Chris Coker, candidate for Keller ISD Place 5

Candidate name: Chris Coker

Age: 41

Public email address: [email protected]

Campaign website: https://www.cokerforkisd.com/

Occupation and workplace: Small medical consulting business owner focused on lab and pharmacy management

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?

Yes, I support the consolidation plan. Keller ISD has experienced significant enrollment decline, and we have a responsibility to adjust our footprint rather than continue operating underutilized facilities. The approved plan is estimated to save approximately $3 million annually in operating costs and avoid $39 million in future capital needs.

Future decisions should be driven by enrollment and demographic trends, campus utilization, facility condition, financial impact, transportation, and minimizing disruption to students and families. Attendance boundaries should be evaluated with the same objective criteria and with an emphasis on long-term stability. District property that is no longer needed should be evaluated strategically, with the goal of maximizing its long-term value to students, taxpayers, and the district—not simply disposing of an asset for a short-term benefit. 

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 support Proposition D and oppose Propositions A, B and E. I support the necessary repairs to the Natatorium in Proposition C, but I have concerns with how we arrived at this point.

My opposition is not to maintaining our schools. Proposition A contains many legitimate needs, HVAC, roofs, plumbing, electrical and safety improvements, but at $756 million, I believe it is simply too large. I advocated for a significantly smaller package focused on our highest-priority needs and believe we should borrow only what is necessary, not simply what our current tax rate allows us to borrow.

Proposition B would borrow $28 million for technology, while Proposition E would spend nearly $24 million primarily on artificial turf. At a time of declining enrollment and significant facility needs, I do not believe those should take priority over our classrooms and critical infrastructure.

If voters approve any proposition, I will insist on strong oversight, competitive pricing, transparent reporting and accountability for every dollar spent. If propositions fail, we should immediately reprioritize the facility list, address the most critical health, safety and infrastructure needs first, and return to taxpayers with a smaller, needs-based proposal. My approach is simple: take care of what we have, distinguish needs from wants, and borrow as little as necessary to accomplish that. 

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? 

Over the past several years, we have worked hard to eliminate tens of millions of dollars in recurring expenses and restore financial stability without placing the burden on taxpayers. If we face another shortfall, I would take the same disciplined approach.

Everything should be on the table, but reductions should start as far away from the classroom as possible. I would continue examining administrative costs, staffing levels, outside contracts, purchasing, underutilized facilities and programs that are not producing results for students. With declining enrollment, we also have to continue right-sizing the district to reflect the number of students we actually serve.

Our priorities must be protecting classroom instruction, increasing teacher compensation where possible and maintaining a healthy fund balance. Using reserves to cover recurring operating expenses only delays difficult decisions and creates larger problems later.

We cannot control every decision made in Austin, but we can control how responsibly we manage the money entrusted to us locally. My goal is to continue building a sustainable budget that puts teachers and students first while respecting taxpayers. 

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 that every student is performing at or above grade level, regardless of the campus they attend or their background. While Keller ISD continues to outperform state averages overall, we still have significant achievement gaps that deserve our attention.

One measurable outcome I would like to see is a meaningful increase in the percentage of students achieving Meets Grade Level or higher, particularly in reading and math, while narrowing the gaps among student groups.

The board’s role is not to dictate what happens in the classroom, but we can establish clear academic goals, provide teachers with the resources they need, and hold the administration accountable for measurable student growth. I also want us to use multiple data points throughout the year, such as MAP testing, so we can identify students who are falling behind early and provide intervention before the end of the school year.

Ultimately, our success should be measured by student outcomes. Every budget decision, program and initiative should be evaluated by asking a simple question: Is this helping our students learn? 

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 supported exploring whether restructuring Keller ISD could improve financial sustainability, student outcomes and local representation. I have always believed that good governance requires being willing to examine every option rather than dismissing ideas before understanding the facts. Ultimately, the financial analysis showed that a split was not viable, and I supported ending that effort even though we did not get far in any of the discussions.

I also recognize that the process damaged trust in parts of our community. Rebuilding that trust requires transparency, communication and a willingness to listen, even when we disagree. Major decisions affecting our students, employees and taxpayers should be discussed openly, supported by data and include meaningful opportunities for community input.

Keller ISD serves communities across multiple cities and four feeder patterns, and every family should know that their trustee represents the entire district, not simply one neighborhood or part of town. My responsibility is to make decisions based on what is best for all Keller ISD students while being transparent about the facts, the alternatives and the reasoning behind my decisions.