At its Thursday, April 25, Regular Meeting, the Keller ISD Board of Trustees took action to purchase the lot located next to Basswood Elementary School. 
 
Keller ISD recently came to an agreement with the developer on terms of the purchase, and the Board’s approval Thursday authorizes the District to move forward with acquiring the land.  

“The safety and security of our students and staff is our top priority,” said KISD Board President Dr. Charles Randklev. “Once the School Board and District were notified, we acted quickly to reach an agreement with the developer that protects our Basswood Elementary students, staff, and families. Now, instead of an extended stay motel, our community will enjoy more green space with a potential for a park. I appreciate the City of Fort Worth’s help with resolving this matter and working with us to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”

KISD leadership and Trustees have been in negotiations with the city and the developer of the property to purchase the land, with the hopes of retaining it for future school use. The action taken by the Board allows the District to purchase the lot for $3.2 million, with a potential cost share with the City of Fort Worth. 

“This is a big win for Keller ISD and the Basswood Elementary community,” said KISD Superintendent Dr. Tracy Johnson. “We are so appreciative of the advocacy, engagement, and patience of everyone in the community as we navigated this process. I hope that having this property in the hands of the District will provide them with a level of comfort, knowing that the safety and other future needs of their school will be met.” 

The success of this outcome would not be possible without the ongoing collaboration between the KISD Administration, the KISD Board of Trustees, and the City of Fort Worth.  

“I am so excited for the parents and students of Basswood Elementary,” said Fort Worth City Councilman Charlie Lauersdorf. “I look forward to continuing our work with Keller ISD in making this particular lot one that will be beneficial to the school and residents in our community. I want to thank the developers, City of Fort Worth Staff, the Keller ISD School Board, and most importantly, the amazing parents and staff at Basswood Elementary for all working together over the last couple of months to see this through.”

The District will begin work on its immediate plans for the land and share those with families at a future date.