The details
In the letter, TEA said that while “actions related to the detachment and creation of new school districts are local decisions and do not fall within the agency’s purview,” after reviewing the complaints, the organization “has determined that the concern reported about governance of the district should be reviewed and has referred the matter to the Compliance Review Unit.”
The letter also outlines grievance procedures that, by state law, every school district in the state must follow regarding district policies. This process includes obtaining a hearing from district administrators and the board regarding the complaint.
A March 11 post on the Keller ISD Families for Public Education Facebook page states, “We will review school board policy, and we’ll come back to everyone with a new post that details the steps for filing a grievance if we think it might be worth it.”
A timeline was not stated for when a resolution from TEA would be given.
The backstory
The KISD board of trustees officially proposed splitting the district in January to resolve the district’s financial struggles by improving resource allocation and operational efficiency. The proposal was met with immediate backlash from many district parents, students, residents and staff who cited potential impacts on KISD schools, resources and property taxes.
In a Jan. 13 email to Community Impact, Jake Kobersky, director of media relations for the Texas Education Agency, said Chapter 13 of the Texas Education Code speaks to the creation, consolidation and abolition of school districts.
In order for Keller ISD to split into two separate districts, several requirements must be met:
- Minimum area and attendance requirements: A new district cannot be less than 9 square miles or fewer than 8,000 students in average daily attendance, nor can it be reduced to these numbers.
- Initiation of detachment: Creation of a new district by detachment is initiated by resolution of the board of trustees of each district from which territory is to be detached or by a petition presented to the county commissioners court.
- Election: If the commissioners court determines the petition is valid, each board of trustees shall order an election to be held on the same date in each district. The creation of a new district needs at least 25% of the registered voters of each district to vote in the election to pass.
