Keller ISD students walk out to ‘let their voices be heard’ on proposal to split district
Students from four Keller Independent School District high schools walked out of their classrooms Friday, Feb. 7, to protest the board’s proposal to split the district in half.
Starting around 9:40 a.m., small groups of students from Timber Creek High School in far north Fort Worth began the trip to their agreed meeting place — an open lot beside a Chicken Express nearly three-fourths of a mile from the school.
Students from Keller Collegiate Academy, Keller High School, Central and Fossil Ridge High Schools also participated and gathered at locations in their areas.
The students carried signs, some printed on white poster board with a Sharpie, others on brightly colored paper.
One of the student leaders of the walkout, a 16-year-old sophomore at Timber Creek, paused periodically by the side of the road to hold up his “We are one” sign for passing cars to see.
The teen said the proposed split would affect everyone.
“We are one community,” he said, adding that seven people are making decisions for everyone in Keller ISD.
In December, three board members discussed a plan to divide the district during a closed meeting. The plan came to light in January when a Fort Worth City Council member spoke out about the proposal, generating a public outcry.
The district would be split largely along Denton Highway (U.S. 377). Twenty-seven of the district’s 42 schools are west of the highway, with the majority of them in Fort Worth. Most of the schools located on the east side of the highway are in Keller.
Information on the Keller ISD website says the board is considering “structural changes” to the district to address “unprecedented financial challenges.”
By 10:05 a.m., a group of around 40 students were gathered in the open space beside Chicken Express. More teens arrived by car or on foot to the sound of clapping and cheers.
“Come join us!” someone yelled.
A handful of the teens began to chant “Keller District shall not split!” and the chant soon spread throughout the group.
A few parents watched from the sidelines.
Jaymie Alvarez, a mother of three seniors, told the Star-Telegram that she’s proud of those who participated in the walkout.
“We have the power to vote our school board in, and we voted them in, and unfortunately, they went against what we wanted,” Alvarez said. “But the children can’t vote yet. Most of them are under the age of 18, so this is how they let their voices be heard.”
Several Timber Creek students told the Star-Telegram that they are afraid a district split would prevent them from studying at the Keller Center for Advanced Learning.
The center, commonly known as KCAL, helps prepare high school students for a variety of careers, including in the fields of health science, engineering and construction.
One sophomore told the Star-Telegram that she plans to study cosmetology, and she’s concerned there won’t be a place for her at KCAL if Timber Creek is no longer part of Keller ISD.
“I’m afraid the district is going to prevent me from completing my dreams,” she said.
Another sophomore said she wants to be a veterinarian, and she needs the skills she would learn at KCAL to succeed in her chosen career.
“My future depends on it,” she said.
One of the walkout organizers, Keller High School sophomore Heath Shiflett, said they didn’t get the turnout they were hoping for, but he’s still thankful people showed up.
When asked if he’s concerned about retribution from school administration for the group’s actions, he said it’s worth it.
“The harder they hit us, like, you know, parable of the sun and wind, the harder that wind blows, the tighter we’re gonna hold on to our coats,” Shiflett said.
This story was originally published February 7, 2025 at 2:44 PM.
