Texas Education Agency Removes Fort Worth ISD Board After Years of Failures
The Texas Education Agency will remove the elected board of the Fort Worth Independent School District and appoint new leaders, Commissioner Mike Morath announced Thursday morning. TEA said the takeover is the second-largest in state history and follows a Fort Worth campus receiving failing ratings for five consecutive years.
Campus Triggered Takeover
TEA identified Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade as the campus that triggered the intervention. Fort Worth ISD closed that campus at the end of the 2023–24 school year. Morath said state law required intervention despite the closure.
Performance Data Cited by Commissioner
Morath cited that 34% of Fort Worth ISD students are performing at grade level on Texas’ standardized exams and that 20 campuses have been “academically unacceptable for multiple years in a row.” Outside the single campus, about 135 district schools earned a C rating in the Texas A–F system in the last two years.
Governance and Appointments
Morath said he will appoint a board of managers made up of Fort Worth community members. The elected board will remain in title but will have no decision-making power during the takeover. The commissioner also said he will appoint a new superintendent and will consider current superintendent Karen Molinar for the role. TEA will name a conservator to oversee support for low-performing campuses and implementation of turnaround plans. The TEA letter did not specify timing for final appointments.
District Response and Legal Options
Fort Worth ISD’s board of trustees said it is “disappointed by the decision and hopes the matter will be reconsidered.” Board President Roxanne Martinez said the elected board has worked to strengthen instruction. The district will have an opportunity to appeal the takeover early next week.
Regional Context and Other Districts
Morath visited Lake Worth earlier this week; TEA said Lake Worth could be next for consideration. Beaumont, Connally and Wichita school districts also reached the five-consecutive-failing threshold this year. TEA said the Fort Worth takeover is the 11th since 2000. The largest takeover is Houston ISD, which began in 2023 and was extended through 2027. TEA and district reports state Houston ISD has seen STAAR improvements and A–F rating progress since its takeover.
District Demographics and Programs
Fort Worth ISD is majority-Hispanic, serves more than 70,000 students, and about 75% of students are at risk of dropping out. Nearly 40% of students are enrolled in bilingual and English language learning programs. Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade enrolled refugee and immigrant newcomers.