TEA to visit Fort Worth ISD as possible state takeover looms
By Lacey Beasley, Julia Falcon
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TEXAS (KTVT) — The Texas Education Agency is making its long-awaited visit to Fort Worth ISD on Thursday as the school district faces a potential state takeover.
TEA Commissioner Mike Morath will be visiting William James Middle School, which has been an F-rated campus since the 2021-2022 school year.
FWISD remains at risk of a state takeover despite dropping the number of F-rated schools in the latest accountability ratings. Overall, the school district’s score rose from a ‘D’ in the 2023 ratings to a ‘C’ for 2025.
The school district is making strides to improve, according to Superintendent Karen Molinar. This year, it added more small-group instruction, demonstration teachers and additional school days at 15 campuses.
There are also improvements in literacy, which the district has historically scored poorly in. In 2024, 31% of students were meeting grade level and in 2025, it rose to 37%.
Molinar told CBS News Texas earlier this month that the gains come after a targeted focus on literacy and math, but there’s still more to prove.
“[Morath] really needs to make a decision,” she said. “It’s not just around that 2023 score. It really is about what changes are we putting in place as a large urban system to sustain this progress and actually accelerate it.”
Fort Worth ISD and the TEA In June, the TEA informed FWISD that the state may take over district operations or close a middle school campus following five consecutive years of failing academic ratings.
The Leadership Academy at Forest Oak 6th Grade received its fifth consecutive “unacceptable” academic rating for the 2022–2023 school year (The 2022-2023 rankings are the most recent available due to ongoing legal challenges).
Under Texas Education Code § 39A.111, five consecutive failing ratings trigger mandatory state intervention. The commissioner must either appoint a board of managers to oversee the district or order the closure of the campus.
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