Tarrant Democrats blast decision to close Newcomer Academy as blow to immigrants
Tarrant County Democrats voted to censure the state-appointed board of managers for the Fort Worth school district over the board’s decision to close International Newcomer Academy.
The Democrats’ decision, which was made by the Tarrant County Democratic Party County Executive Committee on Wednesday, comes after the board voted in April to close the district’s only campus designated for immigrant and refugee students.
The censure singles out board president Pete Geren, board secretary Rosa Maria Berdeja and board member Luis A. Galindo.
“I do recognize that they [the Tarrant County Democratic Party] have a responsibility to advocate for what they believe is best for our students, just as the board of managers has that responsibility as well,” Berdeja said in an interview. “In this instance, with what we believe was best and what they believe is best is not the exact same thing.”
No other board members immediately replied to the Star-Telegram’s requests for comment.
“Tarrant County Democrats believe every child deserves access to a quality public education, including students who are new to this country and need specialized support,” said Allison Campolo, Ph.D., the party’s chair, in a statement. “Closing International Newcomer Academy removes a trusted support system from students who deserve stability, belonging and focused instruction.”
The Fort Worth school district is in the midst of a Texas Education Agency takeover, meaning the state agency has appointed the board of managers and the district’s superintendent with the intent to improve test scores. The board’s unanimous vote to close the International Newcomer Academy pushed dozens of parents and residents to speak against the decision.
At the time, Superintendent Peter Licata said the board decided to close the academy because members do not believe the campus allows students to experience large campus amenities, like a robust choice of electives. The plan is to have the students assimilate into larger campuses so they have access to the same resources as other students. Berdeja added that there were significant differences in performance between INA and non-INA students.
“The non-INA students are performing significantly higher than the INA students, so what that tells me is that there is more that we can be doing for the students that were in the INA campus,” she said.
Editor’s note: Pete Geren is the president and chief executive officer of the Sid W. Richardson Foundation, which is a funder of the Star-Telegram’s Crossroads Lab. The Star-Telegram retains independence in all coverage decisions.
This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 3:18 PM.
