(The Center Square) – The Texas Education Agency is taking over Fort Worth ISD and replacing its school board, TEA Commissioner Mike Morath told the board in a letter on Thursday.
The state is intervening because its campuses have received an “unacceptable” academic rating for multiple years, including one for five years in a row.
Leadership Academy at Forest Oak received its fifth consecutive failing rating as of the last school year evaluated. Texas Education Code requires mandatory state intervention when this happens. State law requires the commissioner to appoint a new board of managers to govern the school district or close it if “a campus is considered to have an unacceptable performance rating for five consecutive school years.”
By the time the ratings came out, the district had already closed the failing school and reassigned students to Forest Oak Middle School. But by then, it was too late. “My responsibility to act is not impacted by the district’s closure of the campus after the 2022-23 school year since closure did not happen until after the conclusion of the school year in which the campus earned its fifth unacceptable rating,” Morath said. “After engaging in a comprehensive analysis of district data and a thorough vetting of district systems, leadership, and student results, I am hereby ordering the appointment of both a board of managers to govern the district and a conservator.”
Additionally, because of districtwide “chronic academic underperformance,” with less than one-third of students at grade level and less than half showing academic growth, Morath said the takeover is necessary.
The takeover was expected, Fort Worth ISD’s new superintendent, Karen Molinar, said in August. Molinar was brought on earlier this year after the previous superintendent, Angelica Ramsey, was let go after ongoing failing student reports. The district has also been plagued with having multiple million dollar deficits after its school boards for more than a decade voted to pass unbalanced budgets with deficits, The Center Square reported.
Molinar confirmed the district received official notice, saying the takeover was required by state law and the TEA commissioner is “legally bound to act because a Fort Worth ISD campus had multiple-year unacceptable academic performance ratings.”
“The process will begin immediately with a posted notice for interested citizens to serve on a state appointed Board of Managers under the guidance of TEA,” she said. “Selected applicants will report to Commissioner Mike Morath and are required to participate in rigorous governance training. A conservator will be named to ensure the district supports its low-performing campuses.”
Morath will be appointing a new superintendent as part of the process and Molinar said she is included in prospective candidates to potentially keep her position. Morath has said he has been “impressed” with changes she has made during her short tenure and she is being considered. She also has the support of Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker.
“Although the upcoming months will focus on adult-centered processes and procedures, our work toward improving education for our students remains unchanged. The reforms we have in place are aligned with TEA and will continue,” Molinar said.
Under her tenure and over the past year, the board and administration “have worked tirelessly to strengthen instruction and accelerate student outcomes,” board president Roxanne Martinez said in the statement. “Our elected Board is in the best position to drive the sustainable improvements the Commissioner seeks, with measurable progress already underway.” The board asked Morath to “reconsider his decision” to replace them.
A special board meeting is scheduled for Oct. 29.
“As a result of the dedication and hard work of our staff, we are already starting to see progress on every campus and in classrooms across our district,” Molinar said. Reforms have included adding small group instruction, adding 25 additional school days at 15 campuses, improving literacy outcomes, having some schools act as resource centers for underperforming schools, and having a plan to close 16 schools by 2029.
The district in the 2024-2025 school year received an overall C rating from TEA for its 70,184 students enrolled in 135 schools. The majority of the district is Hispanic, 66%; nearly 19% is Black; just over 11% is white.
Student achievement received a D grade for three consecutive years since the 2022-2023 school year; the majority of students either approached (63%) or met grade level (34%) in all subjects. Only 11% mastered all subjects at grade level, according to the data.
The takeover comes after the TEA took over Houston ISD two years ago. Morath credits the chronically failing district’s success to multiple changes implemented by Superintendent Mike Miles, whom he appointed in June 2023.
Within two years, and for the first time since the state ratings began, no Houston school has received an F grade, and more than 750 schools moved to an A grade this year, The Center Square reported.
