Keller superintendent finalist talks vision, thoughts on a split and what’s next
Keller’s lone finalist for the superintendent’s job said in a conversation with the Star-Telegram that “the future is bright” for the school district, which, he said, will move forward as one cohesive community following months of turmoil over a proposal to divide it in half.
Keller’s school board identified Cory Wilson as the lone finalist for the superintendent job on June 5. He has served in that role on an interim basis since the resignation of former Superintendent Tracy Johnson in January.
By law, Texas school boards have to wait 21 days after naming a finalist for superintendent before hiring the candidate.
Board President John Birt has praised Wilson’s performance, and trustee Randy Campbell, elected to the board in May, took to Facebook to express his support for the interim superintendent.
“I believe we could spend hundreds of man-hours and thousands of dollars of taxpayer money in a search for a new superintendent and not find a better fit for the job,” he wrote.
Wilson joined the district in 2002 as a teacher at Parkwood Hill Intermediate School. He was was the sole applicant for the superintendent position after it was posted in May. The position was only open to internal candidates.
Tough road ahead for Keller schools
Wilson was unexpectedly thrust into the top job following Johnson’s departure. Her resignation was seen as an act of protest against a proposal brought by board members to divide the school district. The idea was to potentially split Keller in half using U.S. 377 as the dividing line, effectively detaching the schools in the cities of Keller, Colleyville, Southlake and Watauga from those in Fort Worth.
While that plan was dropped in March, the very notion of it angered many in the district and highlighted an ideological divide between residents that had been exposed during previous controversies over banning library books and the decision — which was ultimately reversed — to not stage a high school play with LGBTQ themes.
When asked if he had any qualms about taking the interim superintendent job in January when disagreement had reached a fever pitch, Wilson said no.
“My mind goes to, what’s my responsibility, what do I need to do?” he said.
A Midwesterner from Kansas who has worked in Keller since 2002, Wilson called the district his and his family’s home, and he vowed to not shy away from the challenge of rebuilding trust between the administration and Keller’s families, students and staff members.
Wilson, who has a child going into seventh grade in Keller, said he has three priorities. First, he wants to reinforce academic rigor in the classrooms. Next, he wants to help students engage in opportunities beyond the classroom, like sports and other extracurriculars, that help them develop into more well-rounded individuals. Finally, Wilson said he wants to cultivate a “supportive, positive environment” across the district.
That last point, in Wilson’s view, starts with engaging with parents and guardians and encouraging involvement.
“We want our parents, our families, to partner with us in whatever ways they can,” said Wilson.
While optimistic about the future, Wilson is also a realist. The financial challenges that led the school board to consider the split haven’t entirely gone away.
A January audit report showed the district’s general fund balance had decreased by $35 million since 2019. At the same time, Keller was looking at a potential $9.4 million budget deficit for the 2025-26 school year.
Cuts have chipped away at that deficit, but Wilson said the Texas Legislature’s school funding bill, House Bill 2, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law on June 4, “doesn’t do enough to address our inflationary costs.”
Before this latest legislative session, the state’s basic per-pupil funding allotment hadn’t increased since 2019. House Bill 2 raised it by $55 per student, but it does allocate additional funds to districts to cover things like transportation, utilities, insurance and employee benefits.
The cost to maintain and upgrade aging campuses is a big concern for Keller. Wilson said the district was going to have to present a bond package to cover repairs. He also said the district would have to rethink its facilities plan in light of declining enrollment. That could mean closing schools.
“At our peak, we were at 35,000 students,” said Wilson. “This past year, we were around 32,000. We’ll work with the community to determine the best path forward. We have to match the number of campuses we have with the number of students.”
Those will be tough decisions, but Wilson promised that it would be a “community project” and that district families will have input.
About the proposed Keller district split
Even though detachment is off the table, some Keller residents worry the plan will resurface given the district’s financial woes. When asked what he would say to them, Wilson was adamant there would be no split.
“We are a district of 32,000 kids,” he said. “We have four feeder patterns, four high schools … and we will continue to be a district of 32,000 kids, four feeder patterns and four high schools.”
Wilson said he told Keller faculty and staff members the same thing, while also thanking them for being patient during the uncertainty. And while rumors have persisted that anxious Keller teachers have been fleeing the district, Wilson said this year’s turnover is no different from previous years, nor is it different from the kind of turnover neighboring districts are seeing.
Bridging the divide in Keller community
Wilson doesn’t deny that hurt feelings still linger on both sides of the Keller split debate. But he appeared hopeful that the rift would heal while saying he had a role to play as intermediary.
“In a district our size, you’re always going to have a diversity of opinions,” Wilson said. “That’s something I’m absolutely OK with. My job is to listen to everyone’s point of view, respond to concerns, make sure our kids are safe and that they are well educated…. I want everyone in the community to trust me and trust the work we’re doing.”
This story was originally published June 16, 2025 at 4:34 PM.