A mother and graphic designer from Fort Worth, Texas, created merchandise to help students in need pay for their school lunches after a proposed plan to split the local Keller school district.
During a spate of snow days, Michelle Gibson designed T-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs and caps with logos and sayings to promote the nonexistent Alliance school district.
The proposed plan calls for the Keller school district to split along the border between Fort Worth and Keller, the Union Pacific tracks. The schools on the Fort Worth side would become part of the Alliance school district, while the remaining institutions in Keller, Southlake and Colleyville would be the Keller schools. The new district hasn’t been named, but some parents say it would be called Alliance.
While school officials haven’t offered public details about the new district, people have taken to social media to speculate. A parody Facebook page for the Alliance school district has nearly 4,000 followers. The page’s intro says: “Where your kids go when Keller ISD decides you’re on the wrong side of the tracks. Educating the exiled with style. 🎓✌️#AllianceStrong #WeTakeTheHighRoad.”
Gibson’s branded “Alliance” collection is available on her Etsy store, Hometown Howdy. Items include “cup of rebellion” T-shirts and sweatshirts that say “Right side of the tracks.”
So far, Gibson has received several hundred orders and raised over $1,000 via a fund to help students in the Keller school district who need assistance to purchase lunches. In October, the district started offering alternative meals for students with a balance of $25 or more. For lunch, the alternative meal is a turkey and cheese sandwich, fresh fruit and milk.
While Gibson created tongue-in-cheek merch to raise awareness, she has “serious concerns” about the school district proposal.
“We’re all pretty upset about it, just the way it has been handled,” Gibson said. “There are so many factors that go into education. I was a former educator, and so was my husband. If you’re having to do this behind closed doors and not telling the people on something so important, that’s not right.”
