Fort Worth schools are at risk of a state takeover, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath warned district leaders on Monday.
One of the district’s campuses earned a failing rating for the fifth consecutive year, according to recently released 2023 A-F academic accountability grades.
But complicating matters is that the state rating comes two years delayed because of lawsuits — and Fort Worth officials already closed that campus.
Morath wrote to Superintendent Karen Molinar and trustee president Roxanne Martinez that the closure “has no bearing on” the actions he may take.
State law requires the commissioner to either appoint a board of managers to govern a district or order the closure of a consistently failing campus.
“It is unfortunate to be placed in such a position, as it represents an underlying fact that many students have been so significantly harmed that the American dream may be out of their reach,” Morath wrote. “While the actions required of me by the statute are serious, they are absolutely necessary for the students of Fort Worth ISD.”
Fort Worth Independent School District leaders told the Fort Worth Report in April they believe the district isn’t at risk of a state takeover.
In a Monday statement, district officials said they will be appealing the rating.
“More importantly, we remain focused on bold, strategic action to implement a restructured literacy and math curriculum framework that includes targeted training, high quality instructional materials and systemwide implementation,” the statement read.
The conflict centers around the Leadership Academy at Forest Oak sixth grade campus, which earned an F in 2023. The district later closed the school.
The 2023 ratings remain subject to appeal, with final decisions assigned by August. Regardless, Morath told Fort Worth school leaders they must take immediate and aggressive action.
“I will be evaluating the operations and leadership of Fort Worth ISD more closely in the coming months and, if forced to make a decision under (state education law,) will do so after ratings become final,” he wrote.
The 2023 A-F academic accountability ratings were delayed for the past two years because of a lawsuit. Texas Education Agency officials recently won the ability to publish the 2023 scores, which they did last month.
Related:Texas families can see what A-F grade their local schools received — in 2023
Overall, Fort Worth ISD scored a D. About 30% of its 138 schools earned F ratings in 2023.
However, it’s the results of just one school — the now-closed Leadership Academy at Forest Oak sixth grade — that could lead to serious consequences for all the district’s roughly 70,000 students.
Molinar became the permanent FWISD superintendent in March after serving as interim since October 2024. She was previously a deputy superintendent in the district.
She’s pledged a stronger focus on literacy, acknowledging the district has much to improve on.
“We are committed to equipping teachers with the resources they need and ensuring students receive consistent, high-impact instruction that accelerates learning and academic growth,” district officials said in Monday’s statement.
Fort Worth, along with many other districts, saw declines in its 2023 academic accountability scores. Local school officials had predicted this and it was part of the reason they sued over changes to the A-F rating system.
Morath said the system’s refresh was part of a planned five-year cycle, which was needed to ensure that schools continuously improved outcomes for students.
Related:What are Texas’ A-F school grades, and why do they matter?
Texas’ A-F system grades every public campus across the state, through a system largely based on standardized test scores. The ratings have a major effect on how communities view local schools, influencing where people buy homes and enroll their children.
In rare cases, failing campus grades have triggered dramatic state consequences, such as the takeover of Houston ISD. In 2023, Morath installed his own choice of superintendent in Houston — former Dallas ISD superintendent Mike Miles — and replaced the school board overseeing the state’s largest district.
Related:Texas announces takeover of Houston schools, stirring anger
The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas.
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