Who is new Fort Worth ISD superintendent, and what has he previously done?
Peter B. Licata will lead the Fort Worth school district after being appointed superintendent by the Texas Education Agency.
Licata begins his term today on a 21-day interim contract. A district Board of Managers, also appointed by the TEA, is expected to formally approve Licata to continue in his role in the coming weeks.
“My North Star for Fort Worth ISD is simple and unwavering: every student reading on grade level, mastering mathematics, and graduating prepared for college, career, or military service in a system strong enough to sustain that success long after state intervention ends,” Licata said a TEA news release Tuesday.
Who is Fort Worth ISD’s new superintendent?
Licata comes to Fort Worth from Florida, where he was most recently the superintendent of the Broward County Public Schools, which encompasses campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Miramar, Pompano Beach, Hollywood and other nearby cities. It is one of the largest school district in the U.S., with an enrollment of more than 250,000 students and 32,000 staff members.
Licata served in that role from 2023 to 2024. He announced he was stepping down after less than a year, according to WPTV, the NBC affiliate in West Palm Beach, citing health reasons.
The TEA press release announcing Licata’s appointment said he guided the Broward County district to an “A” rating, its first in more than 14 years, and eliminated all D- and F-rated schools.
“He also increased graduation rates and expanded access to advanced academic opportunities, especially for students who had historically been underrepresented,” according to his biography released by the TEA. “He accomplished these gains while reducing central office costs by more than $20 million, maintaining a classroom teacher vacancy rate of less than 1 percent, and stabilizing long-challenged operational systems.”
Prior to becoming a superintendent, Licata was a teacher, coach and principal. He held leadership roles in the Palm Beach County School District, the nation’s 10th largest, including regional superintendent and assistant superintendent for choice and innovation. He has also served as a university professor. The release said Licata “is known for aligning instructional priorities to meet the needs of students while strengthening accountability and transparency.”
A 2023 report by WLRN, a South Florida NPR affiliate, said Licata grew up in Pompano Beach, Florida, “in a big Italian family.” Licata attended the University of Miami, graduating in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and political science, according to his LinkedIn profile. He earned his master’s degree in educational leadership from Barry University and his doctorate in global leadership from Lynn University.
In the WLRN report, which ran after Licata was named Broward County superintendent, former colleagues were largely complimentary of Licata and his work. The report said some characterized Licata as a “politician” in the sense that he built and leveraged relationships, but a school board member who had worked with Licata said he used those relationships “for the common good.” The same school board member added that Licata was adept at building relationships in communities of color.
In 2019, while serving as regional superintendent for the Palm Beach County district, Licata managed a controversy after the principal at Spanish River Community High School appeared reticent to acknowledge the Holocaust as a historical fact during an email exchange with a parent. The principal, William Latson, later clarified that he did believe the Holocaust occurred, but Licata and the district moved to replace him.
In an interview with WLRN, a Jewish educator praised Licata’s handling of that situation.
In 2011, the WLRN report noted, Licata was named in a lawsuit filed by a biracial teacher. The teacher alleged Licata created a hostile work environment, made discriminatory comments and ultimately kept the teacher from advancing in his career. A judge dismissed the case, and Licata called the lawsuit frivolous.
This story was originally published March 24, 2026 at 8:28 AM.