Fort Worth ISD board approves $49.8M deficit budget, says it puts kids first
The Fort Worth Independent School District’s board voted Tuesday to approve a budget with a $49.8 million deficit that includes pay raises for all teachers.
The 8-0 vote was made by the state-appointed Board of Managers at its meeting Tuesday. The $904 million budget for the general fund includes 5% pay raises for all teachers, as well as 2% pay raises for non-teachers. The 2% pay raise is not for the district’s central staff, Superintendent Peter Licata said.
Licata said the pay raises will help attract and retain the most talented teachers.
“That [pay raise] is positioning Fort Worth among the most competitive districts,” Licata said. “The most important person in the classroom after a child is the teacher.”
Fort Worth ISD is in the middle of a takeover by the Texas Education Agency. The TEA has appointed a new superintendent and replaced the elected school board with a new Board of Managers. The district is grappling with declining enrollment and stagnant test scores, with only 40% of students reading on grade level.
The board also approved a $145.4 million debt service fund budget and a $49.4 million food service fund budget.
Licata and Board President Pete Geren emphasized that the 2026-27 budget moves money from the Fort Worth ISD central office back to the classrooms.
“This is a kids first budget,” Geren said. “This is a break from the past.”
The district still has to adopt a tax rate, which it must do before Sept. 30.
The board also approved a separation agreement for Karen Molinar, the district’s superintendent before the TEA takeover. Molinar had a multi-year employment contract with the district before she was replaced. The separation agreement pays Molinar a year of her salary plus other benefits, Geren 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 24, 2026 at 8:14 AM.
