Parents upset over closed meeting by interim Keller ISD superintendent as controversy swirls
NORTH TEXAS – Some parents are upset after interim Keller ISD Superintendent Cory Wilson held a closed meeting with select community members on Wednesday.
The meeting came just days after Wilson's appointment as the district's interim leader. Tracy Johnson exited her role leading Keller ISD after she expressed displeasure with the potential plan to split in half along Highway 377.
Wednesday night, district officials confirmed a meeting was held between Wilson, the district's former assistant superintendent of education services, and certain community members.
The fact the meeting wasn't open to the public upset several parents, including Matt Strong, who said he was denied entry.
"We've never had anything like this where it's been closed and they're preventing the public from watching," he said. "The irony is they're having it in the boardroom, the very room where 200 people can get in there to observe."
District officials stated that Wednesday's meeting aimed to collect feedback and gather input on the district's upcoming budget challenges. Wilson intends to present this feedback to the school board for review.
Keller ISD clarified that the meeting did not fall under the Open Meetings Act since it was not a board meeting, and therefore, it was not open to the public or available via live stream.
"I just feel like the transparency is not there," parent Michelle Testerman said. "They're not being open and honest. It's frustrating. Overwhelmingly, people just want to vote. We're not saying we're against the split. We want the data so that we can make a decision for what's best for this district."
Some students are planning a walkout at 9:40 a.m. Friday.
The district said an email has been sent to high school principals asking them to remind students that leaving class and not returning is considered skipping and could have negative consequences.
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