Keller ISD board faces community concern over controversial plan to split district
KELLER — The Keller Independent School District Board of Trustees is set to discuss a controversial proposal Thursday night to split the district in two.
It's the first time students, families and teachers will be able to publicly address the board about the plan. According to the district, more than 120 people signed up to speak during the public comment portion of the meeting and the chamber reached max capacity at 240 people present.
Once they are done, the trustees will go into a closed session to discuss the possibility of dramatically reshaping the district.
"And candidly, I think this discussion that they're going to have at this meeting tonight is just as much a surprise to me as it is for the average person across Fort Worth," said Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, who said no one from Keller ISD has reached out about a proposal that could impact thousands of families.
Keller ISD is one of the largest districts in Tarrant County, serving nearly 35,000 students from Fort Worth, Keller and other surrounding suburbs.
No official plan has been presented publicly yet, but parents believe the board wants to divide the district along Highway 377, which would essentially separate more affluent Keller families from the rest of the district.
That doesn't sit right with Mayor Parker.
"What do you tell the teachers and families, that we don't want those kids?" she said. "I've worked in education policy for 10 years. You can tell it makes me mad because all of our kids should have the opportunity to have high-quality education. And I've always looked at Keller as a great example of this, but this feels really off and they have a lot to work through. I'm frankly really disappointed in just this short process it's been."
The mayor of Keller said he's withholding judgment until the official proposal is released, but in general, he feels like Keller ISD is too big.
"I think there are advantages for a district that is smaller in nature," said Keller Mayor Armin Mizani. "And the way that school funding works, I think there's also advantages to, restructure and reshaping. And so you look at neighboring cities and some of the things that they've been able to do with curriculum is because they're more nimble. And so, I think there are advantages to me."
Earlier this week, Tarrant County Commissioners received legal advice in closed session on how to create a school district by detachment.
There are pathways outlined in the Texas Education Code, but it's unclear whether the split would need to be approved in an election if the trustees make the decision via a resolution.
"These types of decisions should go back to voters," said Parker. "The very voters that pay taxes into the school district, that support the district, go to football games and band concerts and theater performances. And the teachers that work in the district, they deserve a say in this."
Board president Charles Randklev released a statement as the meeting began Thursday night, saying that as a father of three children in the district, he finds the challenges facing public education deeply concerning and said those challenges demand "bold action."
"Over the past two years we have reduced our budget by nearly $45 million," Raklev's statement reads. "Surrounding districts have been forced to close schools, cut programs and lay off staff. We refuse to accept this fate ... We must find a way to keep our tax dollars local, to keep our schools open, to support our excellent teachers and ensure all students receive the high-quality education they deserve."
Two county commissioners addressed the issue on Facebook.
Commissioner Matt Krause said in part, "What if a resolution is adopted? A big question is whether an election must be called if the school board adopts a resolution instead of going the petition route. I've heard it argued both ways. Personally, as I read the statutes, I do not believe an election must be called if a resolution is adopted by the Board. In that case, the detachment process moves on to the next phase."
Commissioner Manny Ramirez said in part, "The statutes governing the detachment or realignment of an independent school district (Texas Education Code, Section 13.101-13.105) are not explicitly clear about whether a board resolution alone triggers automatic action. However, it does specify that if the Commissioners Court receives a valid and satisfactory petition, we are required to call for an election by the public to address the matter. Before moving forward with any decision of this magnitude, it is imperative that we all seek clarity on the legislative intent and requirements of the Court prescribed by the resolution process."
Keller ISD trustees are not expected to take any action Thursday night.
