S.S. Dillow Elementary in Fort Worth ISD could close due to structural issues
An elementary school in the Fort Worth Independent School District could close after students finish out the current school year due to structural issues.
Fort Worth ISD school board members on Tuesday, April 22, will consider a vote to close S.S. Dillow Elementary in the 2025-26 school year after “the discovery of shifts in the building that have caused cosmetic damage and raised concerns about a possible leak beneath the slab foundation,” district officials said. Officials said it’s a suspected water leak.
“A structural engineer has thoroughly evaluated the building and confirmed it remains safe for students and staff. However, locating and addressing the potential issue would require extensive and invasive work that could significantly impact daily operations,” district spokesperson Cesar Padilla said in a statement.
District and campus officials have scheduled meetings with staff and families to share information and discuss steps moving forward, he said. Students would be transferred to three different schools in the area: the Leadership Academy at Maude Logan Elementary, D. McRae Elementary and T.A. Sims Elementary.
All current staff members “in good standing” will be offered work in the district for the upcoming school year.
The campus scheduled an on-site community meeting on Wednesday, April 16, to “discuss important information.” The April 22 school board meeting begins at 5:30 p.m.
The school, at 4000 Ave. N in east Fort Worth, was constructed in 1937 to relieve overcrowding in the Polytechnic neighborhood, according to the campus’ website. As early as February, It was already being considered for closure as part of the district’s facilities master plan, for which committees proposed more than 20 schools that were mostly elementary campuses as options for closure. The master plan is still evolving and is expected to reach a board vote later this year.
The percentage of S.S. Dillow students meeting grade level was 26% for the previous school year, one percentage point above Fort Worth ISD as a whole, according to the Fort Worth Education Partnership. Although it fell short of district numbers in reading — 25% meeting grade level compared to the district’s 31% — S.S. Dillow students had the upper hand in math. There were 34% of campus students meeting grade level in the subject, while a quarter of Fort Worth ISD students met this measure.
TEA data for the 2023-24 school year shows a campus enrollment of 410 students from pre-K-3 to fifth grade who were predominantly Hispanic. More than half were emergent bilingual students learning English as a second language, and 98% of students were considered economically disadvantaged.
This story was originally published April 17, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
