Keller board driving school split doesn’t represent community. Here’s how to fix it | Opinion
The controversy surrounding a proposal to break up the Keller Independent School District raises fresh concerns about a voting system widely recognized as discriminatory: at-large voting.
Even casual observers know that at-large voting schemes — in which officials are elected across an entity rather than to represent specific districts — typically result in power being consolidated in the “majority” of voters to the exclusion of even sizable minorities in communities. When used by school boards, as is true in many public-school districts in Texas, the result is a collection of trustees who often fail to represent the interests of the entire community.
Many Keller ISD parents believe that if the more racially diverse west side of the school district encompassing parts of Fort Worth and enrolling the bulk of the district’s students was adequately represented on the board, a conversation about splitting the district would not be happening. But five of seven trustees come from Keller, and they are driving the conversation about a split.
Cumulative voting could offer a more equitable solution. It allows voters to allocate multiple votes to one or more candidates. This system empowers minority communities by giving them a greater chance to elect candidates who represent their interests.
For example, if a school board election is for three seats, a voter could cast all three votes for a single candidate. This enables smaller but cohesive voting blocs to secure representation, ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making.
Cumulative voting fosters trust in educational institutions by creating a more level playing field. Minority communities’ candidates winning seats on school boards provides competitive access in the electoral system and encourages ongoing engagement in the school community by all, thus motivating individuals to participate. Community members become excited to rally behind candidates who reflect their values and priorities. This promotes grassroots organizing and greater community involvement in campaigns.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 protects against racial discrimination in voting and aims to ensure equal participation in the electoral process.
Enforcing the act at the local level can be a powerful tool to ensure access in election systems for communities that are racially diverse but not segregated. A diverse school board is more likely to prioritize the needs of the entire community.
Cumulative voting can reinforce this accountability by making it possible for underrepresented groups to elect candidates who will advocate for their interests.
School boards are uniquely positioned to address systemic inequities in education. Unfortunately, this requires leadership that, in aggregate, understands the challenges faced by all students.
Single-member districts — in which representatives are elected from specific geographic districts — also offer a remedy to voting-rights violations.
Marginalized communities have often experienced disparities in school funding, access to advanced coursework, and disciplinary policies that disproportionately affect students of color. In the Richardson Independent School District, a troubling storyline emerged — a “tale of two districts.”
A board elected under an at-large system did not represent almost half of the district. The district ultimately endured costly, distracting and time-consuming litigation, only to eventually accommodate change championed by the community (and our plaintiff, David Tyson). The board now operates with five single-member district seats and two at large seats, and Richardson now has a majority-minority board.
The Brewer Storefront, our firm’s community impact law center, advocates for sensible voting rights structures. The Storefront also succeeded in Voting Rights Act cases with the Lewisville Independent School District in August 2023, the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District in 2015; the Irving Independent School District in 2014; the Grand Prairie Independent School District in 2014; and several local cities.These governments now use remodeled voting systems.
The Keller board of trustees is not reflective of the parents of the majority of students in the district. It consists of seven white members, even though voters of color make up nearly one-third of the school district’s citizen voting-age population. And the majority of the district’s 33,000 students are students of color. Five of the seven current board members reside in the city of Keller, where less than half the district’s students live.
Significant achievement gaps exist among student subgroups — an intolerable situation. On the 2024 STAAR exams, 69% of white students met grade level, whereas only 51% of Hispanic students and 40% of Black students did so.
Trustees should shelve their plans to dismantle the district and adopt a voting system that enables participation of those whose views will better reflect the students the district is failing.
