Candidate name: Tommie Johnson
Campaign website: https://tommieforkisd.com/
Education:
Occupation and workplace: Retired educator and small business owner
Keller ISD has approved closing Bear Creek, Parkwood Hill and Trinity Meadows intermediate schools after the 2026-27 school year as the district responds to declining enrollment. Do you support the consolidation plan and what should guide any future decisions about school closures, attendance boundaries or the use of district property?
Closing a campus is incredibly difficult and emotional for families and staff, but as a former campus principal, I recognize that declining enrollment requires tough, data-driven decisions. To protect our operating budget and keep resources focused on classrooms, I support the consolidation plan.
As we work through the process, we must also continue to recognize there is a student and family behind each number. Moving forward, any decisions regarding boundaries, closures, or the sale of KISD property must be led by transparency. The board and district administrators must provide clearly stated summaries of the data and financial impacts to the public at least 30 to 60 days before any vote. Communication on these topics is so critical that I would support a longer review time whenever possible. The community deserves open, organized meetings where trustees actively listen. Transparency and truth should guide the decision-making process from the beginning, not be offered as an explanation after decisions have already been made.
Keller ISD voters will consider an $828 million bond package. Which propositions do you support or oppose, and why? If elected, how would you oversee bond spending if voters approve it — or address the district’s facility needs if some or all of the propositions fail?
I fully support the Keller ISD bond proposal. In making my decision, I evaluated these propositions through three lenses: as a career educator, a parent of two KISD graduates, and a taxpayer.
Propositions A and B address urgent safety needs, cybersecurity, and critical maintenance like replacing failing HVAC systems so our teachers and students have a safe environment and learning is not disrupted. Propositions C, D, and E return our natatorium, KISD stadium, and athletic facilities to the standards our students and the staff who oversee these programs deserve. Because bond funds are not subject to state recapture, 100% of these dollars remain in our district. If voters approve this bond, my priority is strict accountability. I will advocate for a strong, independent Citizens Bond Oversight Committee with publicly accessible dashboards so taxpayers can track spending. If any proposition fails, we must listen to feedback and then proceed accordingly. Our budget for the 2026-2027 school year is about $346 million. As someone who helped manage personnel budgeting for 13 years, I know that about 80% of that total is tied directly to our people. We must keep further cuts away from our classrooms and teachers.
Trustees and administrative staff will need to squeeze the remaining areas of the operating budget to cover what we can. Priorities will be student safety and security, followed immediately by classroom instruction. Keller ISD is not the only school district facing declining enrollment and campus consolidation. The district must be diligent about examining every option to generate income from improved and unimproved district property.
Keller ISD adopted a nearly balanced $346.1 million general fund budget for 2026-27. If the district faces a budget shortfall, how would you want to address it?
As stated in my previous response, approximately 80% of a district’s operating budget goes toward personnel. The board and district administration have already cut millions of dollars from the budget, so there are few places left to look. If we face a budget shortfall, my immediate priorities are ensuring student safety, insulating our classrooms, and protecting competitive compensation for our teachers. Before we ever consider further reducing campus staff or instructional programs, we must look closely at overhead, renegotiate vendor contracts where possible, and find cost-saving efficiencies wherever we can.
The long-term solution to our funding crisis is twofold. We must continue to work at the state level to change the way our public schools are funded. Locally, we must focus on academic excellence and creating educational choice within our district boundaries if we want existing families to stay and new families to seek us out as a Destination District.
What do you believe is Keller ISD’s most pressing academic challenge? Identify one measurable academic outcome you would like the district to improve during your term and one action the school board can take to help accomplish it.
Keller ISD’s most pressing academic challenge is ensuring a rigorous academic foundation while expanding diverse pathways for all types of learners. Specifically, with the adoption of a new math curriculum at the elementary and secondary levels, I want to see an increase in effective, teacher-developed resources that support each student in foundational learning and extend that learning for students who demonstrate mastery. The most effective action the board can take to achieve this is to ensure the district’s budget is aligned with goals, and that the superintendent has a clearly articulated plan of teacher support and accountability.
Keller ISD went through a debate in 2025 over a proposal to split the district, which the board ultimately abandoned. Did you support the district split? More broadly, what would you do as a trustee to rebuild or maintain trust among families and residents across different parts of the district?
I did not support splitting Keller ISD. Having served as a principal on opposite geographic ends of this district, I have seen firsthand that we share the same exceptional students, phenomenal teachers, supportive families, and welcoming communities. Our true strength lies in remaining one KISD. To rebuild and maintain trust, I will focus on the needs and success of the district as a whole. I believe respectful listening, thoughtful collaboration, and recognition of shared accomplishments can rebuild trust and strengthen pride across Keller ISD. I will work to ensure we communicate early and often, providing clear explanations well before major decisions are made. My focus as a trustee is to bring people together and move Keller ISD forward with transparency, truth, and teamwork.
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