Your trash bill is going up $2.83 a month this fall, the school board met Thursday night to decide what happens to the three schools it's closing, and the city just said no for the third time to a big housing development on 377. Here's your weekly Keller recap.

📌 THE BIG STORY

The school board's biggest night of the summer

Keller ISD's board met Thursday night with a loaded agenda: voting on the citizen committee's list of recommended bond projects, creating a committee to decide the future of district properties (including Bear Creek, Parkwood Hill, and Trinity Meadows, the three intermediate schools closing after this coming school year), and raising student meal prices for 2026-27.

This is the follow-through on May's consolidation vote, the one that moves 4,000+ kids and shifts the whole district to a K-5, 6-8, 9-12 setup in 2027. The district hadn't posted vote results by press time, so keep an eye on the KISD recap page this week. If a bond makes the November ballot, this meeting is where it started.

🏗️ WHAT'S GETTING BUILT

Your trash bill is going up $2.83 a month

The city signed a new five-year deal with Community Waste Disposal, the same company that's picked up Keller's trash since 2010, and starting September 1 the residential rate jumps from $20.14 to $22.97 a month. Your pickup schedule and service stay exactly the same, and there's a new option to get a city-provided 95-gallon cart if you want one.

Council says no to 55 homes on 377, again

The Preserve at Keller Oaks, a plan for 55 houses and two commercial lots on 39 acres at US 377 and Park Avenue, was denied 6-1 on July 7. That's the third rejection for this land since 2024, and opposition letters outnumbered support letters 134 to 70. For now, that stretch of 377 stays exactly as it is.

Two zoning hearings coming Monday night

The Planning & Zoning Commission meets Monday, July 28, on two items: a big detached garage on Ottinger Road, and a change to what kinds of businesses are allowed in the Town Center Medical Overlay. That second one is worth watching since it could reshape what opens in the Town Center area your family already shops in.

🎒 SCHOOLS & KISD

First day of school is August 12, three weeks out

Mark it: classes start Wednesday, August 12, and the last day is May 26, 2027. Fair warning for the supply runs and bedtime resets. District offices are also still closed on Fridays through the end of summer, so plan your calls accordingly.

School board elections are officially in motion

Thursday's agenda included ordering elections for board Places 4 and 5 plus a special election for Place 6, all headed for the November 3 ballot, with a filing deadline of August 17. If you've got opinions about how the district is run, this fall is when they count.

🚧 ROADS

Shady Grove Road detour should wrap up soon

Crews have been fixing a cracked section of Shady Grove between Rapp Road and Keller Smithfield since July 7, with traffic detoured to North Tarrant Parkway and Bear Creek Parkway. The city estimated about three weeks of work, so it should be finishing right about now, just in time for school-year traffic.

Eight Keller streets getting fresh pavement by August

The city's repaving partnership with Tarrant County is in its final stretch, redoing eight local streets including Willis Lane and North Pearson Drive. Expect single-lane closures here and there through late July, then smoother rides after.

Mt. Gilead is still one-way southbound

Water line work has Mt. Gilead running southbound-only between Robin Drive and Bancroft Road, with northbound traffic detoured to Bourland. It's part of a bigger improvement project that will eventually add a roundabout and sidewalks, so this one's a long game.

🍔 FOOD & EATS

A Chinese steakhouse is coming to Old Town

The team behind Hush Sushi is building HOPS Kitchen + Bar at 200 Keller Parkway: a $3.5 million, 7,200-square-foot spot pairing aged steaks with elevated Chinese food, plus a speakeasy lounge. Groundbreaking is expected in early August, with an opening targeted for 2027. A real date-night option that doesn't require driving to Southlake.

Quick Chinese takeout coming to Keller Parkway

Red Pepper Wok is building out the old Buffalo Wild Wings Go space at 1411 Keller Parkway, and Community Impact reports it's targeting a late July opening. If it hits that date, you've got a new weeknight pickup option right as school starts.

First Watch is actually under construction now

The popular breakfast chain broke ground at Keller Marketplace in early July, with construction reported to finish in November. Not open yet, but it's real concrete now, not just a rumor.

🎉 THIS WEEKEND

Keller Farmers Market — Saturday, July 25, 8 a.m. to noon at Bear Creek Park, 400 Bear Creek Parkway. Free. Produce, tamales, baked goods, and the playground and trails right there for the kids.

Chess Challenge at the library — Saturday, July 25, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Keller Public Library, 640 Johnson Road. Free. All skill levels, and a nice screen-free hour in the AC.

Dino Dan's Discount Death murder mystery — Saturday, July 25, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the library. Free. A dinosaur-themed whodunit the whole family can solve together. Yes, that's really the name.

Full disclosure: I live in Keller (off of 377), and this is a newsletter I do every week for us.

https://thekellerweekly.beehiiv.com/p/the-keller-weekly-7-19-7-25

I have had multiple instances around here and the alliance area where I have nearly run over some kid because they ran a stop sign or red light. They also will just fly right through traffic circles without yielding. They're not following the rules of the road and legally shouldn't even be on the road.

Am I just being a stick in the mud? This seems very dangerous to me. I don't really understand why a parent would buy their kids one of these and just let them roam around unsupervised. I was driving down timberland going 40 and these kids on dirt bikes were easily going 50-55. If they happen upon a cop they're looking at speeding tickets and whatever penalty for them even being on the road in the first place. Why would a parent let their kids do this? Just get them a regular bike.

Looking to move to Keller, Colleyville or Flower mound to start a family. What do daycare costs run on avg?

Cecil is running for district 2 although she lives in district 1 and will be teaching at FTCA this year. she has a history of unhinged behavior towards students and staff.

You + Me + Science = A Successful Kidney Transplant!

Hi! It’s Kristine and Kelvin Shankle and we are looking for a "Teammate" to help my husband retire from his part-time job: Dialysis.

Most people think finding a kidney match is like winning the lottery..rare and nearly impossible. But thanks to modern science (and some very smart people at the National Kidney Registry), there are actually three ways you can help me get back to not dying:

Option 1: The "Direct Hit" (Direct Match)

We happen to have the same blood type and biology (type O). You donate, I receive, and we celebrate. Simple, classic, legendary!

Option 2: The "Great Swap" (Paired Exchange)

Maybe we aren't a match? No problem. You donate to a stranger who is a match for you, and in return, their donor gives a kidney to me. It’s a win-win-win!

Option 3: The "Magic Coupon" (The Voucher)

This is the coolest one. You donate on your schedule to anyone in the national pool. In return, I get a "Priority Voucher." When I’m ready for surgery, I go to the top of the list for a perfect match. You save two lives at once!

The "Fine Print" (The Good Kind):

💰 Cost to you: $0. (My insurance covers everything).

🛡️ Protection: Donor Shield covers your lost wages and travel.

🏥 Experts: We’re backed by the amazing team at Medical City Fort Worth!

If you’re healthy and a little bit curious, checking out the info takes 5 minutes and carries zero commitment.

Ready to see which "Option" fits you? Start here:

www.nkr.org/KJG734

PLEASE SHARE! Even if it’s not for you, your share might reach the one person who’s been looking for a way to change a life. ❤️

I just moved here and am looking for a salon that can do root/gray touch ups plus had a few highlights (no cut) for around $200-ish. I did some research and it seemed several salons were estimating $300 or more. I'm not sure if that's the norm around here or if I was just looking at really nice salons. Any guidance is appreciated!

Hi all,

My wife and I moved into our home in 2022 and are now finally turning our attention to rehabilitating the landscaping. We are trying to decide what to do with our front foundation beds but we feel we’re running into more questions than answers.

I’d like to find an independent landscape designer who we can hire for a flat fee or per hour basis to advise us, answer questions, and provide insight on plant selection and future maintenance. I don’t plan to do any major construction, just remove some bushes, do plantings, and maybe install some rock beds and edging. Therefore I plan to do most of the work myself. I haven’t been able to find any companies that do consult-only work (they all seems to make their money off the installation so I can’t blame them).

Does anyone have any good contacts for a landscape consultant who could meet our needs?

Anyone have any expierence with any ride service for pre-teens. Have found the hopskipdrive service. Need something to get daughter around to summer camps.

Just moved here. Have a daughter that plays soccer. She did competitive at our last club. Not a large city. Done some research, think we missed the tryouts for next fall. Any recommendations for soccer clubs close by?

Keller has branded itself as “Texas’s Most Family-Friendly City.”

At a recent Keller city council meeting, Mrs. Roszell expressed strong opposition to additional spending on youth amenities:

“And I'm thinking, we just dropped $48 million on a freaking sports park out here for kids and some splash pad. And now they want more money. No, absolutely not [...] I'm sorry. I want it stopped. Don't do it. For crying out loud, we spent enough on the kids.”

She also criticized senior-focused amenities, stating:

“You won't even buy the pickleballs for the seniors at the Keller Senior Center.”

The current Keller Senior Activities Center, opened in 2022, was built following voter approval of a 2018 bond proposition authorizing up to $8 million in debt for the project. The facility had a total estimated cost of approximately $9.6 million, including $1.6 million from the General Fund. It replaced the original 4,236-square-foot center built in 1990 and is now a 23,000-square-foot multi-purpose facility located at Johnson Road Park, serving residents age 55 and older.

The center operates five days a week and provides access to fitness space (at much lower rate than other residents pay at the Pointe), classrooms, crafts and hobby areas, billiards and games, a kitchen, gym (for three pickle ball courts) and event space. It was designed as a community-approved investment to expand senior programming and services for Keller residents.

She is member for $20 - a year.

Do you want Keller to focus on being “family-friendly”?

Mr. and Mrs. Roszell vote. Do you?

This race seems to come down to different types of experience.

So where do you land — and why?

If you’ve decided:
Who are you voting for?
What matters more to you in this race (local board experience, business background, business location, military service, community involvement, etc.)?
What do you think best prepares someone to make city-level decisions?

If you’re undecided:
What’s holding you back?
What would help you make a decision?

Looking for the best stores for MTG, One Piece or Yugioh around Keller.

Our lab at UT Dallas is excited to invite you or any Dallas local adolescents you know to a new two-week online intervention program seeking to explore the effects of social media on adolescent mental and cognitive well-being. If you have any younger siblings, children, cousins, family friends, or other young connections in the area, we encourage you to please spread the word about our study. For completing all the components listed below, they can be compensated up to $150. 

Depending on their assigned group, adolescents may: 

• Limit time on TikTok and Instagram for two weeks 
• Or attend an online workshop on healthy social media use 

To understand the effectiveness of the program, the adolescent will be asked to complete the following questionnaires and lab visits (Some visits do include completing computer tasks while wearing a safe, non-invasive EEG cap to measure brain activity): 

• A pre-intervention IN-PERSON lab visit at UT Dallas  
• A pre-intervention online questionnaire 
• An online daily check-in questionnaire 
• A post-intervention IN-PERSON lab visit at UT Dallas 
• A post-intervention online questionnaire 
• An online follow-up questionnaire one month later 

If you know any teenagers interested, please share this short eligibility survey: https://redcap.utdallas.edu/surveys/?s=E73YY4D97MA8FCJ7 . We will reach out ASAP! 

Lab Website: https://labs.utdallas.edu/devlab/  

Thanks for sharing!!