Keller ISD’s Long Range Planning and Citizens Bond Advisory committees had their first joint meeting Jan. 14 to begin discussions on a campus consolidation plan in the district.

The gist

The committees will have a total of 10 meetings in which committee members will learn about demographic data from the district, school finances, maintenance priorities, participate in facility tours, create criteria for consolidation and build a bond package for the district for the upcoming November 2026 election, according to a presentation Jan. 14.

Superintendent Cory Wilson said the committees will have the following guidelines:
  • Use facts and data to make decisions
  • Focus on the district’s needs
  • Base decisions on what is best for KISD as a whole
  • Recommend criteria that leads to greater overall efficiency in daily operations and building usage
  • Recommend a campus consolidation plan and bond package for board approval and administrative implementation
  • Maximize maintenance and operations funding for teacher and staff compensation and employee retention
  • Ensure students and teachers have environments conducive to teaching and learning
Committee meetings are being led by Lizzy Johnson, a senior associate at VLK architects, who provides consulting and guidance for school districts across the state.

“I really have no desire to have an influence over anything you decide in this room,” Johnson said to committee members. “My purpose is to make sure that your voices are heard and that you all can be open and honest with the people at your table.”


The background

Wilson said campus consolidation will “right size” the district and help determine which schools will close as district enrollment continues to decline.

“We cannot afford to operate 40 different campuses with declining enrollment and the loss of funding associated with that,” he said.

The 2021-22 school year was the last year the district saw growth in enrollment, according to data from Zonda Demographics. The district has seen about a 12.5% decrease in enrollment from 2021-25, and enrollment is expected to continue to decrease.
Deputy Superintendent John Allison said district enrollment is declining because of the limited space for development in the Keller area, and school funding is impacted by student enrollment and attendance.


“If we have 94% of our students in attendance, we’re only getting 94% of the dollars that were set aside [for the district by the state],” he said. “There’s not a district in the state of Texas or the country that has 100% attendance all the time.”

Looking ahead

The two committees are scheduled to meet again Feb. 5 at 6 p.m. at the Keller ISD Education Center.

While meetings are open to the public, only committee members can participate in discussions. Other scheduled committee meetings can be found online.