Latest news with #TracyJohnson
CBS News
06-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Keller ISD names lone finalist for Superintendent
The Keller ISD Board of Trustees named Cory Wilson their lone Superintendent finalist on Thursday night. The district made the announcement in a news release. Wilson has served as the interim superintendent since former Superintendent Tracy Johnson's resignation in January. Wilson has been a part of the KISD for over two decades, previously serving as the Assistant Superintendent of Education Services. Johnson's resignation was unanimously accepted a month after she voiced concerns about the proposal to split the district. Discussions about splitting the district ended in May after community pushback, including multiple lawsuits and Johnson's ultimate resignation. One lawsuit from a parent alleged the board's election rules violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Another accuses trustees of violating the Texas Open Meetings Act with their private talks of splitting the district. Presented in January, the proposal to divide the district along Highway 377, would have created Alliance ISD and divided students from schools and the community. The president of the KISD Board of Trustees praised Wilson's performance as Interim Superintendent, stating, "We are excited for the future of Keller ISD under his leadership." The board will wait the state-mandated 21-day waiting period before officially hiring Wilson for the position.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Keller school board approves lone finalist for superintendent job
The Keller school board named Cory Wilson as the finalist for the district's open superintendent position during a special meeting June 5. Wilson has served as interim superintendent since Jan. 31, following the resignation of Tracy Johnson, who parted ways with Keller schools over a proposal put forth by board members to split the district in half — using U.S. 377 as the dividing line. Board trustees interviewed Wilson in executive session before revealing their decision. The board voted 5-0 in favor of the recommendation. Trustees Charles Randklev and Chris Coker weren't in attendance. The board posted the superintendent position on May 20. At that time, they voted to only consider internal applicants. Prospective candidates had until May 30 to submit their applications. In a statement to the Star-Telegram, a Keller spokesperson said only one candidate applied. By law, the board must wait 21 calendar days before taking action to officially hire Wilson. 'The Board has been pleased with Dr. Wilson's performance during his time as Interim Superintendent and we are excited for the future of Keller ISD under his leadership,' a Keller spokesperson said in the district's statement. Johnson's resignation earlier this year was seen as an act of protest against the plan to split the district. Many around Keller vocally opposed the proposal, which would have detached schools in the eastern portion of the district — those in Keller, Colleyville, Southlake and Watauga — from the ones on the west side of 377 in Fort Worth. The split was called off on March 14, with former school board president Charles Randklev citing financial hurdles. On May 15, the board officially adopted a resolution quashing the proposal. Despite that, the board faces two lawsuits related to the split. On June 4, Randklev was deposed, reportedly for more than six hours, in a suit brought by homeowners in north Fort Worth's Heritage neighborhood. They allege board trustees violated the Texas Open Meetings Act by discussing the split plan behind closed doors and without all trustees in attendance. Former trustee Micah Young is scheduled to be deposed in the same case on June 11. Young did not seek reelection in May for his board seat.
Calgary Herald
27-05-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Calgary Public Library receives $300,000 from TD to support Indigenous artists
The Calgary Public Library has received a $300,000 donation from TD Bank Group to support its Indigenous newcomer artist-in-residence and elder-in-residence programs. Article content Article content The funding, announced on Tuesday, will support the programs through the next three years, according to Tracy Johnson, CEO of the Calgary Public Library Foundation. Article content The programs will offer paid opportunities for artists to 'engage with community through art, storytelling and mentorship,' she said, by leading programs, hosting workshops and engaging with library visitors in one-on-one meets. Article content Article content 'These residencies play a vital role in fostering cross-cultural understanding and amplifying diverse perspectives across the city,' Johnson added. Article content Article content The residencies, according to Johnson, have been ongoing for a number of years, although in different iterations. This one, she said, will support burgeoning artists and offer workshops to the public on the teachings of the medicine wheel, residential school legacies, smudge training and the difference between appreciation and appropriation. Article content Calgary Public Library CEO Sarah Meilleur said that with the help of TD, the library can create 'opportunities and give voices to historically underrepresented communities.' Article content One of the newcomer artists-in-residence for this year is Morgan Black, a member of Ts'kw'aylaxw First Nation, who since March has already offered a number of public workshops and one-on-one meets. Article content Her work 'incorporates scenes of reconnecting to traditional storytelling practices colonization and decolonization and taking a critical look at truth and reconciliation,' said Meilleur, inspired by her own childhood memories of living on her ancestral land before moving away to Treaty Seven. Article content Robert Ghazal, senior vice-president and Alberta region head for TD Bank Group, said the donation comes as a result of a longtime relationship with the library foundation and is part of the bank's commitment to their corporate citizen platform, which will see the bank donating up to one billion to 'support change, nurture progress and contribute to making the world a better place.'
CBS News
14-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Keller ISD scraps plan to split district, letter confirms
In a turn of events, the Keller Independent School District has scrapped its plan Friday to split the district in half, according to the district's board of trustees. The controversial proposal to divide the district along Highway 377, which was presented in January, was met with ample concern from hundreds of parents in the district. The proposal also didn't sit right with City of Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker. "What do you tell the teachers and families, that we don't want those kids?" she said in January. "I've worked in education policy for 10 years. You can tell it makes me mad because all of our kids should have the opportunity to have high-quality education." Keller ISD is one of the largest districts Tarrant County, serving nearly 35,000 students from Fort Worth, Keller and other surrounding areas. The plan was created in effort to help mend the district's financial troubles – caused by the lack of state funding, budget decision and other issues, according to the Keller ISD board. Tensions concerning the plan boiled over into February, leading to students staging a walkout, homeowners speaking out and ultimately, the resignation of the district's superintendent Tracy Johnson. But Friday afternoon, Keller ISD Board of Trustees President Charles Randklev and Interim Superintendent Dr. Cory Wilson released the following letter to the community, confirming the plan is no longer on the table: "For the past two years, we have openly discussed our district's financial challenges, caused by insufficient state funding, record inflation, declining enrollment, and prior budget decisions. Like many districts across Texas, we are facing serious financial distress due to these factors and have worked diligently to find solutions that ensure long-term stability while maintaining the quality of education our community expects and deserves. One option we considered was reshaping the District, as allowed through the Texas Education Code, a concept that could provide more efficient use of resources, as well as more personalized education and stronger community connections. To be clear, this consideration was always driven and motivated with financial stability and student outcomes as our highest priorities. Throughout this process we have sought community feedback, shared information via the District's FAQ page, and provided updates to our stakeholders. After months of vetting, we've identified a major obstacle: managing our existing bond debt. The District currently carries over $700 million in debt from previous bonds. Under a reshaping scenario, distributing this debt fairly would require tens of millions in additional funding – resources we simply do not have. This added financial burden would not best serve the Keller ISD students and community. While we recognize the potential benefits of reshaping the District, the challenges listed above make it clear there is no viable path forward. This decision was not made lightly, and the challenges would not have been fully understood without further investigating this process. Despite this decision, we remain committed to identifying financial solutions that best serve Keller ISD students, teachers, and families. Moving forward, we will continue to look at every single option to strengthen our district's financial health, while striving to make Keller ISD's educational offerings among the best in the state. That is what originally motivated this discussion and what will motivate every discussion in the future. We will continue to evaluate solutions such as campus consolidation, bond planning, and ongoing administrative, non-instructional, and programmatic efficiencies – all with input from the entire community. Your engagement has been invaluable, and we encourage ongoing collaboration as we navigate these challenges together. Keller ISD is stronger because of its educators, students, and families, and we remain steadfast in our shared commitment to improving educational outcomes for all our students."
CBS News
21-02-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Keller ISD board accepts superintendent's resignation amid controversial district split proposal
The Keller ISD Board of Trustees has officially parted ways with its superintendent, a month after she voiced concerns about a proposal to split the district in two. Trustees held a special meeting Thursday morning to vote on accepting Tracy Johnson's resignation and approving the terms of an agreement with her replacement. "This district is in utter chaos," said Trustee Joni Smith. "This community is in utter chaos. We are all hurting and it's not her that caused it. And so while I do not want to accept her resignation, I'm going to honor her request and I wish her the absolute best." Interim Superintendent Cory Wilson, who previously served as assistant superintendent of education services, is now officially at the helm as the district navigates uncharted waters. The board is considering a controversial proposal to divide the district in two. Several parents and community members at the meeting spoke out against that plan and against the decision to accept Johnson's resignation. They accused the board of pushing her out. Johnson had told trustees at a January meeting that she didn't believe a split was right for the kids and she didn't want to be a part of it. "I don't think Dr. Johnson wanted to go voluntarily, and it just breaks my heart because right now this is not what our district needed," said Trustee Chelsea Kelly, voicing her frustrations with the turmoil. The trustees pushing for the proposal cite a $9 million budget deficit as a reason for the realignment. However, a report from a third-party consulting firm showed funding wouldn't really change for either of the new districts since the money follows students. The findings were presented at the Jan. 30 board meeting. Now parents are demanding a cost report for the split and projections for expenditures in the new districts. "I urge all affected individuals to demand transparency and financial accountability before any decisions are made," said one Keller resident during public comment. "Our students, educators and community deserve better." During Thursday's meeting, the board did not mention the split proposal or when they planned to discuss the idea next. "This is chaos and this is how our school board operates," said Laney Hawes, a parent to four Keller ISD students and co-founder of the nonprofit advocacy group Keller ISD Families for Public Education. "And this is how the board operates when they are committed to a political agenda rather than a community." She doesn't have faith the board will be able to find a qualified permanent replacement for Johnson. "No one is going to touch Keller with a 100-foot pole at this point," she said. "We're on our third superintendent in less than three years. We are embroiled in legal battles, political battles, embarrassment. No one wants to have a career in Keller ISD right now. Why would they do that to themselves?" The district is currently facing multiple lawsuits. One accuses trustees of violating the Texas Open Meetings Act with their private talks of splitting the district. Another alleges the board's election rules violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Heritage HOA, representing a neighborhood in north Fort Worth, has also retained a law firm to fight the plan. The Tarrant County District Attorney sent a letter last week, seeking guidance from the Texas Attorney General on whether a public election is needed to split the district or if school board trustees can make that decision on their own Under Government Code section 402.042(c), the AG has up to 180 days to issue an opinion, but the AG can state it needs more time.
