Nicholas Ditto envisions more than just another school in Fort Worth.
Ditto, an educator and former principal of Fort Worth charter school IDEA Rise, wants a place where middle school students are known, supported and celebrated — where they experience a “joyful culture of high expectations” and leave ready to thrive in high school and beyond.
Ditto is asking the State Board of Education to approve his vision. His proposed Fort Worth STEAM Academy, a public charter school focused on science, technology, engineering, art and math, would open in central east Fort Worth in fall 2026 if the state board gives it the green light June 27.
“We’re taking a fundamentally different approach (than other charters that have struggled here),” Ditto told the Fort Worth Report.
Ditto told the Report that Fort Worth STEAM Academy is designed to avoid the pitfalls that hurt other charters, with no plans for expansion, a fiscally conservative financial model that will rely solely on public funding once fully enrolled, and an academic program built on rigorous grade-level instruction paired with individualized learning.
Fort Worth STEAM Academy would serve sixth- to eighth-grade students, eventually enrolling up to 450 students. Its target student body: 90% low-income, 86% at-risk of dropping out of school, according to its application.
Ditto promises daily individualized learning periods, double-blocked literacy instruction and hands-on STEAM electives, all anchored in a school culture where student effort and growth are celebrated.
But Fort Worth’s charter school landscape has made one State Board of Education member wary. Two charters in the city closed at the end of the 2024-25 school year — Rocketship Texas, which also served families in central east Fort Worth, and the Academy of Visual and Performing Arts — leaving families scrambling for options and raising concerns about financial sustainability.
“So that’s hard — trying to say we need to bring one in when we haven’t seen success from the charter schools in the area and in the state of Texas holistically,” said Tiffany Clark, a Democrat who represents the area on the state board.
State Board of Education member Brandon Hall, a Republican who represents parts of west Fort Worth, said he sees potential in the proposal, though wants to see the full presentation and hear responses to board questions before deciding how to vote.
He views Fort Worth STEAM Academy as complementary to Fort Worth ISD rather than in competition with it.
“I look at it as another option — and one that will actually support the district,” he said. “It’s a middle school, so I think it’s going to funnel in a lot of well-educated, well-prepared students into Fort Worth high schools. I think it’ll benefit the district.”
Fort Worth ISD already offers STEAM, fine arts and Algebra I for middle school students, and Clark said she’s watching to see whether the new school would offer “anything different that’s really substantial.”
Clark is still evaluating the proposal and is looking forward to hearing more during Ditto’s presentation to the board, she said.
His pitch centers on a combination of high expectations and individualized support.
Every eighth grader at the school would take Algebra I and biology — high school-level courses typically reserved for a small subset of advanced students. At his previous campus, IDEA Rise College Prep, Ditto said he introduced the same approach.
The result? Students met grade level on those exams at rates topping 87%.
Under his leadership, the campus became one of the highest-performing middle schools in Texas among schools serving high-poverty communities, according to the Fort Worth Education Partnership.
Following the 2022-23 school year, IDEA Rise ranked 26th in the state among schools with more than 80% low-income students. Among those, it was just a handful that served middle school grades rather than early college high schools.
Parent advocates are watching closely. Trenace Dorsey-Hollins, executive director of Parent Shield Fort Worth, said she supports the proposal largely because of Ditto’s direct involvement with families.
“I don’t really have concerns specifically with him because I feel like him as the leader speaks volumes,” Dorsey-Hollins said. “He’s been embedded in the community, meeting directly with parents. I think that’s what we need to shift to the next level.”
She’s seen Ditto tabling events, community meetings and literacy nights, not just pitching the school, but listening to families. That, she said, sets him apart.
“He’s making himself a presence and a force and building allies in the community,” she said. “So, when there are concerns or even if he needs assistance, he knows who to tap into.”
Fort Worth STEAM Academy’s academic plan includes a 65-minute individualized learning block daily for students to catch up or accelerate, depending on their needs. The school would employ a full-time social worker and offer advisory panels focused on character development.
And, Ditto said, it would operate without expansion plans — unlike Rocketship Texas — but rather as a single campus focused on stability and results.
Financially, he said, the school would rely on public funds once it reaches scale. Startup costs would be covered by grants, including more than $500,000 in federal Charter School Programs funding, but Ditto said the model is designed to become self-sustaining.
Still, Clark wants to see proof that the proposal offers more than what existing public schools provide and that it can avoid the pitfalls that led other charters in the city to close.
Ditto, for his part, hopes the state board will see what he’s trying to build: not just a school, but a community.
“I want families to feel confident that their child will be known, supported and pushed to reach their full potential at Fort Worth STEAM Academy,” he said. “I hope people will say our students are some of the best prepared in the city — not just academically, but as young people of character and purpose.”
Matthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org or @matthewsgroi1.
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