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Harlandale ISD trustees weigh moving election date as district awaits county cost figures
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Summary
Trustees discussed options to shift trustee elections (May to November or vice versa) after the city changed its election calendar; staff said they are still awaiting cost estimates from Bexar County and will return with a timeline for board decision.
Trustees of Harlandale Independent School District spent a substantial portion of their April 15 work session discussing whether to change the district’s trustee election date and how any shift would affect current terms and costs.
Madam Chair opened the conversation about agenda item 5 on possible election-date changes and the impact on trustee terms, and assistant superintendent for business and finance David Flores told the board staff was still trying to obtain cost projections from Bexar County. "We have continued communications or trying to obtain cost projections from our Bexar County Elections Department. We have not been able to obtain those projections," Flores said, noting the district is also coordinating with the Bexar County Education Coalition.
Public information director Melinda Garza outlined a proposed five-page communications timeline the district would use if the board directs staff to proceed: an initial announcement to families and staff, social posts and a media alert, an online forum for community input, and follow-up recaps shared with the board. Garza emphasized multiple times that "no decision has been made" and that the outreach would explain the board is responding to changes at the city level.
Trustee legal questions centered on statutory constraints and deadlines. Trustee Resendez said there is "no specific statute on point that really is clear," but added that the district is required by state law to hold joint elections. He urged caution if the board considered shortening or extending terms to align May and November cycles.
Trustees asked whether the district could move an election six months earlier or delay it by six months, how that would affect incumbents and filing deadlines, and whether the city or county would bear different costs. Flores advised the board there are calendar and statutory steps (including the typical 78-day timeline to call an election) and that the district would need to act quickly to meet filing deadlines for a November option.
The board agreed to review the timeline staff provided and to revisit the question at the next meeting; no formal action was taken at the April work session.
What’s next: administration will continue to seek cost estimates from Bexar County and present a timeline for trustee review at the next regular meeting for potential action.
