Fort Worth District 4 Councilman Charlie Lauersdorf confirmed the board is looking “at the feasibility of a split.”
The details
Lauersdorf said via email that he was told, unofficially, from a school board member “whom I will keep private for now, as it was a private conversation” that the board is looking at the feasibility of a split.
“When I asked why I, or the city [of Fort Worth], wasn’t made aware of these plans, I was told that it was because it was so early on in the process that they haven’t discussed it with anyone outside the board,” Lauersdorf said. “I reminded this board member that over two-thirds of KISD fall within the city of Fort Worth and that I represent a vast majority of those residents, so I’d hope to be included in any future conversations.”
Several social media groups have speculated that a special meeting will be called Jan. 16 to discuss that option. Lauersdorf said he was also hearing of that same date and that it was simply to explore the possibility of a split.
No notice of a Jan. 16 meeting has been posted yet, according to the Keller ISD website. Meeting agendas are required to be posted on the front door of the building and online at least 72 hours in advance.
What they're saying
"While my understanding is that the City of Fort Worth wouldn’t have an official say in how the KISD Board would make this decision, it is my hope that KISD involves myself, Councilman [Alan] Blaylock, [Fort Worth] Mayor [Mattie] Parker, other city officials – and, most importantly, the families and staff affected – in their discussions, no matter what stage those discussions are in," Lauersdorf said.
"While KISD hasn’t officially reached out, we are all standing by ready to collaborate and assist where we can, whether it’s providing data, our positions or just input."
In addition to Lauersdorf, Parker said she learned of the potential move to split Keller ISD on Jan. 8 during an afternoon city meeting.
"I have yet to hear directly from Keller ISD leadership or board officials," Parker said. "Based on the information I’ve gathered since then, I do not support a move to split Keller ISD, which would impact countless students and families. Ensuring every child has full access to a quality education should be the top priority for all decision makers. And, like every decision regarding our kids and their education, it’s critical this discussion and process is given extremely careful thought."
Keller ISD Board President Charles Randklev said he is "not in a position to comment right now" when contacted by Community Impact.
Updated 5:30 p.m., Jan. 9
Place 2 Trustee Joni Shaw Smith and Place 3 Trustee Chelsea Kelly, who are both against splitting the district, posted comments Jan. 9 on their respective Facebook pages concerning the rumored discussion of splitting the district.
"After much prayer and thoughtful consideration, both Chelsea and myself believe that it is essential to publicly address the pending action of the Board regarding the potential detachment of Keller ISD," Smith posted on her Facebook page. "It is our sincere hope that the Board will pause this process and establish an orderly, transparent approach that prioritizes collaboration, community input, and careful consideration before any final decision is made."
Kelly said via Facebook that "the Board has only had one closed-session meeting about it, and this was the first time I heard about it. I am not ok with this. I am not ok with the way this has been rolled out or that our community has had no input on this idea."
Kelly also talked about how a split would work logistically.
"The idea of splitting off part of Keller ISD raises many questions: How would this affect property taxes and school funding? What would it mean for maintaining existing buildings? How would feeder patterns and student assignments change? How will this effect our property values? What stadium would we use? What about KCAL???" she wrote. "These are important concerns that NEED ANSWERS before any decisions are made."
Editor's note: This article has been updated to include Randklev's comment and the posts from Smith and Kelly. Keller ISD Board Trustees Micah Young and John Birt have been contacted for comment.
