Dozens of Keller ISD students stage walkout in protest of plan to split district
KELLER – Tensions boiled on Friday morning within Keller ISD as dozens of students staged a walkout to protest a plan to split the district.
At Keller High School, approximately 30 students gathered with posters opposing the split and walked about a quarter of a mile to the Keller Public Library.
"This is the school I go to," said Heath Shiflett, a Keller High sophomore. "This is the district I represent. These are the people I run for. These are the people I study for. I don't want to be torn apart from them. We are the only people this directly effects, right?"
Parents said other high schools also saw similar student turnout for the protests.
Keller ISD has been facing an ongoing challenge since news emerged last month about a proposed split of the district.
Some board members proposed forming a new district east of 377, and some Keller ISD parents told CBS News Texas that Fossil Ridge, Timber Creek and Central would be among the three schools annexed.
On Wednesday, interim Keller ISD Superintendent Cory Wilson sparked more outrage among parents by holding a closed meeting with select community members regarding the split.
The meeting came just days after Wilson's appointment as the district's interim leader. Former Superintendent Tracy Johnson exited her role after she expressed displeasure with the split plan.
In a statement to CBS News Texas, Keller ISD said walking out is considered skipping class, and students will face the consequences.
