FWISD will be placed under a board of managers. What does that mean?
Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath announced on Thursday that he plans to take over the Fort Worth Independent School District, replacing its elected school board with an appointed board of managers.
Although that announcement means a big transition for the district, nothing changes immediately. The district’s current school board remains in place while the Texas Education Agency vets candidates to serve on the board of managers.
TEA has already begun accepting applications for positions on the board. Applicants must live within the boundaries of Fort Worth ISD. Once the Nov. 21 deadline passes, education officials will begin reviewing applications. During a news conference Thursday, Morath said he’d be looking for people from a variety of backgrounds.
“Think parents, think community members, think professionals,” he said. “People who are united in their belief that when we, the adults, provide proper supports, that all children — all children — can learn and achieve at high levels.”
During the review process, state lawmakers who represent portions of the district will have an opportunity to offer feedback on the candidates. At the end of the review, state education officials will select a group of candidates to go through governance training. At the end of that training, education officials will interview candidates and select a list of finalists. That list of finalists will be submitted to Morath for final approval.
Morath said he hopes to name a board of managers in the spring of 2026. At that point, the district’s elected board will continue to exist, but its members will be stripped of voting power during the takeover.
How long will state takeover of Fort Worth ISD last?
Morath said Thursday that he wants to see Fort Worth ISD have no campuses with two or more consecutive years of F ratings before he lifts the state intervention. How long the board of managers remains in place depends on how long it takes the district to reach that threshold.
Within two years of the board of managers being installed, Morath must announce whether he’ll release the district from state intervention or extend the takeover for another two years. If he determines the academic criteria have been met, he will announce a timeline for returning the district to the control of the elected board.
That transition won’t happen all at once. Elected board members will return to serve on the board in three phases, spaced a year apart. As members of the elected school board return, state-appointed members will cycle off.
Morath said his goal is to return the district to the control of the elected board as quickly as possible. But the district has struggled academically for so long and many of its problems are so intractable that it will take time to fix, he said.
“We have got to see that turned around,” he said. “That’s not going to be easy. It’s not going to be quick.”
