After learning in a social media post that the Keller ISD school board was considering splitting up the district and moving thousands of students into a new district, a capacity crowd filled the gallery at Thursday night’s school board meeting. Parents and other detractors described the proposal to reshape the district over fiduciary reasons as “extreme” or a “nuclear option” and decried the lack of transparency and community involvement in the discussions. More than 120 lined up to speak in opposition while only two people who spoke at the meeting thought carving up the district was a good idea. “How is it possible for a superintendent to know the needs of teachers on 41 campuses?” asked Danielle Doty. “Smaller school districts could have more flexibility to tailor their curriculum.” More fireworks came after the public weighed in. School board member Joni Smith said her fellow board members were gaslighting the public into believing that the calls about the split were being blown out of proportion. Smith said she sat in the same meetings they did and had a different take on the proposal. Smith asked Superintendent Tracy Johnson to break her silence on the issue. Johnson tearfully said she would get in trouble for saying it, but she didn’t believe splitting the district was the right move and that it was bad for the students. She added she had prepared her resignation letter and would submit it if necessary. Board President Charles Randklev kept saying that someone prematurely leaked the plans, and there would have been a chance for community input, but parents yelled back at him, challenging that notion. Board members also said, there would have been a vote that night, had parents not fought back. Randklev yelled at parent and critic Laney Hawes, saying her comments online that he would be superintendent of the new district were not true. Board members said if the district were split, they would share resources with the new district so all kids would keep the same programs. This all started when social media posts started popping up talking about a plan to calve off part of the Keller ISD, the part west of the railroad tracks running along U.S. Highway 377.  The board president affirmed on social media that the proposal was real.  Thursday night was the first public school board meeting since the proposal was revealed, so a capacity crowd filled the hall. Not only was the room full but more than 100 others who were turned away due to capacity stood outside as parents inside continued to lash out at the board. “How can you sit there and act like this doesn’t affect all these students? I voted for you, and I voted for you; I voted for all of you,” a parent said. To applause from those in attendance, the school board agreed not to take further steps without community involvement and said they would have committees in the district review the proposal. Parents insisted upon a seat at the table of the committees, saying they were currently stacked with the board’s friends. Board member Chris Coker pledged to give them a seat, while another said the parents were not acting in a civil manner in the meeting. Board Vice President John Birt said if the district isn’t split they would face job cuts, school closures, and more. Parents yelled back, called him a bully, and asked that they work together for their children. In a prepared statement earlier in the night, Randklev stated, “Nothing has been decided, and speculation that jumps to conclusions is premature. I can assure you we will have a robust public dialogue before any action is taken. If this plan doesn’t benefit all 34,000 students in Keller ISD this board won’t stand for it “