified Speaker 2 added when describing special-election estimates, and later said, "we could not justify that expense."

Trustee Dawson reviewed the decision process at the meeting, the trustees said, and the board plans to evaluate applicants and invite finalists back for interviews. The board described the chosen path as the most transparent and fair option for the brief remainder of the term; trustees emphasized they wanted community members to have an opportunity to apply.

The board did not provide a copy of the formal application language or a published scoring rubric during remarks. No appointment had been made by the end of the meeting; trustees indicated the final decision could occur on Jan. 13 following interviews. The district did not specify whether the appointee would serve until the next regular election, or the precise end date of the appointed term.