From the Fort Worth Report:
Tracy Johnson did not want to be part of any plan that would split Keller ISD in two.
Now, she won’t have to be.
Johnson exited her role as Keller ISD superintendent after spending just more than a year in the job. She was not present at the Jan. 30 meeting. Her name plate was not in its usual spot on the dais.
After more than an hour spent in executive session, trustees did not approve a voluntary separation agreement between Johnson and the district. Board President Charles Randklev said the vote would take place at a later date.
But, in the early hours of Jan. 31, the board appointed an interim superintendent: Cory Wilson, the district’s assistant superintendent of educational services. His appointment was approved 5-0, with trustees Joni Shaw Smith and Chelsea Kelly abstaining.
Wilson has spent 22 years as an educator in Keller ISD, first as a teacher, then an assistant principal at Bette Perot Elementary. He then helped open Ridgeview Elementary in 2011 as principal.
Cory Wilson, Keller ISD’s assistant superintendent of educational services, was named interim superintendent in the early morning hours of Jan. 31, 2025.
Matthew Sgroi / Fort Worth Report
Johnson’s exit follows weeks of turmoil. Parents protested. Trustees clashed. The community demanded answers over a board proposal Johnson said she could not support.
Now, Keller ISD is without a permanent leader as trustees and residents continue to debate the merits of dividing the district. During the meeting, trustees were presented two reports critical of previous budgeting by administrators and board members.
The presentations painted a picture of a district in financial crisis — one that could be aided by a future split and improved financial management, according to some trustees. About 120 speakers appeared Thursday night to oppose it and call for transparency, with nearly 30 others supporting the proposal.
Before residents walked in the door, Johnson’s fate was already on the agenda.
Her departure marks the second superintendent change in just over a year for Keller ISD. Prior to Johnson’s tenure, former Superintendent Rick Westfall retired after serving as the district’s head for six years.
Johnson’s contract, set to expire Dec. 31, 2027, outlines specific provisions for her departure.
If Johnson and the board reach a mutual separation agreement, that allows each party to negotiate financial terms — and any possible buyout.
Additionally, her contract entitles her to payment for unused vacation and leave — up to 50 days at her daily rate of about $1,217 — which could add up to $60,863 to her payout, according to a Fort Worth Report analysis. The district may also have to honor her retirement contributions, according to the contract.
Some parents and Keller ISD residents blamed a board that they believe to be overexerting its power for the superintendent turnover. As a majority of trustees push to pursue a district split, most residents who spoke at the Jan. 30 meeting were opposed to the potential proposal.
“It’s the administration and Dr. Johnson’s job to run the school district, and the board’s job is oversight on behalf of the citizens,” Keller ISD resident Matthew Mucker — who recently filed a lawsuit accusing the board of violating open meetings law — told the Report. “It appears to me that those roles may have been flipped.”
Trustees are chasing away someone who truly cared about the district and its students, some parents said during the meeting. Johnson joined Keller ISD as the coordinator of advanced academics before a brief stint at Denton ISD. She returned to Keller ISD in 2019 as the executive director of human resources, taking the district’s top job in late 2023.
“The likely forced resignation of Superintendent Tracy Johnson is a continued attack on this community by the board of trustees,” Lindsey Carlegis, a former president of the Park Glen Elementary PTA, told trustees. “When our campuses need stability and leadership, you seek to further destabilize the district in your quest for total control.”
Tracy Johnson, left, talks to trustees Joni Shaw Smith and Micah Young following the district’s special meeting Nov. 27, 2023, shortly after being named the sole finalist for superintendent. Dang Le / Fort Worth Report
Johnson led district through debates over play, motel and budget deficit
Throughout her brief tenure as superintendent, Johnson — the first female leader in Keller ISD’s history — led the district through heated times.
In February 2024, Basswood Elementary School became the center of controversy when Fort Worth officials approved the construction of a Studio 6 extended-stay motel adjacent to the school.
Johnson announced that the district would seek legal counsel to explore options to halt the project amid parent opposition. Two months later, the district bought the land for $3.2 million. By August, Fort Worth had proposed new zoning rules to prevent similar developments near educational institutions. Later, the city rezoned the land near Basswood so it could not be developed for industrial or motel uses.
Johnson also oversaw public debate over Timber Creek High School’s performance of the LGBTQ-focused play “The Laramie Project,” which was initially halted. That decision was later overturned by Johnson and Keller ISD administration following community feedback.
Beyond handling controversies, Johnson played a key role in overseeing the district’s balanced budget for the 2024-25 school year. During a board meeting in June 2024, Johnson told trustees that administrators were able to address a $27 million budget shortfall without having to close schools or hold a formal reduction in force.
“But we had to look at efficiencies and make some difficult decisions along the way,” she said, including the consolidation of the Keller Collegiate Academy into the Keller Center for Advanced Learning and staffing cuts to administrative offices and district librarians.
And at the district’s Jan. 16 meeting, Johnson made her point known. She did not want her legacy to be tied to a district split.
“It’s been a huge distraction. A distraction that’s not needed,” Johnson said. “I don’t know how we do this. I’ll be honest, I don’t know if I want to be a part of it.”
Matthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org or @matthewsgroi1.
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