The meeting marked the first opportunity for residents to directly question Texas Education Agency officials since the state began its takeover<\/a> that includes replacing the district\u2019s superintendent. Meanwhile, an appointed board of managers will assume the duties of the locally elected trustees.<\/p>\n A parent of four Lake Worth students and a district employee, Jennifer Burgos, said she came to the meeting to support Ramirez and left without the clarity she expected. Throughout her six years working in Lake Worth schools, she\u2019s never seen leadership like his, she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe needed that fresh air and (Ramirez) brought that fresh air for us,\u201d Burgos, who brought her son, seventh-grader Carlos Zamudio, with her to the meeting, told the Report.<\/p>\n The change feels visible not only in data but in the students she sees every day \u2014 including children receiving special education services, she added. She also worries about her own children and the academic gains they have made under Ramirez\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is gonna happen when they bring new leadership in?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Steve Lecholop, a Texas Education Agency deputy commissioner, opened the meeting by outlining what he described as the legal \u201cwhy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n If any public school campus earns five consecutive years of unacceptable grades<\/a> on the state\u2019s academic accountability system, Education Commissioner Mike Morath must either order closure of the campus or temporarily take over its operations, he explained.<\/p>\n Marilyn Miller Language Academy triggered the state law after years of poor performance.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cLast year, in that entire campus, only 11% of students were performing on grade level,\u201d Lecholop said.<\/p>\n Districtwide, he said, only 25% of students are reading on grade level, and 17% of kids are proficient in math.<\/p>\n \u201cCertainly, the students of Lake Worth deserve better than this,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n After analyzing data, state leaders decided \u201cthe proper remedy in this case was the appointment of a board of managers,\u201d Lecholop said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The district needs a \u201cfresh start,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Several speakers questioned Lecholop\u2019s repeated use of that phrase \u2014 noting that Ramirez has been that needed reset.<\/p>\n Rebekah May, a Lake Worth ISD teacher who was awarded elementary teacher of the year in 2024, told state officials: \u201cRamirez has been that fresh start for this district. He\u2019s truly come in and really fought for our kids.\u201d<\/p>\n Forcing another leadership change would hit a district already struggling financially, she said. Ramirez was hired in May 2025, following the retirement of former Superintendent Rose Mary Neshyba.<\/p>\n \u201cWe already lack those interventions that we need for our students because we don\u2019t have the financial support we need from the state,\u201d she said. \u201cNow we have to pay for a conservator when we could be keeping someone who already knows our students and is doing the right thing for them.\u201d<\/p>\n The night was emotional for some.\u00a0<\/p>\n Adina Soto-Harris, a bus driver in the district, described Ramirez as a hands-on leader who even rides school buses to connect with staff and students. As she spoke, her voice cracked and her breathing quickened.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat justification would there be for removing someone who has such a profoundly positive impact in our school district?\u201d Harris asked.<\/p>\n Lecholop acknowledged Ramirez\u2019s standing in the community but said Morath wants an executive-level reset.<\/p>\n \u201cUltimately, the commissioner decided that the systems\u2019 issues in the district required a complete leadership fresh start,\u201d he said. \u201cMr. Ramirez is not responsible for anything that\u2019s happened here, but the commissioner did decide that a fresh start, a complete reset from a leadership perspective is what was needed.\u201d<\/p>\n In the most recent state academic accountability ratings, Lake Worth ISD received an overall D rating, with five of the district\u2019s six campuses rated D or F, according to state data.<\/p>\n Concerns went beyond the superintendent.<\/p>\n Some stressed that students are worried about losing activities. Others asked whether agency officials considered student voices in the takeover decision, particularly for children who have struggled academically. Another speaker asked what would happen to special education services and staffing.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lecholop tried to assure the community. Students will still enjoy extracurricular activities. Special education will remain an essential focus, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe band is gonna be there. The choir is gonna be there. The cheer is gonna be there,\u201d Lecholop said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Anxieties over money and staffing also surfaced \u2014 especially as state officials confirmed the district bears the costs of the oversight.<\/p>\n Mary Coker, a newly elected school <\/a>trustee, asked if the district pays for a conservator, a superintendent buyout and the new superintendent\u2019s salary.<\/p>\n Lecholop confirmed they must foot the bill for all three.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf the state\u2019s going to take over, it would be nice if they could help offset some of the costs of them taking over,\u201d Coker said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Teacher Condi Graham asked what support the Texas Education Agency will provide to students and teachers.<\/p>\n The deputy commissioner pointed to resources available through the agency, describing a range of state programs districts can opt into, including competitive grant opportunities and instructional supports.\u00a0<\/p>\n For example, Lake Worth ISD leaders recently adopted Bluebonnet Learning<\/a>, a set of state-developed reading and math materials designed to support classroom instruction.\u00a0<\/p>\n While Lecholop said those programs come with additional funding if districts apply and are approved, he acknowledged that participation is optional and does not result in new formula funding tied to a state takeover.<\/p>\n Despite Lecholop\u2019s answers, Burgos still felt unsettled by the uncertainty, she said \u2014 not just for her own children but for the students she sees on campus.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t feel as informed as I expected to be,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Kelton Young, a Lake Worth graduate and former district employee who now serves on the Lake Worth Education Foundation, said he came because, at the end of the day, it\u2019s about the students.<\/p>\n \u201cI just want what\u2019s best for the kids in the community,\u201d Young said. \u201cHow can we lift them up? How can we move them forward?\u201d<\/p>\n And he said the community\u2019s biggest question remains the same one that opened the meeting.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy is Dr. Ramirez not able to continue what he\u2019s already started?\u201d Young said.<\/p>\n Matthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org or @matthewsgroi1<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"(Maria](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0114-LakeWorthISDCommunity-05--1024x683.jpg\")
Steve Lecholop, a Texas Education Agency deputy commissioner, addresses residents of Lake Worth during a community meeting on Jan. 14, 2026. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report\/CatchLight Local\/Report for America)
\n\u2018The students of Lake Worth deserve better\u2019<\/p>\n![\"(Maria](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0114-LakeWorthISDCommunity-06--1024x683.jpg\")
Steve Lecholop, a Texas Education Agency deputy commissioner, addresses Lake Worth residents during a community meeting on Jan. 14. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report\/CatchLight Local\/Report for America)
\n\u2018Fresh start\u2019 draws backlash<\/p>\n![\"(Maria](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0114-LakeWorthISDCommunity-12--1024x683.jpg\")
Lake Worth residents, including trustees Cristina Gallagher, Cindy Burt and Mary Coker, clap as questions are asked about Texas\u2019 takeover of their schools during a Jan. 14 meeting. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report\/CatchLight Local\/Report for America)
\nStudents at the center of concerns<\/p>\n