Recent inspections of school kitchens across Tarrant County turned up a stomach-turning mix of cockroaches, rodent droppings, and storm-damaged, open ceilings at several campuses, and one cafeteria was shut down long enough that students were served bagged lunches instead of hot meals. Inspectors specifically flagged issues at Mary Louise Phillips Elementary, Hazel Harvey Peace Elementary, and Saginaw High. Even so, most of the kitchens inspected during that stretch still scored in the mid to high 90s.
The findings surfaced in a roundup published after the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reviewed 114 inspection reports from Feb. 1–7. The paper detailed individual violations and listed the corrective steps inspectors ordered at each campus.
How inspections are scored and who inspects
Local health inspectors typically grade food facilities on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing a perfect inspection and lower scores often triggering a mandatory follow-up visit. According to the Tarrant County Food Inspection Scores Database, Tarrant County Public Health handles most restaurant inspections in the county but not those in Fort Worth, Arlington, Euless or North Richland Hills. School food services are inspected by the city or school district that oversees each campus.
What inspectors found at named campuses
In its review, the inspectors found roaches in a dry-food storage area at Mary Louise Phillips Elementary, where the kitchen still earned a 96. At Hazel Harvey Peace Elementary, the kitchen was temporarily closed because the dishwasher was not working. While repairs were underway, staff handed out bagged lunches, and the cafeteria later reopened after a follow-up inspection with a 96 score.
Inspectors also documented rodent droppings and an open ceiling at Saginaw High. The paper attributed the ceiling damage to a recent winter storm, and despite the problems, the kitchen received a score of 99. The Star-Telegram listed these issues among the specific violations in its inspection roundup.
District response and campus pages
Fort Worth ISD keeps campus web pages that share contact details and resources for families, including ways to reach school staff with questions. Parents looking to connect directly with administrators can use the Hazel Harvey Peace campus page at Hazel Harvey Peace Elementary or the Mary Louise Phillips page at Mary Louise Phillips Elementary to find phone numbers and updates.
How parents can check inspection details
Families who want to see the original inspection records for themselves can search the county database or ask their school for the latest reports. The Tarrant County online tool explains the inspection scoring system and lets users search by keyword or facility name, making it possible to look up specific campuses and any required follow-up visits.
While some campuses faced repairs or temporary closures because of the flagged problems, the broader batch of reports still shows most school kitchens earning strong inspection scores. The Star-Telegram compiled the data and published its roundup on Feb. 11, 2026.
