Texas Education Commissioner ponders over takeover of Fort Worth Independent School District, spurred by a senator's plea for immediate action
In August 2025, Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) has shown overall academic improvement, maintaining a "C" rating in 2024 and 2025 after moving up from a "D" in 2023. This progress, under Superintendent Karen Molinar, is a positive sign for the district, yet some campuses continue to struggle with failing grades.
Specifically, three middle schools, including the Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade, had multiple consecutive failing (F) ratings. The Forest Oak campus was shut down before the fifth failing rating was released. However, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath has indicated that closing the campus does not eliminate the district's risk of state-mandated intervention or takeover, which would include replacing elected trustees.
The district is actively implementing turnaround plans, including new management and extended school years at the struggling campuses, with additional reform proposals expected by late September 2025. The final decision regarding potential state takeover is anticipated later this fall, indicating the situation remains under close review by the Texas Education Agency.
Jacob Sanchez, the education editor for the Fort Worth Report, has been closely following the developments. He reports that Fort Worth ISD has approximately 70,000 students and has lagged behind other large, urban school systems in Texas since 2015. State Sen. Phil King, a Republican from Weatherford and a graduate of Eastern Hills High School, believes a takeover appears needed and supports the commissioner's decision.
Morath has met with district leaders and plans to visit schools in September as part of his decision-making process. He has stated that if a takeover is the best decision for the students, he would not hesitate to make it, despite the potential pain it may cause.
The Fort Worth Report's news decisions are made independently of its board members and financial supporters. This article was originally published on the Fort Worth Report under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
As new academic accountability grades are expected on August 15, the community waits to see whether FWISD has made progress following leadership changes. The potential takeover is due to the persistent failing of a now-closed campus, the Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade. The situation remains a topic of intense discussion and anticipation in the Fort Worth community.
[1] Sanchez, J. (2025, August 3). Fort Worth ISD faces state takeover threat. Fort Worth Report. Retrieved from https://fortworthreport.org/education/fort-worth-isd-faces-state-takeover-threat/
[2] Sanchez, J. (2025, August 10). Fort Worth ISD continues to struggle with academic performance. Fort Worth Report. Retrieved from https://fortworthreport.org/education/fort-worth-isd-continues-to-struggle-with-academic-performance/
[3] Sanchez, J. (2025, August 15). Fort Worth ISD receives new accountability ratings. Fort Worth Report. Retrieved from https://fortworthreport.org/education/fort-worth-isd-receives-new-accountability-ratings/
[4] Sanchez, J. (2025, August 20). Forest Oak campus closure does not alleviate Fort Worth ISD's risk of state takeover. Fort Worth Report. Retrieved from https://fortworthreport.org/education/forest-oak-campus-closure-does-not-alleviate-fort-worth-isds-risk-of-state-takeover/
- The Fort Worth Report's education editor, Jacob Sanchez, has been extensively covering the news about the Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) and its ongoing challenges in education-and-self-development, including the threat of a state-mandated takeover due to the persistent failing of a closed campus, the Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade.
- Amidst the discussions about politics in Texas, State Sen. Phil King, a graduate of Eastern Hills High School, supports the state commissioner's decision for potential intervention in FWISD's governance, considering the district's general-news of academic underperformance compared to other large, urban school systems in the state.
