Poorly Rated Schools in Keller ISD

First, I just have to say, there really isn't such thing as a bad school in Keller ISD. Some may not be rated quite as high as another, but if you've ever been to a truly bad school, you'd this article is just focused on the difference between GREAT schools and BEST schools... lets proceed.

School District Affecting the Heritage Subdivision Among Others

• Redrawing Cape Cod from Lonestar Elementary to Friendship Elementary

  • Old news: Plans to redistrict the attendance zones were discontinued.
    • The reason the plans were discontinued is because of your involvement at the public forums. Find forum agenda and the presentation they used here: https://goo.gl/eqEV2r
    • Lonestar is however very full and the area is still growing, so they may propose this change again in the future.

• If I want to appeal to have boundary lines redrawn, what do I do?

  • Waiting until the redistricting is proposed then attending the public forum will be the most effective route. Less effective (and possibly counterproductive) would be to contact Billy Kidd (contact info below).

  • When do they notify of changes?

    • One person told me it takes 1 year to fully pass.
    • Previous meeting where the board of trustees voted on it was Nov 30.
    • Previous dates for public forums were mid to late January held in the evening.
    • How do they notify of changes? They do a press release, so news organizations pick it up and disseminate widely. If you have personal experience, please share how you found out and I’ll update this.

• Can I transfer my child?

  • List of schools accepting transfers: https://goo.gl/DJuMCu

  • Transfer application: https://goo.gl/1ygxSR

  • Dates to submit application for fall semester: March 1 - April 30 (reviewed by June 21)
  • Dates to submit application for spring semester: Oct 1 - Nov 30 (reviewed by Jan 14)
  • They only allow transfers to certain schools. The list changes periodically.
  • Even if your school is listed, transfers may still be denied.
  • If the child has disciplinary issues or is trying to transfer to a school far away, odds are less likely they will be approved.
  • Transferring from one school district to another (not just from one school to another inside the same district) requires a different process.
  • If your child is granted a transfer, it can be rescinded due to academic issues, behavior issues, or changes in overcrowding.
  • Communicate with the school principals about transfers
  • For elementary: If class sizes are at 90%+ capacity, requests will likely be denied
  • For questions email: leanne.shivers@kellerisd.net

• Address lookup - Which schools would this address go to?: https://goo.gl/jfroHU

• Feeder pattern - Which middle school and high school does my elementary schools feed to: https://goo.gl/74UXsx

• Who to talk to:

  • You’re more than welcome to call me (Chandler Crouch). My team is happy to research to find answers. 817-381-3800 broker@chandlercrouch.com

  • Billy Kidd is in charge of analyzing demographics and proposing redistricting
    • billy.kidd@kellerisd.net, 817-744-3971
  • Hudson Huff was in charge until Billy took over, so he is familiar with the history of any redistricting that took place.
    • hudson.huff@kellerisd.net
    • Karen Davis is Hudson’s assistant: 817-744-3955

March 4, 2017 Update

Lone Star rezoning. The change they were proposing wouldn't have immediately changed the overcrowding at the school. It was designed as a phase out that really wouldn't have had an impact for 5 years. They were basing it on saying homes were going to be built in the land next to the YMCA. That was proven to be false information because that land belongs to the Catholic church which still has plans to build a High School there. The demographer was basing his projection on A5 residential going there in about 5 years. It did not change just based on complaints

If you're curious whats going on with the Catholic High School plans that you may have heard about for years, just wait, but don't hold your breath. The Catholic Diocese is still raising funds for it, and they don't plan on selling the land.

March 3, 2017 Update:

I just got some more information from the gentleman that is in charge of proposing changes. He has been very helpful: Boundaries are decided by the need to meet TEA requirements for number of students per class based on the population of the district.

Boundaries can be adjusted to address highly populated areas, when space is available at existing campuses or by adding a new school and making adjustments.

The conversation begins in house, is shared with the school board, and is presented to the community through public meetings. The School Board will vote on the boundary changes, if passed, it is put in place and communicated on the district website.

Parents can request a campus transfer, those transfers are dependent on space availability K-12. A parent could send a request for a boundary change, but it’s subject to the information above