The Keller school district plans to sell the property across from Basswood Elementary it bought in 2024 to stop a proposed motel project, according to an email from the district to the city of Fort Worth.
A screenshot of the email was shared with the Star-Telegram by Fort Worth city council member Charles Lauersdorf.
The email was sent in response to a plan by the city of Fort Worth to rezone 23 properties owned by the district to make sure they can only be used for community facilities such as schools, colleges, churches, recreational centers and group homes.
In the email, Keller school district chief operating officer John Allison asked Fort Worth assistant city manager Dana Burghdoff to reconsider rezoning certain properties the district plans to sell. The email doesn’t include the all of the listed properties, however, Allison mentions that maintaining single family zoning “aligns with the properties we are considering for potential future sale.”
The Keller schools closest to the single-family zoning properties are Freedom Elementary, Woodland Springs Elementary, the Early Learning Center South, Friendship Elementary, Lone Star Elementary, Parkview Elementary, Independence Elementary, Fossil Hill Middle School, Parkwood Hill Intermediate School, Bette Perot Elementary, North Riverside Elementary, Heritage Elementary, Eagle Ridge Elementary, and a tentative school site near 2770 Keller Hicks Road.
The Star-Telegram has submitted records requests to both the city of Fort Worth and the Keller school district seeking more information about this email exchange.
Allison then emphasized that the property at 3056 Clay Mountain Trail was of particular concern to the district because “it is the only property we intend to list shortly.”
Given how close the property is to Basswood Elementary, Allison requested a change from the current zoning, which would allow the district to be more selective with potential buyers without being locked into the community facility zoning proposed by the city, he said in the email.
Screenshot of an email to Fort Worth city council members Charlie Lauersdorf, Alan Blaylock and Macy Hill about KISD wanting to sell property in Fort Worth.
The district bought the 2.2 acre parcel in July 2024 for $3.2 million, according to the district’s check register.
The purchase followed a months-long push by parents at Basswood Elementary to kill a proposed Super 6 extended stay motel. They cited concerns the project would attract human trafficking, drug dealing and prostitution.
The school board authorized the purchase at its April 25, 2024, meeting, citing safety concerns and the potential expansion of Basswood Elementary.
“There’s a growth aspect in that part of the community that we have to be mindful of, and so the opportunity to purchase now rather than trying to do so later obviously makes a lot of sense for the district,” saidTrustee Micah Young said at the April 2024 board meeting.
Allison did not immediately respond to an email from the Star-Telegram requesting comment. A representative for the district said interim superintendent Cory Wilson would address the zoning and land sale questions at the Feb. 27 board meeting.
The plan to sell property comes amid a debate over whether to split the district along U.S. 377, which proponents have argued would address funding concerns and avert school closings.
Opponents of the split have questioned that logic, noting that school funding is based on enrollment and roughly 75% of the district is west of U.S. 377.
A Dec. 19 email from a school finance consultant to members of the school board revealed the split would shift costs for underfunded programs onto the new district west of U.S. 377.
The district is facing a $9.4 million budget shortfall for the 2025-26 school year, according to an independent audit presented at the Jan. 30 school board meeting.
Council member Lauersdorf said in a text message to the Star-Telegram that he was surprised by the Keller school district’s urgency to sell its Fort Worth properties while discussions of a district split are still ongoing.
“What’s particularly puzzling is their urgency to list the parcel next to Basswood Elementary. Just last year, Keller ISD was prepared to exercise eminent domain due to the perceived need to expand existing facilities or construct new ones,” he said.
Lauersdorf noted the district justified the use of eminent domain because of growth from nearby developments.
“However, I’m not sure which development they’re referring to — our office has been in contact with the owners of the large property north of Basswood for years, and no plans have been made,” he said.
If the district no longer believes expanding Basswood Elementary is necessary, Lauersdorf said the city of Fort Worth would be interested in buying the lot and turning it into a community garden.
He emphasized the purchase would be funded by fees paid by developers and not taxpayer dollars.
“I envision the space as a shared community garden that would directly benefit the families of Basswood Elementary. I have already spoken with a Fort Worth-based company specializing in garden development, and they are eager to help students establish a program,” he said.
The city council approved a resolution at its Feb. 25 meeting to begin the rezoning process for the 23 properties. The zoning commission will evaluate the move at its March 12 meeting before getting a final decision by the City Council at the March 25 meeting.