State Rep. David Lowe, R-North Richland Hills, wants Keller ISD residents to have a say in the school district’s potential split.
As school board trustees debate the idea of breaking Keller ISD into two separate school systems, Lowe introduced a bill that would require voters to weigh in before the move goes into effect.
House Bill 4156, filed Monday in the Texas Legislature, would ensure that any school district detachment is approved through an election — while also making it harder to initiate the process.
The bill arrives as Keller ISD faces mounting pressure over the potential split, which first became public knowledge in January. Some trustees argue the proposal could improve financial stability, but the idea fueled public outcry and the resignation of former Superintendent Tracy Johnson.
Top Fort Worth officials publicly opposed the plan, with several questioning whether the decision could rest solely with elected officials or required direct voter approval. The city of Fort Worth and District Attorney Phil Sorrells pushed for legal clarity on whether state law mandates an election in all detachment cases, with Fort Worth arguing it does.
Lowe, whose district covers a portion of Keller ISD, said he filed the bill in response to concerns from constituents who feared being annexed into a new district without their input. Keller ISD enrolls over 33,000 students across parts of north Fort Worth and the city of Keller.
“I received numerous phone calls and emails from constituents in Texas House District 91 regarding the issue,” Lowe said in an emailed statement. “The community has called for a vote, and I have responded by taking the necessary actions.”
Under current law, a school district split can be initiated in two ways: through a petition signed by at least 10% of registered voters in the proposed new district or by a school board resolution approving detachment. Once initiated, the process is handled by county commissioners, who determine whether to move the proposal forward and call an election.
While Tarrant County Commissioners Alisa Simmons and Manny Ramirez believe an election is necessary, commissioner Matt Krause — whose northeast Tarrant district includes Keller — has raised questions about whether existing law explicitly requires a public vote in every case.
Lowe’s bill would remove that uncertainty by mandating elections in both the detaching territory and the remaining district before a split can proceed. The bill would also raise the petition requirement from 10% to 20% of registered voters, making it more difficult to initiate a detachment effort without community support.
Additionally, the bill would shift oversight from county commissioners to the State Board of Education, which would validate petitions, oversee elections and determine how assets and debts are divided between districts.
“There are always multiple options available yet given that this bill has a direct impact on educational outcomes in House District 91, the State Board of Education emerged as the most suitable entity to administer a fair detachment,” Lowe said.
The bill will likely draw support from other Tarrant County lawmakers, he added. State Rep. Nate Schatzline, a Fort Worth Republican who represents a larger portion of Keller ISD than Lowe, will sign on as a joint author, Lowe said.
The bill, which would take effect in September 2025 if passed, will now be assigned to a House committee, after which Lowe said he will request a hearing.
Austin correspondent David Montgomery contributed reporting to this story.
Matthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org or @matthewsgroi1.
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