Fort Worth ISD school closures: plans, impact, and next steps

Fort Worth ISD is considering closing up to 18 campuses due to falling enrollment and aging buildings. Many schools, like S.S. Dillow Elementary and De Zavala Elementary, are affected by low student numbers or facility issues, some dating back over 100 years. The district says closing these campuses could save about $10 million in staffing costs over five years, money that could help expand academic programs such as bilingual classes or math demo teachers.

Some parents and teachers are concerned about losing high-performing but under-enrolled schools and want alternatives like turning schools into choice campuses. The school board will vote on these closures at its May 20 meeting, and changes like new attendance zones and school consolidation could start as soon as the next school year.

S.S. Dillow Elementary School on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. The Fort Worth ISD school board voted to close the school for the 2025-26 school year after discovering foundational issues stemming from a water leak. By Amanda McCoy

NO. 1: ELEMENTARY CLOSURE IN FORT WORTH ISD LEADS TO SCHOOL ATTENDANCE ZONE CHANGES

Current S.S. Dillow Elementary students will attend three different neighborhood campuses in the upcoming school year. | Published April 23, 2025 | Read Full Story by Lina Ruiz

The Fort Worth Independent School District Administration building located at 7060 Camp Bowie Blvd. in Fort Worth. By Chris Torres

NO. 2: FORT WORTH ISD SCHOOL CLOSURES COULD SAVE MILLIONS. BUT WOULD THEY HELP STUDENTS?

Some families question how closing an A-rated campus would help the district. | Published May 14, 2025 | Read Full Story by Silas Allen

Students leave campus after school Friday, Feb. 18, 2022, at West Handley Elementary in Fort Worth as bilingual teachers manage the additional pressures added by the pandemic. By Yffy Yossifor

NO. 3: FORT WORTH ISD PLANS TO CLOSE 18 CAMPUSES. TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE THEY ARE

The school board will vote on the plan this week. | Published May 14, 2025 | Read Full Story by Silas Allen

NO. 4: FWISD SCHOOL CLOSURES: WHAT’S THE CAMPUS DATA BEHIND THE CLOSURE PROPOSALS?

The school board will vote on the closure proposals Tuesday. Learn more about how schools on the list were chosen. | Published May 15, 2025 | Read Full Story by Lina Ruiz

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.