Fort Worth ISD chief financial officer resigns to take new job in El Paso County
The chief financial officer of Tarrant County’s largest school district is leaving the job to take a new position as director of budget and finance for El Paso County, according to Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV.
Carmen Arrieta-Candelaria, who was in the position since January 2022, is leaving the Fort Worth Independent School District to return to her hometown later this month, the district confirmed to WFFA-TV on Tuesday. Officials said she introduced processes for Academic Return on Investment; implemented a new Enterprise Resource Planning, or ERP, system that integrated three systems into one; and oversaw payroll and contract management improvements for the district.
Fort Worth ISD officials wished Arrieta-Candelaria good luck in her next role while highlighting her accomplishments as CFO. A search has already begun for her successor. The position was posted on Monday on LinkedIn with an annual salary range of $176,000-$212,000. An interim replacement has not yet been named. Sources told WFAA that the district plans to review submitted applications before deciding whether to hire a search firm.
Arrieta-Candelaria’s departure comes three months after the school board approved a $43.6 million deficit budget for Fort Worth ISD’s 2025-26 school year. The district will need to take funding from its reserves to cover the deficit, in addition to developing a three- to five-year plan to eventually reach a balanced budget.
Additionally, the Texas Education Agency notified the district in August that it will receive a failing rating under its preliminary Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas for 2024-25 due to a technical submission error, according to WFAA. Fort Worth ISD cited late documentation when appealing the preliminary rating, and TEA confirmed the rating is under review. The annual ratings measure the financial management of districts across multiple performance indicators. Fort Worth ISD earned a perfect score of 100 for 2023-24 and qualified for another perfect score for 2024-25.
“However, a late submission automatically triggers a deduction, potentially resulting in a maximum adjusted score of 85 and a B rating — even if all other indicators meet the highest standard. FWISD said a corrective action plan is in place to prevent future errors and ensure ratings reflect true financial performance,” WFAA reported.
