A Floridian who briefly led one of the nation\u2019s largest school districts will captain Fort Worth ISD while it is under state control.<\/p>\n
Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath appointed longtime Florida educator Peter B. Licata as FWISD\u2019s new leader. Licata, who served as Broward County Public Schools superintendent for less than a year, is now charged with driving rapid academic gains for FWISD\u2019s nearly 68,000 students.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He is Fort Worth\u2019s fourth superintendent in just as many years and comes to a district facing similar challenges he faced in Florida.<\/p>\n
During a news conference, Licata vowed children are his top priority as is bringing substantial and quick academic improvements across Fort Worth ISD.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan I guarantee it? Almost,\u201d the superintendent said. \u201cI can almost do a Joe Namath running out of the Orange Bowl, for those who remember that. But I can guarantee you, we\u2019re going to put everything in place because I\u2019ve yet to fail \u2014 and I\u2019m not going to be starting here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Morath conducted a nationwide search before selecting Licata, the commissioner said during a virtual Tuesday press conference. Licata stood out not only for his track record, Morath said, but for his familiarity with the kind of systemic changes the commissioner said are needed to improve struggling districts.<\/p>\n
\u201cBringing in an outside party, a fresh set of eyes, can significantly benefit when trying to reassess from top to bottom,\u201d Morath said, pointing to everything from classroom instruction to staffing structures and how resources are allocated.<\/p>\n
He pointed to Licata\u2019s work across multiple roles, including overseeing dozens of campuses in Palm Beach County and leading Broward County Public Schools, where he said the district earned its first A rating<\/a> in more than a decade during his 10-month tenure.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s deeply familiar with the model that we think works best,\u201d Morath said.<\/p>\n He added that Licata has led in environments where expectations had slipped and worked to reset them \u2014 a key need in Fort Worth ISD.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we organize the system to better serve kids, it can succeed,\u201d Morath said, adding that he expects quick improvements throughout the district.<\/p>\n Alongside the new superintendent, Morath named nine managers<\/a> who essentially replaced the district\u2019s locally elected trustees. The managers assume governing authority over the district\u2019s nearly $1 billion budget, buildings and what children learn.<\/p>\n Licata started working immediately and is on a 21-day interim contract until the board of managers formally approves his hiring. His salary was not immediately known.<\/p>\n In an email to teachers and staff, Licata announced former Houston ISD chief Daniel Soliz<\/a> as deputy superintendent and chief of schools and former Broward County Public Schools administrator Louis Kushner as chief of staff.<\/p>\n Licata served as superintendent of the 236,263-student Broward County Public Schools for 10 months starting in 2023. He resigned and stepped away from day-to-day leadership over health concerns.<\/p>\n He assuaged his health as a barrier for his leadership in Fort Worth.<\/p>\n \u201cI recently went to the doctor before arriving here just to confirm there is nothing to worry about,\u201d Licata said. \u201cI am as healthy as a 35-year-old person who spent some time training for the FBI.\u201d<\/p>\n Mayor Mattie Parker was vocal about wanting Karen Molinar to remain as FWISD superintendent and warned Morath he would have a hard time convincing her otherwise. Then she met Licata.<\/p>\n \u201cI was struck by his humble nature, by his conviction that this job is the right moment at the right time to lead this district into the future,\u201d Parker said. \u201cHe knows the good that Dr. Molinar has already started and put in place, and he plans on continuing that and just pushing ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n Morath praised Molinar, who led the district for roughly 18 months and spent nearly three decades working in Fort Worth ISD.<\/p>\n Molinar stabilized the district and built internal systems that position it for the next phase of improvement, even as the state opted to move in a different direction, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cShe really set the district up for the next phase of this work,\u201d Morath said.<\/p>\n Licata spent nearly three decades working in Florida schools, primarily in Palm Beach County, where he rose from classroom teacher and coach to principal and district leader.<\/p>\n After taking the Broward job, he described his approach to equal opportunity as ensuring students receive additional support without lowering academic expectations.<\/p>\n Broward students saw modest increases in proficiency rates during Licata\u2019s tenure during the 2023-24 school year. His superintendency occurred alongside Florida introducing a new state test<\/a> that measures progress at the beginning, middle and end of the year.<\/p>\n Palm Beach saw its proficiency rates stay relatively flat between 2015 and 2023 \u2014 the time he was in central administration, according to data from the Florida Department of Education.\u00a0<\/p>\n Licata described the change as more than incremental and noted he was not superintendent of Palm Beach. He added that the Fort Worth ISD community deserves the levels of proficiency seen in Broward County.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat it\u2019s turned into now is an opportunity and the urgency that incremental growth is far too insignificant than to be happy with the 1-, 2- or 3-point game,\u201d Licata said. \u201cIt\u2019s good, but we have to be great.\u201d<\/p>\n He said he has a track record of turning around schools. He pointed to a Palm Beach school that was rated D by Florida\u2019s academic accountability system during the pandemic and pushed state officials to regrade the campus. The school was later given a C, he said.<\/p>\n He touted his work in career readiness in Palm Beach that resulted in an equity award from the Magnet Schools of America<\/a>.<\/p>\n He served as that district\u2019s regional superintendent overseeing dozens of schools and was part of the leadership focused on improving academic outcomes across a large, diverse student population. Palm Beach County Schools serves roughly 185,000 students.\u00a0<\/p>\n Hispanic students make up 38.5% of Palm Beach\u2019s enrollment, while Black students make up 28.1% and white students 27%.\u00a0<\/p>\n Broward County\u2019s enrollment was nearly 40% Latino, 38% Black and 15% white \u2014 a composition that Licata described resembles Fort Worth identically.<\/p>\n Nearly two-thirds of Fort Worth ISD students are Latino, with Black students at 18.6% and white students at 11.3%.<\/p>\n English language learners comprise 18.2% of the Palm Beach district and 14% in Broward. In Fort Worth, they account for 42% of students.\u00a0<\/p>\n Nearly 4 in 5 FWISD students are from low-income families. Just over half of Broward students are low income, while Palm Beach has 66%.<\/p>\n Licata emphasized student achievement in public statements throughout his career, often pointing to measurable goals \u2014 such as improving district academic accountability ratings and expanding access to advanced coursework.<\/p>\n Fort Worth ISD has been on a downward academic trajectory since 2016 when 57% of students were proficient across all subjects \u2014 and within striking distance of the state\u2019s rate. In 2025, 34% of students were proficient across all subjects, a 4 percentage-point gain from the previous year.<\/p>\n Licata holds a bachelor\u2019s degree from the University of Miami, a master\u2019s degree from Barry University and a doctorate in global leadership from Lynn University.\u00a0<\/p>\n His tenure in Broward County was short and unfolded in a district already dealing with instability.<\/p>\n The Broward school board hired him in summer 2023 after a national search, looking for steadier leadership in a district that had cycled through superintendents and public conflict in the years before his arrival.\u00a0<\/p>\n Board members approved a three-year contract with a $350,000 base salary and up to $20,000 in performance bonuses tied to academics and progress on the school system\u2019s long-delayed bond program.<\/p>\n His contract negotiations drew public debate. Broward board members rejected Licata\u2019s request for a higher bar to remove him without cause, kept the termination threshold at a simple majority and required him to move from Palm Beach County into Broward.<\/p>\n Licata took over the nation\u2019s sixth-largest school district promising to help Broward regain an A rating from the state and bring steadier leadership to the system.<\/p>\n Less than a year later, in April 2024, he announced his retirement, citing health reasons. He said he reached the decision after discussions with his doctors, his wife and his four adult children.<\/p>\n After Licata announced his plans, the Broward trustees voted the same day to replace him immediately with a deputy superintendent. The speed of that transition drew scrutiny in South Florida as some felt the move was staged and others criticized the lack of transparency, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Trustees ultimately rejected a consulting arrangement with Licata and reduced his salary for his final weeks before his employment ended July 1, 2024.<\/p>\n His exit came as Broward was dealing with possible campus closures tied to long-term enrollment declines, charter school funding disputes and broader questions about district governance and finances, according to the Miami Herald<\/a>.<\/p>\n His appointment in Fort Worth comes at a similar moment of transition.<\/p>\n Morath ordered the takeover of Fort Worth ISD in October after one campus received five consecutive failing academic ratings under the state\u2019s accountability system.<\/p>\n As superintendent, Licata will lead the district under state oversight, working alongside the managers and conservator appointed by the commissioner.<\/p>\n That role carries significant authority \u2014 and pressure.<\/p>\n The new superintendent is tasked with improving academic outcomes across Fort Worth schools, where reading and math performance have lagged behind state averages for years.<\/p>\n Licata steps into a district where roughly one-third of students read on grade level and slightly more than a quarter meet expectations in math, according to recent state testing data.<\/p>\n Fort Worth ISD faces much uncertainty as parents, teachers and community leaders raise concerns over potential employee turnover, changes to instruction and the loss of local control as the state assumes authority over the district.<\/p>\n At the same time, some education and business leaders say the state intervention could bring needed urgency and focus to improving student outcomes.<\/p>\n Licata has not previously worked in Texas schools.<\/p>\n Before Tuesday\u2019s announcement, Licata met with Molinar for 30 minutes and discussed the current state of Fort Worth ISD. She deserves credit for the district\u2019s recent momentum, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI rely a lot on what she says. She\u2019s a quality human being, a quality leader,\u201d Licata said. \u201cI believe in her. I believe in what she was thinking was the right thing. It may not be exactly, but we\u2019re not going to change anything \u2014 unless we have to.\u201d<\/p>\n Editor’s note: This story was published at 7:44 a.m. March 24, 2026. The story was updated at 3:38 p.m. March 24.<\/p>\n Jacob Sanchez is education editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at jacob.sanchez@fortworthreport.org<\/a> or @_jacob_sanchez<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Matthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org<\/a> or @matthewsgroi1<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. 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