17 FWISD schools are on updated list of proposed closures. Here’s what we know.
The Fort Worth Independent School District’s proposals to close and consolidate campuses amid declining enrollment are coming to a head with 17 schools currently being considered for such changes.
Fort Worth ISD staff are wrapping up their series of community meetings, where they’ve informed families about the proposed school closures that could affect neighborhoods throughout the district. The last 11 meetings, spanning from April 15 to May 7, have shown an ongoing, shrinking list of schools — mostly elementary — that board members could soon vote to shut down because of campuses being underutilized or requiring major repairs.
The school board is scheduled to vote on the closures at its May 20 meeting, district officials confirmed this week.
A facilities master plan has been in the works since the school board approved a resolution calling for a study in September 2023. A consultant has analyzed the facility condition of all campuses and drafted closure proposals with input from various committees and community surveys.
Presentations from the latest meetings, provided to the Star-Telegram, have singled out certain campuses that are being eyed for closure, as the school board inches closer to making final decisions. Closures would not begin to go into effect until the end of the 2025-26 school year.
The exception to this is S.S. Dillow Elementary, which the school board recently voted to close at the end of the current school year due to structural issues. Those students will attend D. McRae Elementary, T.A. Sims Elementary and the Leadership Academy at Maude I. Logan in August. Additionally, Eastern Hills Elementary is getting rebuilt through 2021 bond program funding, and the current campus will close at the end of this school year. Students are expected to transfer back to the campus in the 2028-29 school year after transferring to West Handley Elementary.
District officials confirmed they are currently considering closures or consolidations of 17 campuses. The original list of schools being considered for closure or consolidation, presented in February to the school board, was more than 30, including middle schools.
The presentations from the latest community meetings specify 15 of the schools proposed for closure, including S.S. Dillow.
On Tuesday, Historic Fort Worth included some of Fort Worth ISD’s campuses on its 2025 most endangered places list. The nonprofit focuses on preserving and celebrating notable architecture throughout the city. McLean and J.P. Elder middle schools were on the list, but district officials say they will remain open with facility investments from the 2021 bond program. Community meeting documents show McLean Middle is slated for renovation, while J.P. Elder is slated to be rebuilt. Richard J. Wilson Elementary is no longer being considered for closure, district officials said, and there are no current plans to sell buildings closed for instructional purposes.
Aside from the proposed closures, officials are also considering adding an elementary program to the Young Men’s and Young Women’s leadership academies, and a potential consolidation of Daggett Middle at a renovated McLean Middle.
Here are the latest school closure recommendations and the potential impacts to students, as of May 5, according to the community meeting presentations:
J.T. Stevens Elementary closing at end of 2026-27 school year; Students transfer to Westcreek Elementary and Bruce Shulkey Elementary
Charles Nash Elementary closing at end of 2025-26 school year; Students transfer to Oakhurst Elementary, Versia Williams Elementary and Rufino Mendoza Elementary
Harlean Beal Elementary closing at end of 2027-28 school year; Students transfer to David K. Sellars Elementary
H.V. Helbing Elementary closing at end of 2027-28 school year; Students transfer to Diamond Hill Elementary and M.H. Moore Elementary
Kirkpatrick Elementary closing at end of 2025-26 school year; Students transfer to Washington Heights Elementary and Dolores Huerta Elementary
Kirkpatrick Middle closing at end of 2028-29 school year; Students transfer to newly constructed J.P. Elder Middle
Edward J. Briscoe Elementary closing at end of 2025-26 school year; Students transfer to Carroll Peak Elementary, Morningside Elementary and Van Zandt-Guinn Elementary
Morningside Middle closing at end of 2028-29 school year; Students transfer to newly constructed William James Middle
De Zavala Elementary closing at end of 2026-27 school year; Students transfer to Lily B. Clayton Elementary and E.M. Daggett Elementary
Atwood McDonald Elementary closing at end of 2026-27 school year; Students transfer to Bill J. Elliott Elementary and East Handley Elementary
A.M. Pate Elementary closing at the end of 2026-27 school year; Students transfer to Christene C. Moss Elementary
Sunrise-McMillan Elementary closing at end of the 2027-28 school year; Students transfer to Maudrie M. Walton Elementary, Christene C. Moss Elementary and W.M Green Elementary (A.M. Pate could become a school of choice, and Sunrise-McMillan could become a family resource hub)
Riverside Applied Learning Center closing at end of 2025-26 school year. Students transfer to Bonnie Brae Elementary
Hubbard Heights Elementary closing at end of 2028-29 school year. Students transfer to Seminary Hills Park Elementary, Richard J. Wilson Elementary and Worth Heights Elementary
This story was originally published May 8, 2025 at 1:51 PM.
