Daphne Brookins, Fort Worth ISD District 4 trustee, dies following brief illness
Daphne Brookins, Fort Worth ISD school board second-vice president and District 4 trustee, died Friday after a brief illness, school district officials said.
“We are deeply saddened by Ms. Brookins’ passing,” Superintendent Kent Scribner said in a statement. “She was always focused on students and never allowed any opportunity to further their needs to be lost. She always wanted to ensure that families received resources that allowed stability and a good education for their children.”
Brookins, a graduate of Texas Wesleyan University, was elected to the FWISD Board of Trustees in 2019, filling the seat vacated by T.A. Sims. She was then elected to a full term in May 2021.
“It’s an honor,” she said at the time of her election. “I’m proud of the trust that the citizens of District 4 have placed in me to bring my years of experience in education, social services and partnerships to the table to help District 4 and FWISD.”
As a FWISD board member, Brookins, 54, focused on advancing opportunities for young women and particularly early childhood issues, ensuring all daycare facilities in Fort Worth were on the same page as the district’s early learning program, according to the release. She also was an early supporter and board member for the district’s Young Women’s Leadership Academy.
According to the district, Brookins was also a young adult motivational speaker and writer and most recently served as an adjunct instructor at her alma mater.
Brookins’ husband, Carl, 61, died on May 29, 2020. She leaves behind three sons.
“Words cannot express our devastation and sadness at this news,” Board President Tobi Jackson said in a statement. “Ms. Brookins was a champion for kids and a much-valued colleague who embraced her board work with collegiality and dedication. More than that, she was a dear friend whose smile illuminated any room she was in. Our thoughts are with her family right now, especially her sons.”
Brookins had previously served as a council member and, later, mayor pro tem for the City of Forest Hill. Brookins’ past affiliations and leadership roles included the One Star Foundation board, to which she was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott, as well as the YMCA Metropolitan Board, Director’s Circle with Girls Inc., Tarrant County Challenge Inc. board member, Advisory Board member for Expanding Your Horizon, Tarrant County CHIP Coalition co-chairperson for the Marketing Task Force, and the Ladder Alliance board member.
The school district said Brookins’ family has not made public the cause of death as of Friday afternoon. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.
The schools she represented in District 4 include O.D. Wyatt High School, I.M. Terrell Academy, Morningside Middle School, Morningside Elementary School, W.M. Green Elementary School, David K. Sellars Elementary School, Harlean Beal Elementary School, Clifford Davis Elementary School, Carter Park Elementary School, Edward J. Briscoe Elementary School, Carroll Peak Elementary School, Van Zandt-Guinn Elementary School, Versia Williams Elementary School.
The principal of David K. Sellars Elementary also died this week. Steven Mattic died unexpectedly Monday after successfully overcoming health problems in the past several years, according to a news release from the school district.
This story was originally published November 5, 2021 at 2:48 PM.
