Texas House Democrats Condemn Fort Worth ISD Takeover as GOP Attack on Local Control

AUSTIN — Texas House Democrats criticized the state takeover of Fort Worth ISD, calling it a partisan attack on local school control.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) announced it will replace FWISD’s elected school board with a state-appointed board of managers, stripping voters of their decision-making power.

House Democratic Leader Rep. Gene Wu said, “Fort Worth families elected their board to represent children’s needs. Today, Abbott and TEA took that voice away.”

(Kelly Sikkema/Unsplash)

Wu added that Fort Worth ISD had cut failing schools from 31 to 11 in one year. He argued the takeover ignores the district’s progress.

“The Republican agenda prioritizes vouchers and private schools over funding neighborhood schools,” Wu said. “Democrats will fight to restore parent voices and fully fund our schools.”

The takeover reflects ongoing tensions between state-level Republicans and local school governance, highlighting debates over education policy and accountability in Texas.