Kerens ISD School Board: A Model of Transparency in Small-Town Texas

We walked into the Kerens ISD Board of Trustees meeting on the evening of March 30, 2026, not knowing what to expect. We cover local government in several small Texas communities, and we have seen just about everything, from boards that operate like private clubs to officials who treat the Texas Open Meetings Act like a suggestion.

What we found at Kerens ISD was a genuine relief. This board gets it. And we think other TOMA-regulated bodies in Kerens could learn from them.

We are going to walk through what the board covered, what they voted on, and what we observed. We have also included our TOMA compliance analysis toward the end for those who want the full picture.

Every board member was present. Board President Teresa Jennings called the meeting to order, Tyrone Martin led the opening prayer, and the room felt welcoming from the start.

Students of the Year

Before any business was conducted, the board recognized two Kerens ISD Students of the Year: Kayla Gonzales and Isaiah Carter. Both were selected by staff and honored through the Area Chamber of Commerce.

Kayla is involved in student council, FCA, volleyball, track, and softball, and plans to attend the University of North Texas after graduation. Isaiah is ranked third in his class, active in FCA, football, basketball, and track, and plans to continue at Navarro College.

By pure coincidence, Isaiah ended up sitting right next to me during the meeting, and I had the chance to congratulate him personally. Both of these students clearly represent the best of Kerens ISD. We wish them nothing but success as they move on to the next chapter of their education.

What the District Reported

Director of Student Services Mr. Atkeisson reported enrollment is steady at about 700 students. Energy management is running roughly 22% under budget, and facilities are in good shape. The standout news: the district received zero findings on a surprise intruder detection audit. According to Atkeisson, Kerens ISD was the first district in the area to achieve a perfect score. That is worth recognizing.

Elementary principal Mrs. Mathis shared updates on upcoming activities, including a nursing home visit, Easter parties, and Parent Special Appreciation Day. She also recognized librarian Mrs. Flynn for her outstanding work with students.

Secondary principal Mrs. Lynch reported the one-act play advanced to area competition in Corsicana. The UIL high school academics team earned second place overall, with a dozen students moving on to regionals. STAAR testing kicks off the following week.

Assistant Superintendent Mr. Priddy gave updates on the Teacher Incentive Allotment application and the Instructional Materials Allotment survey coming to the next meeting for approval.

Superintendent Brumit discussed the upcoming Good Friday weekend, the TREA conference in June, and graduation on May 20.

Board Votes

The consent agenda, covering prior meeting minutes and monthly expenditures, passed 7-0 on a motion by Tyrone Martin, seconded by Shelby Warren.

The 2026-27 school calendar was approved 7-0. School starts August 12, with fall break aligned to the football open week. After spring break, most weeks will land on four-day schedules due to how the calendar falls, though the district is not moving to a permanent four-day model.

Clear Backpacks on the Table

Superintendent Brumit and Mr. Atkeisson presented a plan to implement clear backpacks at both campuses next school year. The company they are looking at supplies Dallas ISD and other districts. The backpacks run roughly $14-18 each, and the district plans to cover the cost for all students in the first year.

Board members asked about privacy concerns, specifically around female students and hygiene products. The district noted the backpacks include privacy closures to address that. This was a discussion-only item on the agenda, with a formal vote expected at a future meeting. We appreciate the board taking the time to hear concerns before moving to action.

Library Book Approvals

Under Senate Bill 13, which took effect for the 2025-26 school year, Texas school boards are now required to approve all library material acquisitions. Proposed books must be publicly listed for 30 days before board approval. At this meeting, the books had been set out for public comment and no challenges were received. However, the item was listed on the agenda as a budget amendment rather than a library book purchase approval. Because it was mislabeled, the board could not vote on it.

It can be a little disheartening to see business kicked down the road because of an agenda mistake. But this actually highlights how seriously this board takes TOMA compliance. Under the Texas Open Meetings Act, governmental bodies cannot vote on matters that are not specifically listed on the posted agenda. The board recognized the error and held off rather than voting on something that was not properly noticed. We would rather see a board delay an item than vote on something they should not have.

Executive Session

The board entered executive session at 6:30 p.m., citing Texas Government Code Chapter 551, Subchapters D and E. They came out at 6:58 p.m. Twenty-eight minutes.

After reconvening in open session, the board voted on two items:

Co-Athletic Directors Gerald Hurd and Cole Lancaster were approved 7-0 on the superintendent's recommendation.

An order of cancellation for the May 2, 2026 school board election passed 5-0, with Tyrone Bailey and Randy Bancroft abstaining. Two seats were open, and only two candidates filed. Texas Election Code requires cancellation in that scenario.

We did notice that this item was not specifically listed on the posted agenda. Technically, that could be seen as a TOMA issue. But we are not going to make a fuss over it. No one signed up to run against the two candidates. The board acted in good faith to cancel an election that nobody contested, and time was a factor in getting the cancellation processed. More importantly, canceling an uncontested election saves the district money it would have spent running an election with a predetermined outcome. That is a win for taxpayers.

Every piece of this executive session was handled correctly. Legal authority cited, times documented, and all decisions made in the open.

Minutes Posted by the Next Day

Here is where this board really stood out for us.

By the next day, the official minutes from the March 30 meeting were already posted on the Kerens ISD website. Most governmental bodies we observe can take days or weeks to post minutes. Some take months. Some never post them at all unless you file a Public Information Act request.

Kerens ISD had theirs up the next day. If you want to know how seriously a board takes transparency, watch how fast they make their records available to the public.

Going Beyond What the Law Requires

In 2019, the Texas Legislature passed HB 2840, amending the Texas Open Meetings Act to require governmental bodies to allow public comment on each posted agenda item at least once during the meeting. That was a significant step for public participation.

What the law does not require is a separate, dedicated public comment period for topics not on the agenda. A lot of boards call this an "Open Forum" or "Citizens' Comments." It gives residents a chance to raise concerns or ask questions about things that were not on the night's agenda.

Kerens ISD puts an Open Forum on every meeting agenda. Nobody made them do that. It is a voluntary commitment to civic engagement, and we think it says a lot about how this board views its relationship with the community.

One Policy Worth a Second Look

We did notice one thing in the Open Forum rules that gave us pause:

"The Board shall not allow negative comments in public sessions about individual employees or students."

We understand the intent. Nobody wants a meeting to turn into a personal attack on a teacher or a student. We get that. But the wording is broad. A parent raising concerns about how an administrator handled a situation, or a taxpayer questioning spending decisions in a particular program, could technically be silenced under this rule. The gap between "negative comment about an individual" and "legitimate criticism of how a public employee performs their duties" is a real one, and it matters.

We came to the meeting intending to raise this point, and while the board was preparing to go into executive session, the opportunity came up. It kicked off a broader conversation among the group about whether that wording could be used to shut down criticism.

After the meeting, we had a really positive conversation with the superintendent about it. We told him we felt the policy could create a problem if someone came in to raise a legitimate concern and got shut down because it was considered "negative." He listened, he thanked us for raising it, and he said he would run the language by their attorney.

That moment stuck with us. We have raised concerns like this with officials in other communities and been met with crossed arms, deflection, or worse. In Kerens, the response was a genuine thank-you and a commitment to follow up. We cannot overstate how refreshing that was.

TOMA Compliance

We check every public meeting we attend against the requirements of the Texas Open Meetings Act. At this meeting, we did not observe any significant TOMA compliance issues. The agenda was posted, the meeting was open, every vote was recorded with counts, the executive session cited proper legal authority with entry and exit times, and all post-executive actions were voted on in open session.

The one area worth watching is the Open Forum "no negative comments" language we described above. It is a board policy choice, not a TOMA violation. But if someone had shown up to speak critically and been shut down under that rule, it could have created a real compliance issue. The superintendent's willingness to have counsel review the policy is exactly the right move.

We Will Be Back

We came into this meeting with no expectations and left genuinely encouraged. Across the communities we cover, it is not often that we walk away from a public meeting feeling good about what we just saw. This was one of those nights.

The board was professional. The meeting was organized. The staff was welcoming. And when we raised a concern, we were heard. For a small district with about 700 students, Kerens ISD is setting a big standard.

If you live in Kerens or the surrounding area, go to a school board meeting. Sit in the room. Listen to what is being discussed. These are the meetings where decisions get made about your children's education, your tax dollars, and the long-term direction of the district. The agenda is posted in advance, and as we saw firsthand, the public is welcome. Your presence matters.