From 1997, Benbrook: When school district separatists were thinking small. Or not at all | Opinion
(Published March 6, 1997.)
Benbrook’s children learn in some of Texas’ finest big-city schools.
The problem is, some townfolk no longer want fine big-city schools. They want small-town schools.
The brick schoolhouses wouldn’t change. Neither would the surrounding community.
And, for the most part, neither would the faces of parents or kids.
But somehow, a Benbrook city political faction has latched onto the far-fetched idea that their children would be smarter under the name “Benbrook Independent School District” than under the Fort Worth district’s name.
Benbrook’s city leaders would ask residents to leave a district that produced 18 National Merit Scholarship semifinalists this year, a district that offers parents a choice of neighborhood campuses, or one of 13 varied choice and Montessori-style schools.
Backed in a survey by only 19 percent of city residents — more than three-fourths didn’t answer the poll — Benbrook has nevertheless forged ahead.
Under a bill in the Legislature backed by state Sen. Chris Harris and state Rep. Anna Mowery, it would take only a simple town vote to lop off 1/20 of the Fort Worth district as a new Benbrook district.
Reality check time: One out of nine Anglo students in the district lives in Benbrook. That city’s taxpayers might wind up spending a fortune on lawyers — and still, the chance is remote that any court might disturb racial and socioeconomic balance in the Fort Worth district.
It’s not a question of race, the Benbrook leaders insist.
From what I can tell, it’s a question of money.
The city’s own study says: “The FWISD may be hindering economic and residential development efforts in Benbrook. A separate district would likely promote growth.”
In other words: It’s about money.
People buy houses in Aledo and Granbury because they want their kids in small-town schools. (Even though small-town schools may not offer the choices of big-city schools.)
Benbrook’s elementary schools match the best, although the Fort Worth district is so inept at publicity that real estate agents may not know that.
The success ends at the middle-school level, where the community is divided — this ia a bona fide gripe — between two schools. And recent improvements are just now taking hold at Benbrook’s Western Hills High.
Or maybe it is a question of race after all.
It was to one Anglo parent who called yesterday.
“Benbrook people are just sick of Blacks from the city,” she said, totally seriously, in a long rant that included a complaint about having “four black coaches” as if good coaches only come in one color.
Her comments don’t sound like anybody I know from Benbrook. And I definitely understand why Benbrook wants to escape the stratified Fort Worth school bureaucracy in favor of friendly, hometown trustees, more local control and a return to simple, small-town schools.
But they would get a better payback for their money by working alongside Fort Worth to build stronger community school spirit, help solve problems and promote award-winning schools.
That’ll go further than changing a sign from “FWISD” to “BISD.”
That way, the city and the children come out winners.
This way, the only winners are the lobbyists and lawyers.
This story was originally published January 16, 2025 at 4:56 PM.
