‘We need to fix it’: Texas lawmakers respond to Fort Worth ISD state takeover
A Republican North Texas senator whose district encompasses much of the Fort Worth school district called Thursday’s state takeover announcement an “important step,” but his Democratic colleague in the House preferred that local leadership stay on its improvement course.
Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath on Thursday announced that the district’s school board will be removed and replaced with state appointees. He plans to appoint a superintendent, as well as a state conservator to oversee the transition.
The decision comes after a school received five consecutive failing scores in Texas’ A-F accountability ratings. When that happens, state law dictates that the commissioner must either close the campus or take over the district.
“I am hopeful that this bold action will usher in the changes needed to ensure students receive the quality education they deserve,” Texas Sen. Phil King, a Weatherford Republican, said in a statement. King also said that the Fort Worth school district is lagging behind other large urban districts.
Fort Worth ISD’s Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade Center got a fifth consecutive F rating earlier this year, when Texas released its 2023 ratings. The ratings had been tied up in a court battle.
The district has already closed the school, merging it with Forest Oak Middle School, but Morath has said that many schools in the district are struggling.
Teachers, parents, students and district officials have been waiting for months to learn whether the state would intervene.
Superintendent Karen Molinar took over on an interim basis in September 2024 after the resignation of Angelica Ramsey, and was given the job in March. She will be among the candidates to lead the district, Morath said.
District leadership has “worked tirelessly to strengthen instruction and accelerate student outcomes” over the past year, Board President Roxanne Martinez said in a statement.
State Rep. Ramón Romero Jr., a Fort Worth Democrat who represents part of the school district, said he would have preferred to see the work of the board and Molinar continue.
“I felt like we were already making a lot of changes,” Romero said. “She came in at a difficult time and has done a lot in a little bit of time.”
Romero said he’s encouraged that Morath has seen Molinar and Martinez’s “positive work” for the district.
Romero raised concerns about the years of failing ratings aligning with the COVID-19 pandemic that strained schools, educators and students, and the law that triggered the takeover, suggesting that lawmakers may need to revisit it.
“There’s extenuating circumstances,” he said. “We could have a flood in Houston and schools struggle or kids not come to school. And all kinds of situations. We have the pandemic. That’s a declared emergency. Is that not enough to have not included those years or just one year? If that would have happened, we wouldn’t be facing this in Fort Worth right now. There’s always room to look at it.”
Romero expects the district to appeal the takeover, as the campus in question has already closed. The school board said it’s “reviewing the Commissioner’s decision and exploring all available options.”
Fort Worth isn’t the first school district to have the state come in. The Houston school district was taken over in 2023 after one of its campuses received a failing rating for five straight years.
The Houston takeover led to improved STAAR schools, but the district has also had accelerated enrollment declines and high turnover among its teachers and principals. King, the Republican lawmaker from Weatherford, noted the increased “student learning and test scores” in his Thursday statement.
“I will be monitoring this process closely as the state works to ensure a brighter future for the students in FWISD,” King said.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is supportive of the state’s takeover of the Fort Worth school district, spokesperson Andrew Mahaleris said in a statement.
“Our children deserve the best education possible, which requires a strong accountability system,” Mahaleris said. “This system has proven effective in districts like Houston ISD. Thanks to state intervention, Houston now has zero F-rated schools, with students outperforming their peers across Texas. Together, we can build a stronger future for every child in Fort Worth ISD and across the state.”
Rep. John McQueeney, a Fort Worth Republican, thanked Morath and Abbott for their leadership.
“Failing campuses are unacceptable and improving positive student outcomes is one of my top priorities,” he said in a statement. “I have every confidence that Commissioner Morath, working with volunteers from the community, can get to the root of the problem and set Fort Worth ISD on a path to long-term and sustained success.”
The state intervention is a “positive development and a step in the tight direction,” McQueeney said to parents.
“We must make investments in our children to ensure their success in the classroom and in life,” he said, offering his support to state officials and district officials and employees.
Rep. Nicole Collier, a Fort Worth Democrat, said the district’s lack of school funding undermines students’ success, as many students also face systematic challenges outside of the classroom, such as food insecurity, struggles for families to earn a livable wage and health care costs.
“The state cannot hide its hand in this, as it has continued to underfund our public schools while issuing mandates that do not necessarily make our students safer or foster learning,” Collier said.
During the last legislative session, lawmakers approved billions in funding for public schools, including for teacher pay raises. In an interview Thursday, a spokesperson for the Texas State Teachers Association said it supported the dollars, but that money still needed to adequately fund schools.
“The state’s takeover structure does not afford sufficient public input and without consideration of outside factors that contribute to a student’s success, the purported turnaround will come at a cost, not just to the public’s trust, but also to the future of the community,” Collier said.
Rep. Charlie Geren, a Fort Worth Republican, said he’s sorry to see the Fort Worth school district in the situation it’s in, but stood by Morath’s decision. Morath is following the law, he said. Geren’s, McQueeney’s and Collier’s state legislative districts all include part of the school district.
“I hate it, but I’m also very supportive of his move,” Geren said.
Geren said he hopes Morath will consider Molinar as superintendent.
“She’s done a wonderful job in the short time she’s been there.”
It’s important that generations of children not be left behind, Geren said.
“And that’s what has happened,” Geren said. “We need to fix it.”
Staff Writer Silas Allen contributed to this report.
This story was originally published October 23, 2025 at 2:29 PM.
