Nearly 300 apply for new Fort Worth ISD Board of Managers as TEA takeover advances

There are nearly 300 qualifying applicants for the Fort Worth Independent School District Board of Managers.

This new board will replace the elected board as part of the state’s intervention over the district because of failing grades.

There was so much interest that the state extended the deadline to Dec. 1 when the original cutoff was over a week ago.

According to the application, some disqualifying factors include conflicts of interest with the district, like business ties or affiliations with closed charter schools and a criminal history. Other than that, applications were open to anyone passionate about education and making a change within the district.

Ideally, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said he would prefer to appoint people who are local to Fort Worth, but that it was not a requirement.

Morath has said the appointments will likely happen in the spring, along with possibly a new superintendent. The current superintendent, Dr. Karen Molinar, has to reapply for her job.

The appointed conservator, Christopher Ruszkowski, will oversee and support Fort Worth ISD’s improvement efforts and report on the district’s progress, effective immediately.       

What happens next with FWISD’s Board of Managers

After the application window closes, the TEA reviews submitted applications, then selected candidates participate in “Lone Star Governance” training and interviews will be conducted with qualified applicants.

Once finalists are identified, they will be presented to the Commissioner of Education for final approval. The commissioner then conducts a final review and approves the appointments. 

What happens when the Board of Managers is appointed? 

A Board of Managers holds all the powers and responsibilities of an elected Board of Trustees and temporarily assumes all governing authority. 

The Board of Managers will remain in place until the exit criteria set by the commissioner have been met. Once that happens, the commissioner will announce the end of the appointed Board of Managers and transition governance back to the elected Board of Trustees.