Fort Worth approves rezoning of Keller school land, says it is trying to protect residents
The Fort Worth City Council voted unanimously at its March 25 meeting to rezone 23 Keller school district properties within the city limits.
The move changes the land use of the 23 properties to “community facilities,” meaning they can be used only for churches, government buildings, schools, health facilities, or community centers, according to Fort Worth’s zoning code.
The city argued the move was needed to protect residents amid uncertainty about the Keller school district’s plans to sell the properties while it discussed a potential split. Those split plans were abandoned March 14 with district officials citing cost as the main obstacle.
Representatives for the Keller school district opposed the move, arguing the rezoning would hamper efforts to sell some of the properties, especially the 2.2 acre parcel across from Basswood Elementary that the district purchased in 2024 in an effort to stop a proposed motel project.
District Chief Operating Officer John Allison told the Fort Worth zoning commission at its March 12 meeting that the district planned to sell the property across from Basswood Elementary to recoup some of the money spent to buy the parcel.
The district spent $3.2 million in July 2024 to buy the property.
Representatives for the Keller school district had asked the city to pause its rezoning effort, however council members Charlie Lauersdorf, Alan Blaylock and Macy Hill pushed to have the case come before the full council at the March 25 meeting.
Representatives for the Keller school district did not speak at Tuesday’s council meeting and did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Star-Telegram.
North Fort Worth resident Barbara Brewer told the council Tuesday that the rezoning was needed to protect residents from a Keller school board that has lost the community’s trust.
Members of the school board proposed splitting the district without considering the implications for bond debt or the cost of a potential split, Brewer said.
“They won’t give up, and we won’t give up either,” she said. “We have every right to be in that district.”
Rezoning the Keller school district properties in north Fort Worth will give residents more of a say in how those properties get used, said Rachael Jenkins, another resident who spoke at Tuesday’s council meeting.
If the school board earns the community’s trust back, and their plans to sell really are in the best interest of the whole district, then the district can always petition to change the zoning to something more appealing to buyers, Jenkins said.
“I will be there to petition for it, because I love Keller ISD and I want it to succeed,” she said.
Mayor Mattie Parker thanked Jenkins and Brewer along with all the Keller school district residents who spoke up about the proposed split.
Parker said it was important that school districts stay intact, and that major decisions should be made with the input and consent of residents and families who live near or send their kids to Keller schools.
While the city’s hands were tied when it came to the potential district split, Parker said it was important for the city to take action to protect the schools in Fort Worth.
Lauersdorf also thanked the north Fort Worth community for supporting the rezoning and fighting the split of the district.
“If you drive around north Fort Worth, you’ll see gold ribbons everywhere as a sign of unity,” Lauersdorf said.
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