Keller board accepts superintendent’s resignation at another contentious public meeting
The Keller school board voted 6-0 to accept Superintendent Tracy Johnson’s resignation during a special meeting Feb. 20. That was followed by a 4-2 vote to officially appoint Cory Wilson as Johnson’s interim successor.
The two dissenting votes in the latter issue came from trustees Joni Shaw Smith and Chelsea Kelly, both of whom voiced their support for Johnson before grudgingly accepting her resignation. Johnson cleared out her office in January, and the board delayed a vote on accepting her resignation during the Jan. 30 meeting.
“Cory, nothing against you, I think you will be a good interim for us, but Tracy should have never gone, especially not right now,” Kelly said ahead of the vote.
Shaw Smith said she agreed with Kelly and said it was not a good day for the district.
“She truly has what is in the best interest of our kids, for our teachers and this district in her heart ... and I don’t feel this is something she really truly wanted to let go of. But the fact that she was put into a position that she felt was going against her beliefs of what was right and what was good for our students is what led her to this resignation.
“And while I really don’t want to accept hers — there are others on this board that I do — but I am just broken hearted that we are even having this conversation. This district is in utter chaos. This community is in utter chaos. We are all hurting, and it’s not her that caused it.”
Their dissension illustrates the present dynamic at play within Keller’s board.
Just before Thursday’s meeting began at 9 a.m., the two of them entered the frigid hall together, greeting members of the public. Shaw Smith and Kelly are the only two board members who don’t reside in the city of Keller, and they have opposed a plan that was announced in January to split the school district in half using U.S. 377 as a dividing line.
A few minutes later, four of the other five trustees — President Charles Randklev, Micah Young, John Birt and Heather Washington — entered with interim Superintendent Wilson. Trustee Chris Coker was absent from the meeting.
The proceedings began with public comments, which were sharply critical of how the board has handled the split proposal and Johnson’s departure. Turnout was much smaller than at previous meetings — only around a dozen people signed up to speak — but several of those who addressed the board spoke glowingly of Johnson’s leadership, while others leveled accusations at the board ranging from corruption to dictatorial overreach as trustees and Wilson watched impassively from the dais. A couple of speakers questioned whether Johnson’s resignation was truly voluntary or if she was forced out. They then quoted Randklev’s words from a Jan. 16 meeting when the superintendent revealed she had drafted a letter of resignation.
“We have a fantastic superintendent,” Randklev said at the time, “who has done an incredible amount of work, so I don’t want to see her resign at all. I think she has done a great job.”
One speaker said that Keller teachers are worried about their futures should the district break in two. The day before, Keller faculty and staff received a document meant to answer some of their lingering questions regarding employment and compensation.
A teacher who spoke to the Star-Telegram on condition of anonymity also noted an air of uncertainty among the district’s educators. The teacher said the question-and-answer document did little to alleviate concerns.
Just before public comments, Shaw Smith told the Star-Telegram she wasn’t entirely sure what the outcome of the board’s closed-door executive session to discuss Johnson’s departure would be. She wasn’t available for comment after the meeting adjourned.
Wilson declined to comment, instead directing questions to the district’s communications office.
This story was originally published February 20, 2025 at 12:34 PM.