Fort Worth ISD’s new state-appointed managers temporarily suspended policies that guide everything from how public meetings are built to how staff are hired, reassigned or disciplined.
During their first public meeting, the managers tweaked the rules on how the board operates, such as how officers are selected and how district policies are changed. Together, the policies make up the framework that typically governs how the district conducts business.
The change is intended to allow the new leadership team to begin operating the 67,500-student district following their appointment by Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath in March, board President Pete Geren said. He was officially elected to the officer position by fellow managers on Tuesday but introduced as head of the new board last week.
The policy suspensions are temporary, he stressed. Leaders did not specify a time frame saying they would review existing policies in the coming months.
“Suspending these policies will allow the board and superintendent an opportunity to review meeting dates and times and hiring practices,” Geren said during the meeting. “This would be a temporary suspension, and the board will review and make determinations on the policies in the near future.”
But the agenda item — initially listed only by policy codes and with no explanation — drew immediate concern from community members, who said they were left to decipher its impact on their own.
“Under temporary suspension of board policy, there is a list of alphabet letters with no indication of what the letters mean,” Reed Bilz, a frequent attendee of FWISD meetings, told the board. “Does this mean you could do whatever you want with no guidelines to hold you accountable for your actions?”
The measure passed 7-0 with managers Bobby Ahdieh and Frost Prioleau absent during the vote. Ahdieh attended the beginning of the meeting before leaving for a speaking engagement with Tarrant County College students.
Houston ISD managers made a similar move at the start of that district’s state takeover, also suspending certain local policies during their first meeting.
Unlike Fort Worth, Houston’s agenda did not specify whether those suspensions were temporary. Houston ISD spokespeople did not respond to the Fort Worth Report’s requests for clarification.
As Rosa Maria Berdeja, one of the new managers, questioned what the suspension would allow, Geren turned to district legal counsel for clarification on what protections would remain in place.
Secretary Rosa Maria Berdeja speaks during a Fort Worth ISD board of managers meeting March 31, 2026, in the District Service Center. (Christine Vo | Fort Worth Report) The temporary suspension is limited in scope and does not affect any requirements that are grounded in state and federal law, Cynthia Rincon, the district’s legal counsel, told the board.
“It does not remove safeguards or impact any rights afforded to employees, students or the community under applicable law,” she said.
Rincon also clarified that certain protections — including district rules on nepotism — remain in place under other policies not affected by the suspension.
Geren — emphasizing “radical transparency” — acknowledged the concerns raised during the meeting, taking responsibility for how the item was presented.
“I’m the final approval on the agenda, and if we made a mistake, it’s on me,” Geren said. “It won’t happen again.”
The board will be more detailed in future agendas to ensure the public understands what is being considered, Geren said.
By Wednesday morning, the district had added links to each policy directly on the meeting agenda.
State-appointed Superintendent Peter Licata, who was officially approved Tuesday as FWISD’s acting chief, said the district would prioritize transparency moving forward, even as it moves quickly to address longstanding academic challenges that prompted Texas’ intervention.
All on the dais repeatedly emphasized that improving student outcomes would guide their decisions as they begin restructuring the district.
Still, speakers urged the board to clearly explain its actions as it assumes control from locally elected trustees, who are held accountable by the ballot box.
“We intend to hold you accountable through transparency,” FWISD parent Keith Annis told the managers.
The policy suspension came alongside other foundational votes, including the election of board officers and approval of Licata’s interim contract. District officials did not immediately respond to a Fort Worth Report request for details on the terms of Licata’s acting superintendent agreement.
What policies did FWISD suspend — and what does that change?
The managers temporarily suspended several local policies that govern how the district operates. Here’s what each one typically does and what pausing it means:
BDAA (Board officers): Defines how the board elects its president, vice presidents and secretary, and outlines their powers.
- Suspending this policy gives the new board flexibility in how those roles function.
BE (Board meetings): Sets the rules for how public meetings are conducted, including agenda-setting, voting procedures and how discussions are managed.
- Suspending this policy gives leaders more control over how meetings are scheduled, organized and conducted.
BF (Board policies): Sets the process for creating and approving district policies, which usually requires the board to vote on twice at separate meetings.
- Suspending this policy allows the board to approve changes in a single meeting.
DC (Employment practices): Outlines hiring procedures, including job postings, screening committees and anti-nepotism safeguards.
- Suspending this policy allows the district to speed up hiring and staffing decisions.
DCD (At-will employment): Defines how noncontract employees are disciplined or fired.
- Suspending this policy gives leaders more flexibility in handling discipline and termination.
DK (Assignments and schedules): Gives the superintendent authority over staff assignments and reassignments, with rules around supervision and placement.
- Suspending this policy allows for quicker staff moves.
DP (Personnel positions): Establishes qualifications and expectations for roles such as principals and school counselors.
- Suspending this policy allows the district to adjust roles or expectations as it reorganizes.
Together, these policies form part of the district’s rule book for governance and staffing. Temporarily suspending them gives the state-appointed leadership broader flexibility to make changes quickly.
Disclosure: The Sid W. Richardson Foundation, which is led by FWISD manager Pete Geren, is a financial supporter of the Fort Worth Report. FWISD manager Laurie George is a member of the Report’s reader advisory council. FWISD manager Courtney Lewis is a member of the Report’s business advisory council. 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.
Matthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org or @matthewsgroi1.
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.
