TEA names new, state-appointed leaders for Lake Worth ISD as takeover begins
The Texas Education Agency has announced the appointment of a new superintendent and five-member Board of Managers for Lake Worth ISD, marking the start of the state’s takeover of the district that was first announced in December.
According to a news release Thursday morning, TEA Commissioner Mike Morath has appointed Ena Meyers as the new superintendent of Lake Worth, replacing Mark Ramirez, who was hired by the former elected school board in May 2025. Ramirez resigned last month following the school board’s decision not to appeal the takeover process. Since then, Trent Dowd, a former principal, had been serving in an interim role.
Meyers will begin working Thursday under a 21-day contract, and a more permanent contract will be agreed upon by the new state-appointed Board of Managers at a future meeting.
“Lake Worth ISD students deserve a school system that prepares them for success in college, career or the military,” Morath wrote in a statement. “The newly appointed Board of Managers and superintendent bring the experience and commitment necessary to improve academic outcomes, strengthen district systems and build a strong foundation for long-term success in Lake Worth ISD.”
TEA describes Meyers as a lifelong public educator with more than 20 years of experience supporting teachers and students across Texas. She has been a teacher, principal, and was most recently the deputy chief of strategic initiatives at Houston ISD.
“Dr. Meyers is deeply committed to improving student achievement and making intentional changes to help students reach their full potential,” the release reads. “Dr. Meyers’ experience will be a critical asset to advancing student success, benefiting all students in Lake Worth ISD.”
Meyers holds a doctorate degree in Educational Administration and has Texas superintendent, principal and teacher certifications. She has led schools in Texas at the elementary, middle and high school levels.
The following have been appointed by Morath to serve on Lake Worth’s new state-appointed Board of Managers:
- Tom Harris: A business leader with experience in the aviation, and development industries in Tarrant County, Harris currently serves on Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker’s Council on Education and Workforce Development. Harris and his wife co-founded the Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation, which focuses on suicide prevention and mental health awareness.
- Amy Morgan: A public school educator with more than 30 years of experience, Morgan has served as a teacher, district administrator and instructor in higher education. She has spent most of her career supporting special populations in the greater Fort Worth area and holds degrees from Southwest Texas State University, the University of Houston-Clear Lake and Nova Southeastern University.
- Kenneth Nichols: A retired U.S. Navy officer, Nichols holds two doctoral degrees and has served as an adjunct professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Abraham Lincoln University. Nichols also volunteers on several boards related to supporting veterans, underprivileged communities, and workforce development.
- Mason Sneed: A business and financial professional who works at a Fort Worth-based private equity firm, Sneed has more than 10 years of experience in corporate restructuring and engineering. He holds a master’s degree from Rice University and an undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University.
- Judy Starnes: A resident of Lake Worth for more than 45 years, Starnes is a Lake Worth ISD parents and retired teacher in the district. For more than two decades, Starnes led workshops for educators and focused on working with students from special populations. She holds a master’s degree and bachelor’s degree from Texas Wesleyan University.
According to TEA data, just 19 people applied for the state-appointed Board of Managers, which extended its original deadline to allow for more applicants, a TEA spokesperson previously told the Star-Telegram. Four applications lived within Lake Worth ISD boundaries and 15 lived in Tarrant County.
The new state-appointed superintendent and Board of Managers will temporarily replace the former locally elected school board, which decided not to appeal Morath’s decision to take over the district and instead took responsibility for not acting sooner to turn the district around.
Former board President Tammy Thomas said at a meeting in January that they did not act fast enough to hire Ramirez as superintendent when the search first began for the school district’s new leader in September 2024, and they had to be held accountable for doing so. Ramirez was not hired until May 2025.
“From my perspective, the fault that the district is in lies in the hands of this board,” Thomas said. “We were slow, very slow, in appointing a new superintendent while we had a school board election going on. Everyone is paying the price of the decisions that this board made, and now the board is going to be held accountable. I can only apologize for the board not doing our job.”
Morath first announced in December that the TEA would be taking over Lake Worth school district after Marilyn Miller Language Academy received a fifth consecutive F rating by the state in its yearly accountability grades. That triggered a Texas law allowing Morath to name a replacement superintendent, appoint a Board of Managers, and a conservator to oversee the takeover process.
Morath appointed Andrew Kim, a former superintendent and co-conservator of an El Paso-area school district, as Lake Worth’s conservator in January. He will be responsible for guiding improvement plans as the takeover process continues to unfold.
On Dec. 19, Lake Worth board members traveled to Austin for an “informal review” of the district. In that meeting the school district made their case against the takeover process by providing data and information that showed the district was making positive steps forward. But Morath still reaffirmed his decision to take the district over and name new leadership.
The TEA announced shortly after that Ramirez was not in consideration to keep his post, despite Morath initially saying he was a “big fan” of the work Ramirez has done in the district since he was hired in May 2025.
“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 a call with reporters following the takeover announcement.
Hundreds of Lake Worth parents and faculty were present for a community meeting held by the TEA on Jan. 14 at Lake Worth High School that allowed residents to ask questions about the takeover process. Dozens of speakers passionately defended Ramirez and suggested replacing him would be a mistake.
In the weeks following the TEA’s takeover announcement, a number of parents also told the Star-Telegram they were not confident in a state takeover and were not sure it would lead to improved results.
Overall, schools in the Lake Worth district, which has about 3,300 students, have severely underperformed on STAAR exams. Only 22% of students across all grades and subjects met grade level on the most recent STAAR exams.
But Ramirez said at one of his final board meetings before resigning that the district projects 36% of students across all STAAR-tested grades and subjects will score at the “meets” or “masters” level, which indicates they are reading at or above grade level.
The takeover of Lake Worth ISD comes just a month after the TEA took over Fort Worth ISD and appointed Peter Licata as superintendent and named a new nine-person Board of Managers to replace the former elected school board.
This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 9:26 AM.
