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Dozens of speakers press Keller ISD trustees for resignations, cite lack of transparency
Summary
Public commenters at the Keller ISD board meeting urged trustees to resign after the district's proposed split was dropped, accusing the board of secrecy, improper spending on consultants and lawyers, and harming staff and minority students; speakers repeatedly asked for transparency, TEA monitoring and reimbursement details.
A string of public comments at the Keller ISD Board of Trustees' regular meeting on April 10 focused on the trustees' handling of the recent district split planning and a broader demand for greater transparency. Multiple speakers called for the resignation of five trustees and asked for formal accountability.
Laura Romano, a PTA volunteer, opened public comments by thanking community activists who had raised concerns and then said: "In the past 3 months, you have tarnished the reputation of this district. You've made a mockery of this board as an elected body." Romano later said she and other residents would "remain vigilant" and demand transparency.
Several other speakers echoed those calls. Michelle Testerman said trustees had pursued a "costly and pretty stupid" split plan and urged the named trustees to resign: "You guys could resign your positions on the board and step down and let people who actually want to do something for the district, for the students and for the teachers take those spots." Jamie Valdivia, another parent, called trustees "frauds, liars and incompetent buffoons" and said community backlash and lawsuits, not data, had driven the board to abandon the split.
Teachers and staff members also addressed the board. Megan McDaniel, who identified herself as an elementary educator, said the board's decision to end certain childcare/employee programs would force some teachers to leave: "With your decision to end KEEP, I'm going to have to leave. With my current salary... many of us will have no choice but to walk away from a district we love." Lainie Haas, a parent of four, thanked the superintendent for restoring library purchases and fine arts leadership, then urged board members Joni Smith and Chelsea Kelly to ask the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for a monitor: "We cannot trust you in executive session. We cannot trust you with our tax dollars."
Speakers repeatedly raised questions about spending on outside consultants, legal fees and undisclosed invoices. Peter Romano spoke on behalf of his husband and urged the board to stop paying for an extra lawyer and consultants, citing specific line items he said should be cut. Nicholas Traszak read a list of consulting and legal costs and said the board had "wasted well over half a million dollars" on split-related expenses and risked larger lawsuit costs if litigation continues.
Board officials maintained procedures for audience participation at the start of the meeting, citing board policy BED local on public comment rules and noting that speakers were allotted two minutes each.
Why it matters: Public trust and governance practices shaped much of the meeting. Commenters asked for resignations, additional transparency, and TEA oversight; the board did not act on those demands during the meeting.
Ending: The public comment period concluded before the board moved to reports and action items; the concerns raised may continue to shape upcoming meetings and the May trustee election campaign.
