Second grader Felix Moreno isn’t sure if he’ll see his friends at school next year.
Felix and his family thought they had one more year at De Zavala Elementary before it closed its doors for good in 2027. Now, they have three months left at their FWISD school.
De Zavala is closing in May so Daggett Montessori, a kindergarten through eighth-grade school, can move out of its structurally unsound building and into the nearby elementary campus, Fort Worth ISD leaders said. The school board will formalize the decision in March.
Kelly Moreno, Felix’s mom, said the decision frustrates parents.
“Suddenly, their facility was so poor they had to displace us, and we didn’t get our final year,” Moreno said.
A study of the current Daggett Montessori building discovered foundation issues that would cost at least $2.5 million to fix, Deputy Superintendent Kellie Spencer said. They could discover additional damage once repairs were underway and would require the school to close during construction.
Other factors contributed to closing the elementary at the end of this year, including De Zavala’s declining enrollment, the need for a new principal and its inevitable closure, Spencer said. She and Superintendent Karen Molinar informed parents from both schools about the decision Wednesday night.
About half of De Zavala’s roughly 250 students live within its attendance zone, Spencer said. Students who live north of Rosedale Street will attend Lily B. Clayton Elementary, while those south will be zoned to E.M. Daggett Elementary.
De Zavala parents expressed concern over the potential splitting up of a dual language program.
Mother Liz Conville specifically sought out De Zavala for the program that teaches English- and Spanish-speaking students together in both languages beginning in pre-K. She was elated when her son secured a spot this year, she said. Now, she just wants clarity from the district on how the decision impacts her pre-K student.
“I’ve alternated between disappointment and despair while navigating the start of my son’s educational journey,” Conville said. “The recent news of expedited closure — despite previous statements otherwise, continued community resistance and uncertainty from the TEA takeover — feels like the district is kicking us while we’re down.”
Moreno and her husband enrolled their second grader and kindergartener at De Zavala because of that program as well. Moreno’s husband wanted their boys immersed in Spanish so that they can connect with their heritage, she said.
Felix is already better at Spanish than both his parents, Moreno said.
“He can think of it in a way that neither of us can,” she said. “ He has a naturalness to it. That’s part of what makes De Zavala so special is their dual language program is so good.”
Lily B. Clayton’s dual language program is nowhere near the quality of De Zavala’s, while Daggett Elementary does not have such an option, Moreno said.
Over the next two weeks, FWISD leaders are exploring options that could keep dual language program students together at one location, Spencer said.
Melyssa Herrera, mother of a De Zavala kindergartener, said the district broke its trust with many parents.
“Our community deserved transparency, consistency and an honest partnership — not shifting explanations and a rushed timeline,” she said.
Moreno isn’t sure what’s next. She hopes De Zavala’s dual language program sticks together, but she’s preparing just in case it doesn’t.
She’ll search for a similar program, she said. But she knows other options for next year are likely full by this point.
Felix is asking her questions. He couldn’t sleep Wednesday night after his family came home from the community meeting, Moreno said.
“What’s gonna happen?” Felix asked his mom.
She responded with the truth.
“I don’t know.”
Jacob Sanchez is education editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at jacob.sanchez@fortworthreport.org or @_jacob_sanchez.
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