Micah Young, KISD 12th Man

04/11/2026

Keller Girls Soccer is up in the first half 1-0. Go Indians!

04/11/2026

Good Luck Today Ladies!!

02/14/2026

Thank you to everyone who have showed interest in the topic of Endowments and Long Term Investments for KISD land sales. One of my goals on the board was to figure out how we can begin making our district less dependent on state funding and better serve teachers and students. We have looked at a couple of options and explored the legality of each. I hope those conversations continue with the board, admin, and community in the future.

Part 1
While I was on the board we looked at putting the funds from land sales into an endowment under a 501 (C)(3). My understanding is that was an option and would possibly require a vote by the community. Option 2, which is being employed by another district is to put the funds into fund balance and purchase FDIC Insured CD’s or similar, over a longer term to get the highest yields possible. I was told they expect to get 4-5% annually for longer term CD’s. Initially, this should net similar annual returns to the district as option 1.

I am not dogmatic about which path the district chooses. There maybe other options.

*Do whatever is determined to be legal, returns the highest annual distribution to the district, and secures those funds for future generations.

*Carroll ISD has a consultant working with them to get them established. This is the same consultant that helped establish the endowment at Highland Park ISD. I suggest bringing in that same consultant to better understand the options and best practices for this type of project.

Part 2
*Regardless of the option chosen, KELLER ISD must establish an endowment! Option 2 above would put the land sales into fund balance and then those funds would be used to purchase CDs. Those CD’s would most likely not go into an endowment. That said it is important to establish an endowment and begin fund raising to strengthen KISD’s economic future. CD’s will provide a great source of income today but an endowment will provide a growing financial boost tomorrow.

To establish and grow that endowment we will need to lean on our community partners. From local businesses that benefit from KCAL student training to large corporations that benefit in our local economy or individuals who just want to support public education. All will have a place to contribute to build the financial stability of tomorrow’s Keller ISD!

Part 3
If this interest you please like this post or comment with “Interested” in the comments. I will provide an update should I hear anything that needs to be brought to your attention.

God Bless

02/10/2026

The Keller ISD Board and administration are currently in the process of selling excess district land. This presents a rare opportunity to chart a bold, forward-thinking course—one that reduces our reliance on unpredictable state funding and builds true financial independence for our public schools.

I know two Texas school districts that have used proceeds from excess land sales not for short-term spending, but to establish endowments or high-yield investment accounts. These districts are channeling the funds into professionally managed investments to generate sustainable, ongoing revenue—supporting better facilities, higher teacher pay, upgraded equipment, and more—all without depending solely on state allocations or annual budgets.

This is the smart, long-term strategy that forward-thinking districts across Texas will increasingly adopt. Those that invest wisely will pull ahead over the next 10–20 years, leaving others struggling with flat or declining state support.

Consider the potential for Keller ISD:

*The district has more than $25 million in surplus land available for sale.
*Invest the full $25 million for 25 years at a conservative 7% average annual return (with no additional contributions).
*Using a reliable online endowment calculator (e.g., https://philanthropy.org/resources-endowment-calculator/), this generates over $1 million in annual revenue—every year—while preserving and growing the principal.
*After 25 years, the investment grows to approximately $41 million (compounded).

One district has gone further by forming a dedicated committee to build the investment account annually through local donations, corporate partnerships, and community support. Their efforts have effectively doubled the initial principal over time through consistent additions. If Keller ISD adopted a similar approach—adding just $1 million annually in donations and other contributions—the results would become transformative:

*Average annual revenue: ~$1.8 million per year over 25 years.
*Total revenue distributed: ~$47 million over 25 years.
*Ending principal after 25 years: ~$73 million.
*The best part is this money is Free From Recapture!

Will this make the district "rich" overnight? No. But it will start building a secure, self-sustaining financial foundation for future generations—providing stability amid state funding uncertainties, recapture pressures, and enrollment shifts.

While on the board a couple of us worked to bring this to fruition but now I've heard suggestions to dump the proceeds from the land sales into the general fund balance. That would be a serious mistake. Past boards and administrations have shown how quickly large sums can be spent—$25 million+ could vanish in a single year from fund balance with little lasting impact. What a waste of a one-time asset that could instead create perpetual benefits.
I urge board members and district leadership to think generationally. The wisest path is to commit the bulk of these land sale proceeds to a professionally managed, high-yield investment account or endowment. A small portion could bolster the fund balance if needed, but the priority should be long-term growth and independence.

Let's turn this land sale into a legacy for Keller ISD students, teachers, and community—not a short-term fix that disappears.

All the best and God Bless!

01/22/2026

"Keller ISD officials estimate the lawsuit cost taxpayers about $250,000 to defend.

Chris Coker, a Keller ISD trustee named as a defendant in his official capacity, said the decision confirms what board members argued from the outset.”

WFAA NBC DFW

Federal judge dismisses Keller ISD voting lawsuit as frivolous, awards attorney fees, and orders plaintiff to show cause on sanctions.

01/19/2026

If you haven’t seen this yet you need to! This has cost the district nearly $250k. This needs to be shared. I hope WFAA and NBC 5 will finish the story they started. WFAAMy NBC5

01/12/2026

We ended the 2024–2025 school year by putting $4.2M back into fund balance! This is Great News!

When I joined the board in 2022–2023, we were facing large annual deficits. Over the last three years, the board and administration worked together to turn the ship around—without help from the state and without increasing local taxes.

In my next post, I’ll share one way we can begin separating ourselves from state dependency and move Keller ISD into an elite class of school districts where reliance on the state can slowly become a thing of the past.

Great work to my fellow board members, administrators, teachers, and staff across our schools who made this possible. Again, $4.2M in 24-25 is a step in the right direction. God Bless,

12/23/2025

Merry Christmas!!

12/13/2025

Thanks Chris, I have a couple points to add.

1. So the task force has implied they have evidence of illegal activity that they aren’t turning over to the county? Thats weird.

2. My deposition was in June and at the end of my deposition their attorney ask “where are we with negotiating this out”.

3. There is so much legal maneuvering here it stinks of no evidence.

4. Chris is right, Are they selectively deposing people to try and manipulate the outcomes? Depose the entire board. I did mine and it took them 6 months to say they had any real evidence to move this case forward.

5. No one in the press conference asked Carrie what evidence he actually had. Wasting District Dollars.

11/12/2025

I wrote this back in May but never posted it. I never found an appropriate opportunity to post it. Enjoy!

Dear Keller ISD Community,

Now that the dust has settled and I have had the opportunity to step away for the Keller ISD school board I wanted to take a minute to give a report on what has been an honor of a lifetime to serve as your Trustee in Place 1 over the last 3 years. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to represent our remarkable district and for the support of parents, teachers, and community members who joined me for coffee, shared insights, and championed our board’s initiatives. It has been an honor to serve you.

Three years ago, Keller ISD faced significant challenges: a $15 million budget deficit, a critically low fund balance, no long-term plan, and campuses needing enhanced security. Our board took decisive action, implementing policies and directives that delivered measurable results:

**Look Back**

1. Balanced the budget, eliminating the deficit.

2. Enacted a Teachers’ Bill of Rights to empower educators.

3. Established a Parents’ Bill of Rights to strengthen family engagement.

4. Expanded armed security to every campus, prioritizing safety.

5. Implemented a cell phone policy to minimize distractions.

6. Selected curricula focused on student achievement.

7. Established a five-year financial reporting policy for better fiscal transparency.

And much more.

This board tackled tough questions, left no stone unturned, and restored the district to solid footing. Today, KISD budget is balanced, campuses are safer, and we reaffirm that a child’s academic success is our greatest legacy. These achievements would not have been possible without our exceptional administrative leadership, particularly John Alison. John, your steadfast guidance, willingness to address countless questions, and servant leadership have been invaluable. Thank you.

**Looking Ahead**

Keller ISD’s path forward is clear: prioritize academic excellence, build on our progress, and pursue financial independence from state funding. We can achieve this by:

1. Maintaining a surplus budget.

2. Identifying operational efficiencies.

3. Rebuilding the fund balance to a minimum of four months.

4. Establishing a high-yield investment account.

5. Generating revenue beyond local taxes.

6. Finalizing a comprehensive five-year plan.

The five-year plan is critical, as it encompasses all goals listed but will also lay out how each will be achieved. Some say a school district can’t operate like a business, but I respectfully disagree. A district must be financially sound to deliver exceptional education. From 2012-2023 KISD had 8 out of 11 years in a financial deficit, the result of a lack of planning. A clear, well-communicated five-year plan that is updated annually will enable the board and administration to make well informed data driven decisions. This is why we codified standard five-year reporting requirements in the list above. This will drive year over year financial stability for our district so we can hopefully avoid or minimize the bumps caused by the 4-6 year funding cycles drama that this board and administration have tackled. The next Superintendent must prioritize developing, implementing, and communicating a five-year plan—a key quality Trustees should seek.

Again, serving Keller ISD has been a joy. I entered this role not as someone interested in politics but as someone committed to improving our district—and together, we have. Public office has never been my goal but I once had a pastor who would say “Your either going to where God sends you, Giving Money to what God directs you, or you are disobedient.” While I do believe school board was a calling, I don’t currently have any future political ambitions, just a desire for service to God, Country and Family.

To my colleagues that started this adventure with me, Joni Smith, our days spent visiting schools, connecting with teachers and administrators were some of the best times. It was an honor to serve alongside you and I wish you the best in whatever you pursue. To Charles Randklev, your leadership, and tireless dedication to students, parents, and the community inspire us all. Thank you for being the first. Sandi Walker, you’ve been missed. Your faith and grace shine brightly, reflecting Christ in our community like no other. Those don’t know you are missing out. To Chris, John, and Heather, keep up the momentum—I’m excited to see what you accomplish next.

Finally, I would not have done this without the love and support of an amazing woman. Carol you are a rock. Before I ever put my name on a ballot or application, I asked you to pray for clarity on if I should run for school board. While our prayers were different God made it abundantly clear for each of us -In the end every obstacle was cleared, and you were my biggest supporter. You still are. What people don’t know is that I am your biggest fan. You endured so much over the last 3 years. So thank you! I love you!

With gratitude,

Micah

10/22/2025

Here is an issue near and dear to my heart. While we focused on increased security during my time on the board we also were trying to get control of the budget! While we love all our SRO's some cities were willing to work with us, Thank you! Take a look at this:
📊 Proposed SRO Costs — Fort Worth vs. Keller
Did you know? 🤔
The City of Fort Worth is proposing to charge $123,333 per School Resource Officer (SRO) —while the City of Keller approved for Keller ISD to only owe $62,894 per officer under their approved agreement.
An SRO (School Resource Officer) is a police officer assigned to work on a school campus.
That’s a difference of $60,439 per officer — nearly double the cost that the City of Fort Worth is proposding!
With 12 SROs from the City of Fort Worth serving Keller ISD schools, the district would pay over $725,000 more each year than it would at the City of Keller’s rate.
💡 Keller’s agreement is approved through 2026.
💰 Fort Worth’s rate is only proposed — and it’s 96% higher.

08/26/2025

I want to take a deeper look at the RSM audit to more clearly illustrate that it was the result of a whistleblower and had nothing to do with detachment.

Background

The RSM audit was initiated following a whistleblower's allegations of intentional revenue overestimation within the district. The Board has a responsibility to investigate financial abnormalities or allegations of mismanagement prompting the need for an audit by RSM, a third-party auditing firm. Below is a detailed explanation of the audit's findings, the financial context, and the Board's oversight duties.

Financial Context and Audit Findings

1. Revenue Surge (2018–2020):
From 2018 to 2020, the district experienced a significant revenue increase of over $50 million. This was driven by:
A Tax Rate Election (TRE) approval.
A $1,000 increase in the state's basic allotment.
An influx of COVID-related ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funds.

2. Spending Increase (2021):
By 2021, district spending rose sharply, surpassing actual revenues. This marked the beginning of financial discrepancies, as spending was not aligned with actual revenue streams.

3. Revenue Projections vs. Actuals (2021 Onward):
Starting in 2021, projected revenues (represented by the orange line in financial models) significantly diverged from actual revenues (blue line). RSM's financial modeling corroborated the whistleblower's claims, confirming that revenue projections were intentionally overestimated. Without corresponding spending cuts, this led to deficit spending.

4. Deficit Growth:
The district's deficit began modestly but grew rapidly due to the gap between projected and actual revenues. Overly optimistic revenue forecasts enabled unsustainable spending levels, exacerbating the financial shortfall.

5. Administrative Changes and Realignment (2024–2025):
By the 2024 and 2025 budgets, new administration took over. Revenue projections were adjusted to align more closely with actual revenues, reflecting efforts to correct prior overestimations and stabilize the district’s financial outlook.

Board Oversight and Fiduciary Duty

Upon receiving the whistleblower's allegations, the Board exercised its fiduciary responsibility by:
Commissioning an independent audit by RSM to investigate the claims of revenue overestimation.
Ensuring transparency by presenting the audit findings to the public once completed.

The RSM audit was a direct response to the whistleblower's allegations and was unrelated to any detachment proceedings, focusing primaily on addressing the over estimation of revenues.

Summary and Mucker/Moon Lawsuit

The RSM audit fulfilled the Board's obligation to investigate and address financial irregularities. By identifying the overestimation of revenues and its impact on deficit spending, the audit provided critical insights into the district’s financial practices.

While there are many reasons to over estimate revenues, my focus today is to illustrate that this audit was necessary and lends credibility to the whistleblower but clearly has nothing to do with detachment. This audit and the Moak Casey assistance to the district are linked, but I will touch on that more next time.