On Tuesday evening the state-appointed Fort Worth ISD Board of Managers voted 8-0 to approve a reduction in force that will reorganize the district’s lowest-performing campuses under a new “Elevate” turnaround model. The move also locks in summer closures that the elected board had already approved, and district leaders said affected teachers would be notified Tuesday evening. Officials described the changes as a way to redirect resources and add instructional time at struggling schools.
According to the district’s April 14 meeting agenda and resolution, the program-change resolution lists six campuses set to close: Milton Kirkpatrick, Charles E. Nash, Riverside Applied Learning Center, Edward J. Briscoe, Western Hills Primary and De Zavala. It also identifies 19 schools to be reconstituted as “Elevate” campuses. The resolution invokes Board Policy DFFB and directs the superintendent to implement Chapter 21 procedures for term-contract nonrenewals, stating that employees who receive proposed nonrenewals will be considered for other district positions, per Fort Worth ISD.
What Elevate Would Change
The district presentation and local reporting state that Elevate will add extra oversight, pay incentives and extended instructional time at the lowest-rated campuses. Resident teachers would be used instead of outside substitutes, and staff would receive additional on-site coaching. The plan also calls for calendar changes that add instructional days at selected schools, as described by CBS Texas.
Board Comments And Community Reaction
Superintendent Peter Licata underscored the urgency during the meeting, saying the district is facing a deficit of student proficiency and noting “24,914” students are not reading on grade level. Parents and advocates, however, warned officials about the human cost of cuts. “When we abruptly eliminate experienced staff, we don’t just lose employees. We unravel the invisible infrastructure that holds a school and a community together,” Rev. Kristin Klade said during public comment, according to FOX 4.
Who Could Be Affected And The Legal Process
The agenda states that the RIF applies to employees on Chapter 21 term contracts and follows Board Policy DFFB, which authorizes program-change reductions. Under state law, probationary and term-contract teachers must receive written notice and have limited appeal rights. Legal requirements for nonrenewal and termination are detailed in Justia, and the district’s resolution directs administrators to follow those procedures and to consider affected employees for other openings, per Fort Worth ISD.
Local Context And What’s Next
The change comes in the middle of a state takeover of Fort Worth ISD and a longer trend of enrollment declines and budget shortfalls that local reporting has linked to millions in lost state dollars and the district losing roughly one in five students since 2016. Local outlets including the Fort Worth Report and the Dallas Morning News have covered the takeover and the promise of tighter oversight, and parents and staff say they plan to watch implementation closely.
The Board of Managers approved the resolution Tuesday and directed administrators to carry out the program change. District officials say they will publish implementation details and post notices in accordance with state law. For now, teachers at affected campuses have been told the district will consider them for other roles, but the total number of nonrenewal notices has not been released.
