Why is Fort Worth ISD closing 18 schools over the next four years? What to know
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Fort Worth ISD school closures
Officials in the Fort Worth Independent School District say that closing and consolidating more than a dozen campuses will save the district millions of dollars over the next four years, allowing them to redirect more money toward academic priorities.
Here’s what to know.
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Over the next four years, Fort Worth ISD will close 18 schools.
The Fort Worth school board voted 8-0 this week to approve a plan to shutter 16 schools between 2026 and 2029. Previously, the district voted to close two schools in June 2025.
The closures are part of the district’s facilities master plan, which is intended to help Fort Worth ISD manage revenue loss from declining enrollment.
Why is Fort Worth ISD shuttering 18 schools over the next four years? Here’s what to know.
Why is Fort Worth closing schools?
District officials say the school closures will allow them to redirect millions of dollars toward academic priorities.
Fort Worth ISD has seen its enrollment drop by 15% since the 2019-20 school year, and officials project the district will lose another 6% of its enrollment by 2029-30. This is where the district’s facilities master plan comes into play.
While district leaders did not discuss the plan before the vote at this week’s meeting, Deputy Superintendent Kellie Spencer explained it at a work session on May 13.
Closing the campuses would save the district about $10 million over the next five years, Spencer said. That’s money the district can redirect toward literacy priorities.
At the same work session, Superintendent Karen Molinar said the money would help the district expand programs like two-way bilingual classes and summer school.
Some of those funds would also go toward the addition of math demo teachers at elementary schools, Molinar said. Demo teachers spend part of their day working with their own students and the rest helping less experienced teachers hone their skills. District leaders plan to place reading demo teachers in elementary schools next year.
Which schools is Fort Worth ISD closing?
Here’s a look at the 18 schools Fort Worth ISD is closing over the next four years:
- S.S. Dillow Elementary School (Closing in June 2025)
- Eastern Hills Elementary School (Closing in June 2025 but will be rebuilt)
- Milton L. Kirkpatrick Elementary School (Closing in June 2026)
- Charles E. Nash Elementary School (Closing in June 2026)
- Riverside Applied Learning Center (Closing in June 2026)
- Edward J. Briscoe Elementary School (Closing in June 2026)
- De Zavala Elementary School (Closing in June 2027)
- A.M. Pate Elementary School (Closing in June 2027)
- J.T. Stevens Elementary School (Closing in June 2027)
- Atwood McDonald Elementary School (Closing in June 2027)
- McLean 6th Grade Center (Closing in June 2028)
- West Handley Elementary School (Closing in June 2028. Students will move to new Eastern Hills Elementary)
- Harlean Beal Elementary School (Closing in June 2028)
- H.V. Helbing Elementary School (Closing in June 2028)
- Sunrise-McMillan Elementary School (Closing in June 2028)
- Kirkpatrick Middle School (Closing in June 2029)
- Morningside Middle School (Closing in June 2029)
- Hubbard Heights Elementary School (Closing in June 2029)
S.S. Dillow and Eastern Hills elementary schools were previously approved by the board to close. The other 16 schools were approved this week.
Star-Telegram education reporter Silas Allen contributed to this report.
This story was originally published May 22, 2025 at 4:26 PM.
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