Lone Star College System will skip its November trustee election after no challengers filed against three incumbents seeking re-election.

The decision, detailed in Sept. 3 meeting documents reported by Community Impact, saves the college system about $1.7 million it would have paid Harris County to administer the vote. LSCS Board Chair Mike Sullivan presided over the meeting where the cancellation was addressed.

The savings carry a direct local connection. LSCS operates LSC-Montgomery in The Woodlands and serves roughly 97,000 students across its campuses. Chancellor Mario K. Castillo cited that enrollment figure at the system's Fall Convocation on Aug. 31.

The $1.7 million represented Harris County's projected cost to run the election. The specific three trustee districts involved and the names of the incumbents were not identified in available public documents.

The cancellation comes weeks after LSCS trustees unanimously approved a $577.5 million balanced budget for fiscal year 2026-27 on Aug. 6. The preliminary tax rate for the coming fiscal year is $0.1058 per $100 valuation, down from $0.106 in FY 2025-26. Trustees are scheduled to consider the final FY 2026-27 tax rate in October.

That small rate decrease, combined with the $1.7 million in avoided election costs, means LSCS taxpayers in The Woodlands area keep slightly more in their pockets this cycle.

The next LSCS trustee election is scheduled for Nov. 7, 2028, according to the college system's website.