Fort Worth schools Superintendent Karen Molinar breathed a sigh of relief when federal officials recently unfroze more than $6.8 billion in national education funding.
Fort Worth ISD had nearly $10 million tied up. District leaders paused college prep and mental health counseling services. They drafted plans for how to continue services without the federal support.
Molinar isn’t putting away those plans yet. The superintendent discussed how Fort Worth pivoted when the money froze and what’s next for the 70,000-student district during a July 29 virtual news call with the advocacy group EdTrust in Texas.
Schools have not yet received the dollars, said Jonathan Feinstein, EdTrust’s Texas director.
Until then, Molinar plans to keep the affected Fort Worth ISD position on the ice and will not take new contracts. She intends to remain cautious going forward.
“We are going to be even more grateful when it’s released to us and we see it,” Molinar said during the call.
Literacy prioritization relies on after-school programs
Molinar and district administrators spent the spring and early summer ensuring literacy was embedded into its 70 community after-school programs.
They were excited to have that extra support because literacy is the top priority in the new school year. Then federal funding supporting the programs was frozen.
Administrators pivoted to use general funds to support after-school programs, Molinar said. The stakes, she said, go beyond academics.
“It’s not just about enrichment. It’s also about safety for our students,” the superintendent said.
Federal funds represent about 2% of Fort Worth ISD’s annual revenue. Officials’ decision to withhold a portion of that money impacted the entire school system, Molinar said.
Bus schedules were adjusted because the funding freeze impacted before-school programs for middle school students, she explained as an example.
Funding freeze hit as new budget started
The funding freeze hit just as Fort Worth ISD’s 2025-26 school year budget started July 1.
The budget was built around boosting literacy achievement.
“We immediately had to pivot and look at our general budget and make decisions. We cut contracts,” Molinar said.
Impacted contracts include those with the Tarrant To & Through Partnership, Communities in Schools of Greater Tarrant County and Girls Inc. of Tarrant County.
All impact the district’s priority of improving academics, Molinar said.
The three-week pause of federal dollars caused real disruptions for schools, Feinstein said.
“Schools were forced to scramble, revise budgets, staffing plans, program offerings — just as they were preparing to serve students in the new school year,” he said during the call.
The future
Fort Worth ISD trustees adopted a budget with a $43.6 million shortfall. Molinar does not want to dig deeper into the hole and tap into reserves.
“At this time, unless it’s a general fund position, everything is frozen,” she said.
School leaders should brace for more fights over federal funds, said Nathan Kriha, an EdTrust policy analyst. The programs affected by the freeze are potential cuts for future budgets, he said.
Molinar expects the same. Her administration is looking at future cuts to the budget.
One question will guide that process, she said: “How can we still have strong partnerships that impact our students, but where do we need to find some of those funds?”
Molinar has part of the answer, for now.
“We really, at this point, can’t rely on that funding,” she said.
Jacob Sanchez is education editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at jacob.sanchez@fortworthreport.org or @_jacob_sanchez.
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