Tarrant County commissioners to call on public schools to urgently address literacy issues
The Tarrant County Commissioners Court is expected to vote on a resolution Wednesday, Feb. 19, calling for school districts in the county to “urgently implement” plans geared toward improving literacy rates, according to a media advisory from Commissioner Manny Ramirez.
“Literacy is not just an educational imperative; it is a moral obligation,” the advisory states. “This resolution highlights the shared responsibility of improving literacy rates through collaboration and evidence-based strategies, which can lead to better educational outcomes and reduced crime.”
The Commissioners Court meets at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Tarrant County Administration Building, 100 E. Weatherford St. A news conference is planned related to the resolution at 4:30 p.m. in the commissioners courtroom on the fifth floor.
Ramirez is expected to present a resolution at the Commissioners Court meeting to “prioritize literacy in all independent school districts and to urgently implement actionable plans that ensure all students read at grade level,” the media advisory says.
Those expected to attend the news conference include Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare, District Attorney Phil Sorrells, Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes, Tarrant County Director of Juvenile Services Riley Shaw and other community and government leaders.
The resolution follows Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker’s call in August for Fort Worth ISD school board members to address the district’s history of lackluster educational outcomes. In a letter co-signed by a number of other government and community leaders and representatives of philanthropic and advocacy organizations, Parker called the school district’s efforts unacceptable.
In the Fort Worth ISD, only 33 percent of third-graders were reading at grade level in 2024, according to STAAR test results. But the problem is not limited to Fort Worth ISD. A number of districts have schools in the Fort Worth city limits, and among them, nearly 60 percent of students in third though eighth grade did not meet grade level for reading in 2024, according to a report by the Fort Worth Education Partnership.
“These results are unacceptable,” Parker wrote in the August letter. “For our city’s children, these results can significantly narrow their ability to access the life and opportunities that they want and deserve. And for our city, there are significant long-term consequences in the areas of workforce, economic development, poverty, public health, and much more.”
This story was originally published February 18, 2025 at 6:03 PM.
