Could Fort Worth ISD become the next Texas school district to fall under state control?\u00a0<\/p>\n
After five consecutive years of failing ratings at Forest Oak Sixth Grade Center, state officials say a takeover is still on the table.<\/p>\n
The issue came up during a Texas Senate Education Committee meeting Wednesday, with lawmakers and education leaders signaling a decision could come soon.<\/p>\n
“They are still, as I understand it, the lowest performing large school district in the state,” said state Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford.<\/p>\n
Education Commissioner Mike Morath confirmed the agency is actively evaluating the district’s future.<\/p>\n
“We are actively evaluating that decision now,” Morath said. “I will say this fall, we will have a resolution on that one way or another.”<\/p>\n
Looking to Houston for precedent<\/p>\n
To understand what a state takeover might look like in Fort Worth, Duncan Klussmann, a University of Houston professor and former superintendent of Spring Branch ISD, reflected on Houston ISD’s state takeover in 2023.<\/p>\n
“The board at the time was extremely dysfunctional,” Klussmann said, explaining that leadership problems contributed to Houston’s struggles.<\/p>\n
Centralized control under state oversight<\/p>\n
The biggest change under state control, Klussmann said, is centralization. For parents, that could mean a state-appointed board replacing the elected one, the superintendent being removed, and a single curriculum implemented across schools \u2014 essentially a much more structured and unified approach to running the district.<\/p>\n
“This model seems to be working,” Klussmann said of Houston’s progress. “They’ve put in really great reforms, they’ve moved very fast, and they’ve shown really great test results.”<\/p>\n
Long-term impact remains uncertain<\/p>\n
Still, he noted, the long-term success of a state-run district can be difficult to measure, and it’s unclear whether reforms will remain once local control returns.<\/p>\n
He said true outcomes, like improved graduation rates, will take time. One of Fort Worth’s biggest challenges, if taken over, could be getting community buy-in \u2014 something that proved difficult in Houston, where many families left the district after the takeover.<\/p>\n
“I think the key is, I wouldn’t let this be a distraction to your child’s learning experience,” Klussmann said.<\/p>\n
Parents express concern and hope<\/p>\n
Trenace Dorsey-Hollins, a Fort Worth ISD parent and education advocate with Parent Shield, said the term “state takeover” can cause fear among families.<\/p>\n
“I think they would be upset because of the unknown,” she said.<\/p>\n
Still, she hopes the focus can remain where it matters most \u2014 on students.<\/p>\n
“We just want to see growth for our students,” she said.<\/p>\n
Klussmann echoed that advice.<\/p>\n
“Stay focused on your own child’s education, and if you feel comfortable with where they’re at, don’t let the noise of everything else affect that.”<\/p>\n
\n More from CBS News\n <\/p>\n