Frustration and cautious optimism permeated across Fort Worth鈥檚 local and state officials as news of spread on Thursday.
Some lamented the loss of elected trustees who know the students and district, while others hoped it will bring necessary changes to turnaround failing schools. Many stressed the need for transparency.
鈥淚 truly believe in local control,鈥� said Fort Worth City Council member Deborah Peoples, echoing the sentiments of several fellow council members and Mayor Mattie Parker. 鈥淟ocal control allows us to meet the needs of our constituents much better.鈥�
Peoples, who represents the majority of east Fort Worth, feels the takeover is premature and doesn鈥檛 take into account the district鈥檚 seen in results.
鈥淚 want the state to acknowledge that and understand that there are some hardworking people here who are working very hard to improve student scores,鈥� she said.
, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath will replace Fort Worth ISD鈥檚 elected trustees with a board of managers that he appoints. District Superintendent Karen Molinar, , also faces potential replacement.
Student success is vital to the city鈥檚 future, Mayor Mattie Parker said at a news conference addressing the takeover Thursday. As mayor, she said it鈥檚 her duty to 鈥渞eally ask for things to be different鈥� as she did last year with her letter to the school board urging them to . That letter was signed by all 10 City Council members, some former mayors and other community leaders.
鈥淲e will no longer be a successful city if we don鈥檛 care about every single child in every single classroom across the city of Fort Worth,鈥� Parker said.
Moving forward, she plans to prioritize 鈥減ositive messaging鈥� around the takeover.
Council member Mia Hall, who is also a FWISD executive, said in a statement she recognizes 鈥渢he deep concern many in our community are feeling.鈥� She hopes a continued dialogue between local and state officials will ensure stability for students and a stronger school district.
鈥淢y priority remains to ensure that our students, families and educators are supported through this transition,鈥� Hall said. 鈥淲hile accountability and improvement are essential, change must be guided by collaboration, transparency and a genuine commitment to student success.鈥�
Three former Fort Worth mayors 鈥� Betsy Price, Mike Moncrief and Kenneth Barr 鈥� said while they support local control over state control, they see the takeover as necessary.
Moncrief, who represented the city from 2003 to 2011, described the school district in its current failing academic state as the 鈥渨eakest link in the chain in Fort Worth.鈥�
He supports the takeover so long as it remains focused on identifying 鈥減ermanent and meaningful solutions that are sustainable with outcomes that are measurable,鈥� he said, because students deserve a world-class education.
The takeover was triggered by one of the Fort Worth campuses failing to meet state academic accountability standards for five consecutive years. Morath said state law left him no choice but to intervene. The district , Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade, at the end of the 2023-24 school year.
Fort Worth ISD鈥檚 recent performance uptick comes after several years of .
Moncrief is not yet sure if the state takeover will result in the needed changes, but he is sure of one thing: 鈥淚t couldn鈥檛 get any worse.鈥�
鈥淲e have to do what鈥檚 necessary to provide these children the chance that so many of us have had that they won鈥檛 unless we improve the quality of their education,鈥� Moncrief said. 鈥淔or that, I don鈥檛 think there are any apologies necessary to move forward in the direction that the state has chosen to go.鈥�
Barr and Price said they hope Morath keeps Molinar as superintendent, saying they found her leadership effective and stabilizing. Molinar has spent nearly 30 years in FWISD.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not something I welcome, but if this intervention leads to real, lasting improvements for students, it could be a positive turning point,鈥� said Barr, who is 鈥渄eeply concerned鈥� about the takeover.
State Rep. Ramon Romero, a Fort Worth Democrat, said he 鈥渆xpects big things鈥� from Morath as he executes the takeover.
鈥淚 have high expectations for any work that he does here in Fort Worth because I鈥檓 not from Houston but I鈥檓 from Fort Worth, and he鈥檚 going to have to hear from me if I hear from my constituents,鈥� Romero said.
Fort Worth residents must 鈥済et fully involved鈥� in the takeover and consider who among the community would best serve students and families on the state-appointed board of managers, he added.
鈥淚f there are people that believe in education and have something to offer the students at Fort Worth ISD, they should rise to the occasion and stand up,鈥� Romero said.
Price, who represented Fort Worth as mayor for 10 years before Parker took office, said the state takeover 鈥渘eeded to happen,鈥� despite improvements seen over the past year. However, she stressed that the district will have local control with a state-appointed board of managers made up of locals.
She said it鈥檚 鈥渋mperative鈥� that local officials outside the school district keep a seat at the table and continue dialogue with Texas Education Agency officials as the takeover plays out.
鈥淎t some point, the whole city has to stand up and say, 鈥榃ait a minute, what do you mean our kids aren鈥檛 at grade level?鈥欌�� Price said. 鈥淎nd I think that鈥檚 on the table right now. That鈥檚 been done. We have to keep that pressure on people.鈥�
Council member Carlos Flores said as a parent, he wants to see the state-appointed managers clearly lay out their timeline, methods and criteria to improve the district. He said he鈥檚 concerned about how the intervention could disrupt progress.
Flores, who said he鈥檚 actively involved in his children鈥檚 education, hopes TEA officials organize public outreach to ensure residents are informed on what its plans are, and to ensure Texas officials are in touch with community needs.
Council member Chris Nettles called the takeover a 鈥減olitical stunt鈥� and called on TEA officials to 鈥渟top playing politics鈥� and focus on students in a statement shared to social media.
鈥淚t鈥檚 no secret that our schools have faced challenges, but we have seen real, measurable progress in the right direction,鈥� Nettles wrote.
Sen. Phil King, a Weatherford Republican who attended Fort Worth schools and represents parts of FWISD, said in a statement that the takeover is an 鈥渋mportant step in a process mandated by state law,鈥� noting the district鈥檚 consistently low scores.
鈥淚 am hopeful that this bold action will usher in the changes needed to ensure students receive the quality education they deserve,鈥� the statement read.
Council member Charles Lauersdorf posted on social media that while he finds it disappointing to see local control taken away, it鈥檚 also an opportunity to 鈥渞eset and refocus鈥� on students. He wrote that he hopes the process brings accountability and 鈥渞enewed energy鈥� to schools.
In a text message, Lauersdorf, whose district covers Keller ISD, said the takeover should remind Texas schools to prioritize education, and that 鈥減olitics have no place in the classroom.鈥�
He said Keller ISD鈥檚 strong performance will only remain if its priorities stay on the students.
Rep. Nicole Collier, D-Fort Worth, noted the complexities facing Fort Worth schools, saying that state leaders also bear responsibility. In a statement, she stressed skepticism about TEA鈥檚 role and its ability to genuinely serve the needs of local students.
鈥淔or far too long, students in Fort Worth ISD have faced systemic challenges that extend beyond the classroom,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淧ersistent food insecurity, the struggle to earn livable wages, and the rising costs of health care make it difficult to point the finger to one cause.鈥�
As the state moves forward, Price advises FWISD parents to 鈥渞emain vigilant鈥� in advocating for their children.
鈥淲hen there is a board assigned, (parents) need to let them know what they want for these kids,鈥� Price said. 鈥淭hey need to stay on top of it, but nobody needs to panic. I think this is a huge step.鈥�
Education reporters Jacob Sanchez and Matthew Sgroi contributed reporting.
Cecilia Lenzen and Drew Shaw are government accountability reporters for the Fort Worth Report. Contact them at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org and drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org.
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