As takeover looms, Lake Worth schools eager to build on gains already underway
As state-appointed leadership settles in at Fort Worth school district following a Texas Education Agency takeover, elected leaders at Lake Worth school district are awaiting a similar fate that will affect the district in the coming weeks or months.
Lake Worth, which serves about 3,400 students, was taken over by the TEA in December following five consecutive years of failing grades at Marilyn Miller Language Academy in the state’s annual A-F accountability ratings. That triggered a Texas law allowing TEA Commissioner Mike Morath to name a new superintendent and replace the elected school board with a state-appointed Board of Managers.
The state takeover of Lake Worth was announced by Morath just two months after the announcement of the Fort Worth takeover. Morath appointed Peter Licata, a former superintendent in Broward County, Florida, as Fort Worth’s new leader. In his first several weeks, Licata and the state-appointed board have passed sweeping changes including a new program to address the district’s most underperforming schools, requiring teachers to reapply for their jobs, and restructuring how district leadership is organized.
At Lake Worth, district officials have watched how the takeover process unfolded in Fort Worth, and say they are prepared for the major reshuffling that inevitably awaits.
“As we’ve observed how this process has unfolded in other districts, it has provided some general awareness of how state intervention may look,” a district spokesperson wrote in a statement to the Star-Telegram. “At the same time, every district’s situation is unique, and we remain focused on what we can control, which is serving our students and supporting our schools each day.”
In the meantime, the spokesperson said nothing is changing in terms of day-to-day operations as the district awaits word on when the takeover will be finalized. A spokesperson for the TEA said there is not yet any information on when takeover details will be finalized. At Fort Worth, it took five months to appoint new leadership following the takeover announcement. Lake Worth’s takeover announcement came four months ago.
Last month, former Lake Worth Superintendent Mark Ramirez announced he would step down after Morath said he was not a candidate to keep his job once the takeover was completed. When the takeover was first announced, Morath said he was considering keeping Ramirez as superintendent because he was “a fan” of some of the strides the district has made under his leadership. Ramirez was hired by the school board as the district’s leader just 11 months ago.
Lake Worth’s school board, in its final weeks before it will be broken up and replaced with state-appointed leaders, named Trent Dowd, a former principal, as the acting superintendent until Morath announces state-appointed leadership.
Dowd will not make any significant changes to the district during his short tenure as superintendent. He knows he is waiting to be replaced. His goal is to continue the work Ramirez was doing before he resigned.
“It’s also important to recognize that Lake Worth ISD has been making meaningful progress,” a district spokesperson wrote in the statement. “Under the leadership of Dr. Ramirez, a strong foundation was established with a clear instructional framework, aligned curriculum, and systems focused on improving outcomes for every student. That work is continuing under Mr. Dowd’s leadership. We have seen encouraging signs of growth through improved student performance data, which reflect the dedication of our teachers, staff, and students.”
Since Ramirez was named superintendent in May 2025, notable improvements have been made across the district. Just 22% of Lake Worth students across all grades and subjects met grade level on the most recent STAAR exams. During a board meeting earlier this year, Ramirez said 36% of students across all STAAR-tested grades and subjects are projected to score at the “meets” or “masters” levels, which indicates they are reading at or above grade level.
At a community listening session hosted by the TEA following its takeover announcement, dozens of teachers and parents avidly defended Ramirez and the work he had done since he was named superintendent last year. Parents pushed back on whether the takeover would improve the district and questioned why the state would take power out of the community’s hands.
“This community is about to be changed and flipped upside down,” said Chris Hollie, a truancy compliance facilitator for the district. “The community found somebody that actually cared about the community and you guys are going to strip the community of what we have found.”
Morath, in a call with reporters after announcing the state would take over Lake Worth, acknowledged that Ramirez had taken positive steps since his hiring and at the time considered him an option to keep his job.
“If they had taken the steps to bring Dr. Ramirez in five years ago, I highly doubt we’d be having this conversation,” Morath said in December.
The main goal of district leadership amid the inevitable takeover is to maintain the momentum that Ramirez has built, and school board members understand that will have to come from their replacements. The district understands and has grown content with that.
“We recognize the state’s decision and have already begun working together to keep building on our positive momentum,” the spokesperson wrote in the statement. “We have seen meaningful progress over a short period of time — academically, structurally, and culturally. That progress has been driven by the hard work of our teachers, staff and students, as well as a clear focus on aligned instruction and high expectations across every campus.”
The district and the Lake Worth community are both unsure of what the next few weeks could look like. And as sweeping changes continue to roll through the Fort Worth school district by state-appointed leadership, Lake Worth leaders are urging the community to focus on the positive momentum created over the past year.
“Our community is deeply invested in our schools and we respect the passion and perspectives that have been shared,” the spokesperson wrote. “We understand there may be concerns, but we want to assure our community that our focus remains on ensuring that decisions, at every level, keep students at the center and support continued academic progress. Change can bring uncertainty, but it also brings an opportunity to build on the progress already underway.”
This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 11:46 AM.
