Deadline extended for applications to Lake Worth’s state-appointed school board
The deadline for applications to serve on Lake Worth ISD’s state-appointed board of managers has been extended to Feb. 20, a Texas Education Agency spokesperson told the Star-Telegram on Thursday.
The previous deadline for applications was Jan. 31.
The extension is to allow community members in Lake Worth more time to decide whether they would like to apply, the spokesperson said. Current application numbers are not yet publicly available.
The state-appointed board of managers will replace Lake Worth’s elected school board members as the next step in the TEA’s ongoing takeover of the district. Candidates will be interviewed March 2-13 and TEA Commissioner Mike Morath will decide who will be named to the board shortly thereafter. There is no official timeline for Morath’s final decision.
Lake Worth’s current school board unanimously voted Tuesday night not to appeal the TEA takeover, instead blaming itself for taking “too long” to name a superintendent when a search began in September 2024. The board did not hire current superintendent Mark Ramirez until May 2025.
“From my perspective, the fault that the district is in lies in the hands of this board,” said board President Tammy Thomas before Tuesday night’s vote. “We were slow, very slow, in appointing a new superintendent while we had a school board election going on. Everyone is paying the price of the decisions that this board made, and now the board is going to be held accountable. I can only apologize for the board not doing our job.”
Had the current board appealed, it would have delayed the state-appointed board of managers process even further.
TEA’s takeover of Lake Worth began when Marilyn Miller Language Academy received a fifth consecutive F grade by the state in its yearly accountability ratings. That triggered a Texas law allowing Morath to replace the school board and superintendent and name a conservator to oversee the takeover process.
Last week, Morath appointed Andrew Kim, a former superintendent who is a co-conservator at an El Paso-area school district, as Lake Worth’s conservator.
During a similar TEA takeover of Fort Worth ISD in November 2025, the state also extended the deadline to apply for its state-appointed board of managers, citing overwhelming demand.
Fort Worth ISD is currently appealing the TEA takeover with the State Office of Administrative Hearings. The first summary disposition hearing was held by SOAH Thursday morning. TEA cannot continue its board of managers selection process until SOAH judges reach a decision on Fort Worth ISD’s appeal.
