Fort Worth ISD trustees discuss scenarios of potential elementary school closures
The Fort Worth Independent School District board reviewed an update to the district’s ongoing facilities master plan on Tuesday, Feb. 11, discussing specifics on the names, locations and number of schools being considered for closure.
The board heard a detailed presentation during its Tuesday night workshop on various scenarios of school closings, facilities investments and boundary changes from consultant Tracy Richter, vice president of planning services at HPM and who’s overseen the facilities master plan process. The developing plan — it’s been in the works for more than a year — is in the “options development” phase, inching closer to its implementation after officials extended the timeline of the study to involve input from community members.
In August, Richter told the school board that the plan would be completed this March. When asked by the Star-Telegram about whether this timeline is on track, district officials said it’s “an ongoing process.” Ritcher told board members that the goal was to present a final product in about five months.
Before Richter began his presentation, Interim Superintendent Karen Molinar emphasized to community members that the discussion was preliminary and there are still “a lot more phases” to be finished before decisions are made. She also noted there would be upcoming meetings for the public to ask questions and provide their input. Richter said they would be later this month on Feb. 24, 26 and 27 and March 3 and would be advertised online.
“It was our commitment that the process would be very transparent, and that is what you’re seeing this evening,” Molinar said. “Tonight is just the first gleam of showing you how intense the process has been and how the community task force has come together with our feeder patterns to come up with suggestions and then our next steps.”
Richter dug into options for facility changes within each of the district’s 13 regions, known as pyramids, reviewed by two groups of district stakeholders: the community task force and steering committee. He compared an area’s enrollment capacity with its current student “live-in” enrollment, walking through scenarios of how a potential closing or consolidation would result in higher utilization of campus buildings. His analysis also included projected “live-in” enrollment for the 2028-2029 school year, noting that this type of data accounted for those who currently attend or would attend their neighborhood school.
“(It’s) the idea that when you live In a boundary, the expectation is you should have a seat in your boundary,” Richter said. “Your transfer rates across the district are so high in some spots and so low on the other, that a boundary may or may not matter until you start to look at the live-in (enrollment).”
His presentation showed elementary schools would be most impacted by potential school closings or “facility reductions” compared to the district’s middle and high schools. A slide showing minimum enrollment standards across all of Fort Worth ISD’s 79 elementary schools suggests there’s a potential reduction range of 19-28 schools.
Toward the end of the presentation, though, it states there are 14 to 21 elementary schools being eyed for the reductions compared to a maximum of three middle schools and one high school. Additionally, there are six to eight elementary schools being considered for potential replacements or new construction compared to a maximum of three middle schools and one high school.
“The figures on page 30 represent a possible recommendation and are not final. Any proposed facility changes will be informed by the Community Task Force’s recommendations and community feedback gathered through meetings scheduled later this month and early next month,” district spokesperson Jessica Becerra said in an email.
Facility conversions are also being considered. For example, some options outlined in district documents propose converting Stripling Middle School into an elementary school and Western Hills High School into a middle school. Another proposal suggested turning J.T. Stevens Elementary into a school of choice.
Richter said the capacity and utilization rates in each area were only one part of the formula when weighing potential closure decisions.
“Geography comes into play too. Not just the capacity and utilization, not just the enrollment, not just the (school’s) condition, all of those things have to come into play when you’re going through this exercise,” he said.
Board President Roxanne Martinez asked trustees to invest and prioritize communities that need resources the most as they consider consolidations and repurposing of campuses.
“And also consider unintended consequences,” she added. “We have a campus like De Zavala (Elementary) on the list, and I know it’s a small school, but we have Black and brown students meeting and exceeding state standards there, so before we decide to close a campus like that, we must take a good hard look at those things.”
During public comment, a parent-teacher association president and an art teacher from Westcliff Elementary spoke up in support of the campus, which is among those identified for a potential closure. Attendees clapped and cheered after PTA President Christal Atkinson implored the board to spare Westcliff from a potential closure, highlighting its strong neighborhood ties, student diversity and overflowing enrollment. The PTA added 45 new members this year, and 100% of teachers and staff are part of the organization, she added.
“Despite the low economic status of our population, our families are invested and engaged and dig deep to support our school. Last year, we raised $20,000 at our annual Wrangler Walk, mostly from $25 donations. This reflects our community’s deep commitment and grit. Westcliff has a 70-year legacy of success and accomplishments, and we are ready for another 70,” Atkinson said.
Task force members overseeing the facility planning process were to review the presentation on Thursday, Feb. 13, and answer questions about minimum capacity and enrollment requirements; building utilization and efficiency within each region of the district; proposed modifications and more.
Here are the schools flagged for potential reductions under the various scenarios being considered, not including building conversions.
Elementary Schools:
Charles Nash
Natha Howell
Riverside Applied Learning Center
North Hi Mount
South Hi Mount
H.V. Helbing
West Handley
One of the three: Atwood McDonald, Bill Elliott, East Handley
Milton Kirkpatrick
Manuel Jara
Washington Heights
David K Sellars
Harlean Beal
Sunrise-McMillan
Leadership Academy at Maude Logan
A.M. Pate
Christene Moss
Edward Briscoe
S.S. Dillow
De Zavala
Westcliff
Richard J. Wilson
Hubbard Heights
Seminary Hills Park
Westcreek
Bruce Shulkey
J.T. Stevens
Western Hills Primary
Middle Schools:
W.C. Stripling
Morningside
McLean Sixth Grade (School board approved closure, consolidation into McLean Middle)
E.M. Daggett
William Monnig
High Schools:
Possible conversion of Western Hills High into a middle school.
This story was originally published February 11, 2025 at 3:30 PM.
