Keller ISD board of trustees shakeup: ‘This was a change election'

Another shakeup is underway for the embattled Keller Independent School District. After months of upheaval, more than 14,000 voters have spoken by voting for candidates against splitting up the district.

“This tells me this was a change election,” said trustee-elect Randy Campbell.

In January, a now-abandoned plan to split the affluent district in two sparked heated school board meetings, the resignation of the district’s superintendent and lawsuits.

According to election results, Campbell, a retired American Airlines pilot and Air Force veteran, is one of two new faces on Keller ISD’s embattled board of trustees.

“People still have bad feelings about that, about how it was handled, because it wasn’t done transparently. There were too many decisions that were made out public view and it affects people’s property values, it affects their kids’ education." Campbell said. “People were very much dissatisfied with the current direction of the board of trustees, and they wanted change in a very bipartisan way. We had broad support for campaigns and a lot of volunteers who came forward who were very interested in keeping Keller ISD together, united and keeping it a strong public school district and I’m very much an advocate of strong public schools.”

Campbell easily won the open Place 1 race.

PTA mom Jennifer Erickson bested Place 2 incumbent Joni Smith, who a far-right PAC had backed and only opposed the district's proposed split in the end.

When asked why she believes she beat Smith, Erickson said, “I think it was probably a number of factors, but I really feel like people felt like they didn’t have as much of a voice before.”

Place 3 incumbent Chelsey Kelly, who opposed the split, secured a 3-year term on the 7-member board.

Laney Hawes is the co-founder of Keller ISD Families for Public Education.

“So we have these three trustees that will be on the board next week, and they are not beholden to PACs,” she said. “They are not colluding. They are not in a voting bloc. They have not sworn their allegiance to anyone except for the community.”

It is unclear whether the district may try to split again, and a bill considered in the state legislative session could impact this.

The newcomers said they intend to fight to fully fund the school district, seek a pay increase for teachers and get its “financial house” in order.

Erickson hopes her colleagues are as eager as she is to work together.

“We definitely come from different viewpoints,” she said. “We've got a district that's so wide, we need those differences of opinion.”

The new trustees will be sworn in and meet for the first time next week.

“Keller ISD has been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons and the people have grown dissatisfied. It’s not necessary,” said Campbell. “We should try to make Keller ISD meetings boring again. That’s my goal.”

온라인카지노사이트 5 reached out to Smith and the school district for comment, but has not yet heard back.