Keller school board to consider campus closings, bond issue for 2025-26 school year
Campus closures are likely coming to the Keller school district, according to interim Superintendent Corey Wilson, along with a new bond proposal to cover infrastructure costs.
Speaking at at the March 31 school board meeting, Wilson reiterated what he and district chief operating officer John Allison said on Feb. 27, when they warned of forthcoming cuts to help combat an anticipated $9.4 million budget shortfall for the 2025-26 school year.
Enrollment is down, which has led to inefficiencies and resource underutilization, said Wilson. The district is considering closing at least one campus to coincide with plans to raise the student-teacher ratio by 0.5 at its middle and high schools. The increase to the student-teacher ratio will save an estimated $2.3 million next year. Over time, Allison has said, that ratio will improve as district enrollment is expected to decline further.
There are no plans to increase the student-teacher ratio at elementary and intermediate schools.
Wilson went on to say he and board members are considering a bond proposal to cover electrical and plumbing improvements to district facilities, though he didn’t specify which campuses. This move would help Keller replenish its fund balance, which has a $35 million deficit, according to a financial audit presented in January.
Wilson said school closures and the bond would be discussed at the next regular board meeting, scheduled for April 24. He also said a proposed budget for the 2025-26 academic year will be released soon. Wilson sounded optimistic about being able to give pay raises to returning staff members, though he couldn’t say how much the district would be able to offer.
All in all, the meeting was relatively quiet by recent standards. A few parents chided trustees over the plan to split the district in half, using U.S. 377 as the dividing line. That plan was scrapped by board members on March 14 in the face of public outcry.
Division over the proposal resulted in former superintendent Tracy Johnson’s resignation and multiple lawsuits that are still ongoing.
This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 10:20 PM.