Lake Worth schools will be under the control of state-appointed managers while Superintendent Mark Ramirez鈥檚 future remains uncertain after Texas officials announced a takeover of the 3,200-student district Thursday.
Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath will install a new board of managers and appoint a superintendent in the coming months, tasking them with reversing years of academic decline. In a letter to Lake Worth leaders, Morath attributed the district鈥檚 persistently low academics to failure of governance.
鈥淚 do not make this decision lightly,鈥� Morath wrote. 鈥淭he inability of the district to implement effective changes to improve the performance of students in the district or at the campus necessitates the interventions announced by this letter.鈥�
Morath鈥檚 decision comes after Lake Worth鈥檚 Marilyn Miller Language Academy failed to meet state academic standards for five consecutive years, triggering a Texas law that requires the commissioner to either close the campus or replace district leadership.
This is the second state intervention of a district in Tarrant County, following .
The state鈥檚 action is meant to ensure stability and renewed focus on student achievement, Morath said. Community members, meanwhile, have voiced concerns about losing local control in a district facing steep challenges.
鈥淟ake Worth ISD鈥檚 low level of student achievement is a long-standing issue, predating the COVID-19 disruptions and has gotten worse recently,鈥� Morath said.
Ramirez said he sees the takeover as an opportunity to accelerate progress for kids.
鈥淥ur focus remains clear: supporting teachers, improving instruction and doing what鈥檚 best for kids,鈥� Ramirez said in a statement. 鈥淲e are committed to transparency, accountability and partnership as we work side-by-side with TEA to ensure lasting improvements for our students.鈥�
Board President Tammy Thomas had no comment when reached by the Fort Worth Report Thursday afternoon.
Ramirez has previously said Lake Worth educators are committed to rebuilding the district鈥檚 academic systems and giving students the consistency they deserve 鈥� a message he repeated throughout the fall as the district awaited the state鈥檚 decision.
In the coming weeks, Morath will appoint a conservator to monitor the Lake Worth ISD and guide the transition, ensuring state-directed turnaround plans are being used, according to the enforcement letter.
A conservator has the authority to oversee district operations and may overturn decisions made by the locally elected school board and superintendent if they conflict with state directives or campus turnaround requirements. That person will remain in place as a state-appointed board of managers is seated and a superintendent is chosen 鈥� a process that typically unfolds over several months and shifts governing authority away from locally elected trustees.
In a press conference Thursday, Morath called Ramirez 鈥渁 very skilled leader,鈥� noting the 鈥渕any, many changes鈥� he鈥檚 implemented since starting at the district. The commissioner did not address whether Ramirez is a candidate to remain as superintendent.
Morath said the state will 鈥渂e naming a new superintendent and a new board all at the same time,鈥� as it crafts 鈥渁 completely new leadership environment for the district.鈥�
In May, Ramirez, who replaced a who had led Lake Worth schools for seven years, brought in a new vision built on data-driven instruction.
However, the district鈥檚 elected trustees waited too long to make that kind of leadership change, Morath said Thursday.
鈥淚f they had taken steps to bring Dr. Ramirez in five years ago, I highly doubt we鈥檇 be having this conversation,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is the problem 鈥� for too long.鈥�
As part of that transition, the state-appointed board will assume the duties of Lake Worth ISD鈥檚 seven elected trustees:
- Sonja Norman, trustee since 2005
- Armando Velazquez, elected in 2008
- President Thomas, trustee since 2013
- Mac Belmontes, trustee since 2017
- Cristina Gallagher, first elected in 2022
- Cindy Burt, elected in 2024
- Mary Wilson Coker, elected in November
TEA officials plan to hold a community meeting in Lake Worth and open applications for the board of managers soon 鈥� likely in the new year 鈥� as they begin assembling a new leadership team, Morath said.
Morath has said he seeks candidates who demonstrate experience in governance, finance, instruction or community leadership.
Lake Worth鈥檚 population was 4,711 at the 2020 census. Under state law, a majority of managers must be Lake Worth ISD residents. Morath said the agency鈥檚 goal is that all managers reside within the district, which is along the northwest border of Fort Worth.
Once appointed, the board assumes all governing authority 鈥� adopting budgets, approving contracts and policy decisions as well as evaluating the superintendent 鈥� while locally elected trustees remain in office but without power.
What led to the takeover of Lake Worth ISD?
The state鈥檚 move follows a near decade of academic underperformance, shrinking enrollment and recent leadership changes that left Lake Worth schools vulnerable to intervention.
鈥淏eyond the performance of individual campuses that are unacceptable, Lake Worth ISD has demonstrated a chronic inability to support students to learn and achieve at high levels,鈥� Morath wrote in the letter sent to district officials Dec. 11.
, an elementary campus of about 500 students where 91% come from low-income families and nearly half are learning English.
The school has failed to earn an acceptable accountability rating for eight years, dating back to 2017, including a 59 in this year鈥檚 ratings 鈥� just one point shy of passing.
Under state law, once a school reaches five straight failing ratings, the commissioner must either close the campus or install a state-appointed board of managers. At Miller Language Academy, those five ratings were reached with the release of the 2025 scores, officials said.
Ratings labeled 鈥淣ot Rated鈥� during the pandemic did not break the chain of unacceptable performance, TEA officials said, and enforcement actions tied to the five-year threshold resumed once ratings were publicly released again.
Districtwide results gave Morath further reason to act.
In 2025, five of Lake Worth ISD鈥檚 six campuses received an F rating. Only the high school managed a C. Overall, the district improved from an F to a D but still ranked near the bottom of Tarrant County in reading and math proficiency. State officials cited data showing just 22% of students meeting grade level, well below the state average of about 50%.
Enrollment declines deepened the crisis.
Just before the pandemic in 2020, the district enrolled nearly 3,600 students. This fall, that number fell to about 3,250 鈥� a loss of nearly 10% in five years.
Lake Worth administrators said they鈥檙e working on progress after , which include raising the district鈥檚 ratings and sharply increasing STAAR proficiency. Ramirez and district officials logged hundreds of classroom visits and pushed new instructional systems across campuses, they said.
In a statement, Lake Worth officials said they are adhering to 鈥渁 bold, strategic and comprehensive turnaround plan鈥� focused on foundational literacy and math, including and structured teacher collaboration.
In October, Morath , observing classrooms and saying he saw both evidence of growth and continued challenges.
Morath said he saw 鈥渧ery clear evidence鈥� that Ramirez is working to raise the bar and that he saw 鈥渆vidence of improved instructional practices.鈥�
However, the commissioner said students still face a deficit requiring strong on-grade-level teaching and additional intervention to 鈥渇ill in the academic holes that have accumulated over time.鈥�
Matthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org or .
Jacob Sanchez is education editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at jacob.sanchez@fortworthreport.org or .
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