One name rose to the top as the Fort Worth ISD school board considered who to appoint as interim superintendent: Karen Molinar.
Molinar has worked for Fort Worth ISD for 27 years, starting as a teacher at Washington Heights Elementary. After climbing through the ranks, she now will serve as interim superintendent.
After a nearly three-hour closed door session, the school board unanimously agreed to appoint Molinar as interim leader following Angélica Ramsey’s resignation as superintendent Sept. 30. Molinar, who was a top deputy superintendent, is now charged with moving Fort Worth ISD forward as trustees determine their next steps for finding a permanent leader.
“I’ve always been supportive of our campuses. Teachers, campus administrators and our parents are our priority in our district. Student achievement, you will see, will be our priority going forward,” the interim superintendent said.
Molinar previously served as interim superintendent in 2022 between the end of Kent Scribner’s tenure and before Ramsey took the reins of the district.
Molinar’s journey through Fort Worth ISD is a testament to her commitment to student success and community engagement, school board President Roxanne Martinez said.
“She has always been someone who leads with heart, putting students and staff first and, in this time of transition, we are confident in her ability to guide our district forward and continue building on the incredible work already in motion,” Martinez said.
Scott Blanco-Davis, a middle school science teacher at World Languages Institute, told trustees he hoped the interim superintendent would be someone who knows Fort Worth and can stay in the role for an extended period of time.
“I’m really hoping you’re going to keep that person long enough to do a really good search,” Blanco-Davis said, adding he sees the interim superintendent staying a year.
The timing of the superintendent search could coincide with the May 2025 election when five school board seats are on the ballot — a majority of the nine-member decision making body.
Although the search isn’t on yet, the Fort Worth ISD school board already has an interested candidate.
“I do,” Molinar said of her interest in the permanent superintendent position. “I will apply for the job if it’s open. But I’m here to do the role as interim and support the district in the meantime.”
Jacob Sanchez is a senior education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at jacob.sanchez@fortworthreport.org or @_jacob_sanchez. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
