Keller ISD to close three schools. Here’s which ones

Three intermediate schools in Keller ISD will close at the end of the 2026-27 school year, after a unanimous vote by trustees Thursday evening. 

“[The plan] is not perfect,” Superintendent Cory Wilson said ahead of the vote. “But it does a lot of necessary, unfortunate, but also positive things for the long-term viability of Keller ISD.”

The decision will align Keller ISD schools to a more traditional configuration: elementary schools teach pre-K through fifth grade, and middle schools teach sixth through eighth grades. The plan impacts about 3,800 students.

On April 2, the committee steering the consolidation plans drafted a version that also put Shady Grove Elementary on the chopping block. The school was removed from Thursday’s proposal, much to some families’ relief. 

It’s been a “trying time” for the Shady Grove community, but they came together to “advocate for the very special school that we all love,” said Sarah Andreani, the school’s PTA president, during public comment. 

“I would like to thank the trustees and the administration for engaging with our community about a decision that is as permanent and significant as a school closure,” she said.

But Jennifer Guerrero disagreed with the backtrack: “Overturning a decision based on data because of emotional responses is irresponsible.”

The district, which serves about 30,500 students, has seen its enrollment drop. Ten years ago, total enrollment was roughly 34,200, according to state data.

This school year, Keller ISD faced a budget deficit of more than $9.4 million, according to its website. The consolidation plan will free up about $3 million in operating costs each year, according to a presentation. 

It will also reduce capital improvement costs by about $39 million, just as the district is weighing a bond election in November. A committee has been formed to explore what the bond package could look like, preparing to leave the fate of major construction projects in voters’ hands. 

“When we go out for a bond, there’s $39 million less than [what] we have to go ask for,” Wilson said.

The district needs three things, he said, to solidify its financial footing: consolidation, selling land and school bonds.

“Our buildings are crumbling. Our HVAC systems are no longer adequate, or in some cases, not even serviceable,” said trustee Randy Campbell. “The clock is ticking.”

The approved consolidations will help increase capacity at the remaining campuses to 80% to 85%, officials said. Eight Keller ISD campuses are filling less than 75% of their capacity, the Fort Worth Report reported last year. 

Keller ISD is not alone in its challenges. School districts across North Texas are grappling with drops in enrollment — a crisis education experts attribute to a drop in birth rates, high property costs and aging communities. 

Public school advocates say insufficient funding from the state has added to the problem. The base amount of money school districts get per student has not kept up with inflation, critics say.  They worry Texas’ school voucher-style program, set to launch this fall, will pull more students away from public schools. More than 850 students in Keller ISD boundaries were awarded voucher funds for the coming school year.

 Despite closing three schools, the district is not in the clear. 

In three to four years, school officials will have to reevaluate enrollment to determine if more closures are needed. 

“We are going to have to take another look and see what does make sense,” Wilson said. “We have to do what we have to do.” 

The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas. 

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