A state representative from Tarrant County has weighed in on and introduced legislation related to the aborted effort to partition Keller ISD.
Regarding the decision not to split the district, State Rep. Nate Schatzline (R-Fort Worth) wrote, “I want to personally thank the families, educators, and taxpayers who engaged in this process and made their voices heard, and I want to thank the Keller ISD Board of Trustees for their leadership in listening to the will of the people. Keller ISD is one of the greatest school districts in Texas, and an informed and involved community is key to ensuring our schools remain strong.”
He added, “As we move forward, I am proud to join Representative David Lowe in co-authoring House Bill 4156 by Representative Charlie Geren, which will strengthen local control and ensure parents and taxpayers have a transparent, fair process in major school district decisions.”
Schatzline also committed himself to supporting merit pay for teachers, reforming recapture, eliminating the STAAR test, and expanding Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs.
Dr. Charles Randklev announced the scrapping of the split, Keller ISD Board of Trustees, Place 6, who took to Facebook with the following message, including an image of an email sent to Keller ISD regarding the proposed reshaping.
“To be clear and despite false innuendos, our District and School Board have always been motivated and driven to find solutions to the unprecedented challenges our district and many others are facing. While the reshaping process is allowed by state law, there are certain obstacles identified during the vetting process that prevent the district from moving forward,” he explained.
Despite these challenges, we remain steadfast in our commitment to exploring viable solutions and advocating for the best interests of the Keller ISD community. Our District and Board will continue to work diligently to address the issues we face, always standing ready to support and fight for our students, educators, and families,” added Randkelv.
An email shared by Dr. Charles Randklev, Keller ISD Board of Trustees – 03/14/25
The proposed split, reportedly considered a potential cost-savings measure, would have resulted in a much smaller Keller ISD on the east side of Highway 377 and a somewhat larger new Alliance ISD on the west side of the highway. The measure came after several austerity proposals that North Texas districts considered while facing budget shortfalls.
The split had been a point of contention in the Tarrant County school district for months. In February, Superintendent Dr. Tracy Johnson resigned in opposition to the split, and several complaints were filed with the Texas Education Agency allegedly regarding the district’s governance, Fox 4 KDFW reported.
House Bill 4156 would make it harder to bring a district-splitting action and mandate that any school district breakup be approved only through a popular vote.