Frustration and cautious optimism permeated across Fort Worth’s local and state officials as news of Texas’ takeover of FWISD spread on Thursday.
Some lamented the loss of elected trustees who know the students and district, while others hoped it will bring necessary changes to turnaround failing schools. Many stressed the need for transparency.
“I truly believe in local control,” said Fort Worth City Council member Deborah Peoples, echoing the sentiments of several fellow council members and Mayor Mattie Parker. “Local control allows us to meet the needs of our constituents much better.”
Peoples, who represents the majority of east Fort Worth, feels the takeover is premature and doesn’t take into account the district’s recent upward trend seen in 2025’s STAAR test results.
“I want the state to acknowledge that and understand that there are some hardworking people here who are working very hard to improve student scores,” she said.
Under the takeover, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath will replace Fort Worth ISD’s elected trustees with a board of managers that he appoints. District Superintendent Karen Molinar, who entered her role last year, also faces potential replacement.
Student success is vital to the city’s future, Mayor Mattie Parker said at a news conference addressing the takeover Thursday. As mayor, she said it’s her duty to “really ask for things to be different” as she did last year with her letter to the school board urging them to implement a turnaround plan. That letter was signed by all 10 City Council members, some former mayors and other community leaders.
“We will no longer be a successful city if we don’t care about every single child in every single classroom across the city of Fort Worth,” Parker said.
Moving forward, she plans to prioritize “positive messaging” around the takeover.
Council member Mia Hall, who is also a FWISD executive, said in a statement she recognizes “the deep concern many in our community are feeling.” She hopes a continued dialogue between local and state officials will ensure stability for students and a stronger school district.
“My priority remains to ensure that our students, families and educators are supported through this transition,” Hall said. “While accountability and improvement are essential, change must be guided by collaboration, transparency and a genuine commitment to student success.”
Three former Fort Worth mayors — Betsy Price, Mike Moncrief and Kenneth Barr — said while they support local control over state control, they see the takeover as necessary.
Moncrief, who represented the city from 2003 to 2011, described the school district in its current failing academic state as the “weakest link in the chain in Fort Worth.”
He supports the takeover so long as it remains focused on identifying “permanent and meaningful solutions that are sustainable with outcomes that are measurable,” he said, because students deserve a world-class education.
The takeover was triggered by one of the Fort Worth campuses failing to meet state academic accountability standards for five consecutive years. Morath said state law left him no choice but to intervene. The district closed that campus, Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade, at the end of the 2023-24 school year.
Fort Worth ISD’s recent performance uptick comes after several years of lagging behind state averages and showing declining literacy performance.
Moncrief is not yet sure if the state takeover will result in the needed changes, but he is sure of one thing: “It couldn’t get any worse.”
“We have to do what’s necessary to provide these children the chance that so many of us have had that they won’t unless we improve the quality of their education,” Moncrief said. “For that, I don’t think there are any apologies necessary to move forward in the direction that the state has chosen to go.”
Barr and Price said they hope Morath keeps Molinar as superintendent, saying they found her leadership effective and stabilizing. Molinar has spent nearly 30 years in FWISD.
“It’s not something I welcome, but if this intervention leads to real, lasting improvements for students, it could be a positive turning point,” said Barr, who is “deeply concerned” about the takeover.
State Rep. Ramon Romero, a Fort Worth Democrat, said he “expects big things” from Morath as he executes the takeover.
“I have high expectations for any work that he does here in Fort Worth because I’m not from Houston but I’m from Fort Worth, and he’s going to have to hear from me if I hear from my constituents,” Romero said.
Fort Worth residents must “get fully involved” in the takeover and consider who among the community would best serve students and families on the state-appointed board of managers, he added.
“If there are people that believe in education and have something to offer the students at Fort Worth ISD, they should rise to the occasion and stand up,” Romero said.
Price, who represented Fort Worth as mayor for 10 years before Parker took office, said the state takeover “needed to happen,” despite improvements seen over the past year. However, she stressed that the district will have local control with a state-appointed board of managers made up of locals.
She said it’s “imperative” that local officials outside the school district keep a seat at the table and continue dialogue with Texas Education Agency officials as the takeover plays out.
“At some point, the whole city has to stand up and say, ‘Wait a minute, what do you mean our kids aren’t at grade level?’” Price said. “And I think that’s on the table right now. That’s been done. We have to keep that pressure on people.”
Council member Carlos Flores said as a parent, he wants to see the state-appointed managers clearly lay out their timeline, methods and criteria to improve the district. He said he’s concerned about how the intervention could disrupt progress.
Flores, who said he’s actively involved in his children’s education, hopes TEA officials organize public outreach to ensure residents are informed on what its plans are, and to ensure Texas officials are in touch with community needs.
Council member Chris Nettles called the takeover a “political stunt” and called on TEA officials to “stop playing politics” and focus on students in a statement shared to social media.
“It’s no secret that our schools have faced challenges, but we have seen real, measurable progress in the right direction,” Nettles wrote.
Sen. Phil King, a Weatherford Republican who attended Fort Worth schools and represents parts of FWISD, said in a statement that the takeover is an “important step in a process mandated by state law,” noting the district’s consistently low scores.
“I am hopeful that this bold action will usher in the changes needed to ensure students receive the quality education they deserve,” the statement read.
Council member Charles Lauersdorf posted on social media that while he finds it disappointing to see local control taken away, it’s also an opportunity to “reset and refocus” on students. He wrote that he hopes the process brings accountability and “renewed energy” to schools.
In a text message, Lauersdorf, whose district covers Keller ISD, said the takeover should remind Texas schools to prioritize education, and that “politics have no place in the classroom.”
He said Keller ISD’s strong performance will only remain if its priorities stay on the students.
Rep. Nicole Collier, D-Fort Worth, noted the complexities facing Fort Worth schools, saying that state leaders also bear responsibility. In a statement, she stressed skepticism about TEA’s role and its ability to genuinely serve the needs of local students.
“For far too long, students in Fort Worth ISD have faced systemic challenges that extend beyond the classroom,” she wrote. “Persistent food insecurity, the struggle to earn livable wages, and the rising costs of health care make it difficult to point the finger to one cause.”
As the state moves forward, Price advises FWISD parents to “remain vigilant” in advocating for their children.
“When there is a board assigned, (parents) need to let them know what they want for these kids,” Price said. “They need to stay on top of it, but nobody needs to panic. I think this is a huge step.”
Education reporters Jacob Sanchez and Matthew Sgroi contributed reporting.
Cecilia Lenzen and Drew Shaw are government accountability reporters for the Fort Worth Report. Contact them at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org and drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org.
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 Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
