Fort Worth STEAM Academy will be allowed to open in 2026.
In a 10-4 vote June 27, the State Board of Education approved the charter school despite concerns from some board members about charter instability in the city.
Democrat Tiffany Clark, who represents the area where the school will be located, voted against the proposal, alongside three other members. Republican Brandon Hall, who represents parts of west Fort Worth, voted with the majority.
Hall did not immediately respond to Fort Worth Report requests for comment.
Nicholas Ditto, the school’s founder and a former IDEA Rise principal, pitched the middle school as a stable, high-quality alternative for families in central east Fort Worth.
The vote gives Ditto and his team the green light to move forward with preparations for the 2026-27 school year and positions Fort Worth STEAM Academy as one of four new charter campuses in the state to win approval this cycle.
Ditto said he was overjoyed by the board’s decision.
“Today’s vote represents the conclusion of a rigorous, nearly yearlong charter application process,” he told the Report. The school “earned the confidence of the State Board of Education, as proven by a strong bipartisan vote in favor of our charter. This milestone reflects more than 18 months of hard work, community partnership and an unwavering belief in what’s possible for students in Fort Worth.”
The school plans to enroll 450 students in grades six through eight, with a focus on individualized instruction, science, technology, engineering, arts and math coursework, and a “joyful culture of high expectations.”
Clark expressed hesitation about approving a new charter amid recent closures of other campuses in Fort Worth. She cited the need for new schools to demonstrate how they will be different — and more sustainable — than those that recently closed, including Rocketship Texas and the Academy of Visual and Performing Arts.
In a statement to the Report following the vote, Clark pointed to broader concerns about charter school performance and its impact on traditional public schools.
Still, she added, she looks forward to seeing what happens because she has heard nothing but positive reviews of Ditto.
“Which gives me hope that he is a great leader and will do what is needed for the students in that area,” she said.
While Clark raised concerns about the charter sector’s track record in Fort Worth, others on the board took a different view.
“I look at it as another option and one that will actually support (Fort Worth ISD),” Hall previously told the Report. “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.”
The school’s approval was incredibly meaningful, Ditto said, not just for him and his school’s board, but for the families and community who have helped drive this work.
“We’re hitting the ground running to ensure everything is in place for a strong and on-time launch,” he said. “From hiring great educators to engaging families, we’re focused on building an exceptional public middle school for Fort Worth.”
Matthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org or @matthewsgroi1.
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