Despite running third in the May election for the Position 4 seat on the Humble ISD school board, incumbent Ken Kirchhofer was appointed to a third term after the leading vote-getter in the race was declared ineligible.
The board voted 6-0 on Tuesday night, with Kirchhofer abstaining, to appoint him to the board with the condition that he cannot run for reelection in 2027, when Position 4 will again be on the ballot.
In a statement to Houston Public Media, Kirchhofer confirmed he would not seek reelection. He also said he was humbled by the board’s appointment.
“The unanimous vote confirming me shows the board’s confidence and trust in me,” Kirchhofer said. “I will always put the children of this district, every child, and their education first.”
Kirchhofer’s appointment comes after trustee-elect Brittnai Brown was declared ineligible to serve on the school board because her voter registration did not contain an address within the Houston-area district before the required deadline.
Candidate Tracy Shannon, who received the second-most votes in the race, said in a social media post that Kirchhofer’s appointment was a disappointment.
“The action by this board, appointing without much public notice, without applications, interviews, or public forums, or optionally having a special election, is a betrayal of public confidence and ignores the call for accountability for our community,” Shannon said. “It appears as though it will be business as usual in Humble ISD.”
In an announcement about Kirchhofer’s appointment, the district said it would have cost an estimated $330,000 to hold a special election and that appointing a trustee required no additional cost.
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