Fort Worth ISD State Takeover: How a Failing School Led to Potential District Control

State Intervention in Fort Worth ISD

• 🏛️ State law mandates that if a campus has an unacceptable performance rating for five consecutive school years, the commissioner must either appoint a board of managers or close the campus.
• ⚠️ This situation in Fort Worth ISD has escalated to the point where a state takeover of the entire district is likely.

The Campus at the Center: Leadership Academy at Forest Oak

• 📉 The campus that triggered this intervention is the former Leadership Academy at Forest Oak 6th grade, previously known as Glen Crest Sixth Grade School.
• 📊 The school has a history of poor performance, with ratings like 'improvement required' and low scores in student achievement, progress, and closing gaps dating back to 2016.

Evolution of School Ratings and Performance

• 📈 In 2017, Texas adopted the A-through-F grading system, under which the campus consistently received failing grades.
• 😷 The COVID-19 pandemic impacted school grading in 2020 and 2021, with no grades issued.
• 📊 In 2022, the school scored 58 (failing), but a law allowed schools below 70 to not be officially rated. In 2023, it scored 59, an F, marking the fifth consecutive unacceptable score when looking back historically.

District's Proactive Measure and Commissioner's Decision

• ✂️ Fort Worth ISD proactively decided to close the school after the 2023-2024 school year.
• ⚖️ However, Commissioner Morath has indicated that the district's decision to close the school does not preclude him from proceeding with state action against the entire district.