The Texas education commissioner is now officially weighing his options for Fort Worth ISD after a now-closed school triggered the state鈥檚 school intervention law.
In a May 5 letter to Superintendent Karen Molinar and board President Roxanne Martinez, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said the district鈥檚 accountability ratings triggered a state law that requires him to intervene.
The issue: The Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade failed to meet state standards for five straight years 鈥� a threshold that mandates either a campus closure or the appointment of a board of managers to govern the entire district.
Although the failing campus no longer exists, its closure does not absolve the district from consequences, Morath said.
鈥淪ince the campus earned its fifth consecutive unacceptable academic rating in that year, the school鈥檚 subsequent closure has no bearing on, and does not abrogate, the compulsory action the statute requires the commissioner to take,鈥� he wrote in the letter.
District leaders 鈥� formerly known as Glencrest Sixth Grade 鈥� at the end of the 2023-24 school year. It was absorbed into Forest Oak Middle School as part of a consolidation plan TEA approved. The school is now marked 鈥渙bsolete鈥� in the state鈥檚 directory.
Still, the delayed release of 2023 academic accountability ratings due to a lawsuit showed the campus earned an F that year. Because the campus had also failed to meet standards in 2022, 2019, 2018 and 2017, the five-year mark was reached.
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The 2020 and 2021 ratings were not issued due to the COVID-19 pandemic and state policy changes. By law, those 鈥淣ot Rated鈥� years do not break the chain of failure, Morath said.
District officials previously told the Fort Worth Report they believe Fort Worth ISD is . They said the Forest Oak Sixth Grade closure and campus consolidation already addressed the issue 鈥� and that academic performance has improved.
鈥淲e are proud of the growth that we have seen in Forest Oak Middle School since the expansion and consolidation to one 6-8 grade campus,鈥� Molinar wrote in an April 24 community letter.
In his letter, Morath emphasized that his hands are tied by law.
鈥淐ommissioner action under this section of the (Texas Education Code) is compulsory,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淭he commissioner does not have discretion whether to act under this provision.鈥�
Morath will not make a final decision until after the ratings are finalized later this summer. Fort Worth ISD has the right to appeal the preliminary rating for the now-closed campus. That process will conclude in August.
The district plans to appeal the rating, a spokesperson told the Fort Worth Report. Fort Worth ISD remains focused on improving student outcomes, the statement said.
鈥淢ore 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,鈥� the district said.
Fort Worth ISD said its board adopted a new strategic plan and literacy resolution to guide the work.
鈥淭ogether as a team, 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,鈥� officials said.
The commissioner also signaled a broader review of district leadership may be coming.
鈥淚t is critical that district leadership take aggressive action to improve the academic lives of students in Fort Worth ISD, immediately,鈥� Morath wrote. 鈥淚 will be evaluating the operations and leadership of Fort Worth ISD more closely in the coming months.鈥�
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Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said the results weren鈥檛 unexpected, but she credited Superintendent Molinar for already making strides.
鈥淭his is sobering data, but those who have followed the district are not surprised,鈥� Parker said in a statement. 鈥淒r. Molinar has already taken substantial steps 鈥� prior to this letter 鈥� to improve outcomes, leading with transparency and urgency to turn the district around.鈥�
Fort Worth ISD received a D overall in the preliminary ratings 鈥� the lowest among the 12 districts serving the city. According to Morath, 77 campuses across the district received either a D or an F, and eight have failed to meet standards since at least 2018.
Only 32% of third graders were reading on grade level, the letter said, and just 31% were meeting math benchmarks 鈥� figures the commissioner called representative of broader struggles across the district.
鈥淲hile the actions required of me by the statute are serious, they are absolutely necessary for the students of Fort Worth ISD,鈥� Morath wrote.
TEA said it reserves the right to use any other interventions or sanctions under state law in the meantime.
If the district鈥檚 appeal is unsuccessful, Morath will be forced to decide between ordering further campus closures 鈥� or replacing the school board, and superintendent, entirely.
Editor's note: This story was updated May 5, 2025, to include comments from Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker and Fort Worth ISD.
Jacob Sanchez is a senior education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at jacob.sanchez@fortworthreport.org or .
Matthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org or .
At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy .
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