Keller ISD will close early learning centers, consolidate classrooms to cut costs
The Keller school district’s two early learning centers will close after this year as part of a broader effort to slash costs and chip away at an anticipated $9.4 million budget deficit for the 2025-26 academic year.
District officials hinted at the closures during the Feb. 27 board meeting. In recent weeks, faculty and staff at Keller’s Early Learning Center North and Early Learning Center South were told they’ll be reassigned to elementary campuses next year, which will serve the two centers’ pre-kindergarten and special education students moving forward.
Bryce Nieman, a district spokesperson, said this will allow for better use of available classroom space. While some early learning center teachers have begun communicating the changes to students’ families, Nieman said more information will be shared with those impacted in the coming weeks.
What are parents saying?
Already, parents are worried about what this will mean for their children. One who spoke with the Star-Telegram has a child receiving special education services at the Early Learning Center South. He said had watched his daughter develop a bond with her teacher, and he would hate to see that severed with the upcoming changes.
Nieman said the district will prioritize assigning students to their home elementary campuses to help maintain a sense of stability.
“We can’t guarantee that will be the case for everyone, depending on programming needs and availability,” he said. “But the goal is to place students as close to home as possible.”
The district previously said it would do the same for teachers who are being reassigned, and that every effort will be made to move teachers to campuses near their homes or near where they teach.
Cost savings and future plans
Closing the two early learning centers will save Keller $1 million in annual operating costs. There are no firm plans for what will happen to the campuses once they close. The Early Learning Center North, at 10310 N. Riverside Dr. in Fort Worth, is attached to the district’s warehouse and education center annex.
The Early Learning Center South, at 3975 Summerfields Blvd. in Fort Worth, is a stand-alone building and is one of 23 Keller-owned properties rezoned by the Fort Worth City Council. The property can only be used for churches, government buildings, schools, health facilities, or community centers.
Who will be impacted?
The early learning centers were created for Keller’s pre-kindergarten program for students aged 4 who meet certain criteria. That includes:
- Children of active-duty service members.
- Children of service members or first responders killed or injured in the line of duty.
- Children experiencing homelessness.
- Children who are or have been in the conservatorship of the Texas Department of Family Protective Services.
- Children who qualify as bi-lingual or English-as-a-second-language students.
Students with an identified disability may enroll in early childhood special education as early as 3 years of age.
This story was originally published April 4, 2025 at 3:56 PM.