Fort Worth ISD Superintendent Dr. Peter Licata shows the impact of a marathon meeting nearing its fifth hour as one of nearly 200 residents signed up to speak voices his concerns pertaining to proposed changes within the district on April 28 2026.
Steve Hamm/The Dallas Morning News
The Fort Worth ISD board of managers unanimously voted early Wednesday to close a campus for immigrant and refugee students. They approved sweeping staff cuts, including roles in bilingual services and speech therapy, despite hours of emotional pleas from students, staff, parents and community members.
The meeting began Tuesday night and public comment stretched across roughly five hours. The proposals drew heated criticism from district employees, some of whom saw their positions on the chopping block. Families and local leaders fought against the closure of International Newcomer Academy, saying the school provided specialized — and life-changing — support for a vulnerable population.
Article continues below this ad
New Superintendent Peter Licata defended the plans, saying staffing has not adjusted to a decline in student enrollment.
Related: TEA announces new leadership for Fort Worth ISD
In the 2016-17 school year, Fort Worth ISD served about 87,000 students and employed 10,800 staff members. This school year, student enrollment dropped to roughly 67,000 students, with about 9,800 employees.
A crowd gathered for the Fort Worth ISD School Board meeting on Tuesday, on April 28 2026. Many stayed for hours as nearly 200 speakers signed up to voice their opinions on a number of proposed changes within the district. The meeting was held in their Board Room at 7060 Camp Bowie Boulevard in Fort Worth.
Steve Hamm/The Dallas Morning News
“Our district is currently built for about 85 to 90,000 students,” Licata said. “We are a bloated system. We do not have successful systems and models in place.”
Article continues below this ad
Make Dallas News a preferred source so your search results prioritize writing by actual people, not AI.
Add Preferred Source
Related: Staff cuts are coming to Fort Worth ISD. Here’s which schools and staff will be impacted
A board of managers, rather than elected trustees, shepherded the marathon meeting and approved the cuts. Last year, the state took over the district, after a campus received a failing rating for five consecutive years. Decisions, like this one, are setting the tone for how this newly-appointed board plans to overhaul Fort Worth schools.
The Board of Managers listen to a speaker during a public forum on proposed changed at Fort Worth ISD School Board’s regular meeting, which drew a capacity crowd to their Board Room at 7060 Camp Bowie Boulevard in Fort Worth, on April 28 2026.
Steve Hamm/The Dallas Morning News
The future of International Newcomer Academy
For decades, the specialized school has served asylum seekers, immigrants and refugees. During public comment, Larisa Turner, who has taught at the school for 17 years, said the school helps students succeed beyond academics. For newcomers, it’s a welcoming place to learn about American culture, she said.
Article continues below this ad
“The students came to the country for the same reason as I came,” Turner, an immigrant, said. “It is very hard. It is very hard to come to a new country with no support.”
The fate of the academy has been up in the air before. In 2021, the district considered splitting up the school’s students across several campuses, as part of a plan to decentralize administrative staff, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Elijah Rose (right) a student in Fort Worth ISD, heads up an aisle to an extended round of applause after delivering his prepared speech in an attempt to save his teacher’s position with the district as his mom, Laura Rose, receives a hug from a supporter. Ellijah, one of nearly 200 who signed up to speak, waited 4 1/2 hours from the start of the meeting to share his message during a marathon session.
Steve Hamm/The Dallas Morning News
Licata said the students would be better served if they were immersed among other students, not separated. He said the model “segregates students based on their language,” calling it “outdated” with limited positive results.
Article continues below this ad
The Texas Education Agency rated the campus a D, but opponents of the closure said the score doesn’t reflect these students’ progress. School ratings are partially informed by performance on STAAR exams. During public comment, Erica Ashinhurst said non-native English speakers, like those attending INA, cannot be fairly assessed on a standardized test.
Related: Texas will drop the STAAR test. Here’s what families need to know about what will replace it
“They came in not writing their names, some of them,” Ashinhurst said. “We see them writing paragraphs, half papers, whole papers, speaking in class, doing hands-on projects. That’s success, as far as I’m concerned.”
Cutting staff in bilingual, speech services in FWISD
Earlier this month, the board of managers unanimously approved staff reductions at 25 schools, moving forward with a plan to boost underachieving schools.
Article continues below this ad
Wednesday’s vote focused on staff reductions related to services, like bilingual support, speech-language pathologists and physical therapists. The move is meant to alleviate a “reliance on contracted providers” and increase full-time, school-based support, according to board documents.
“Do we want better for our kids? Or are we here to fight for adults and buildings?” Licata said.
During public comment, speech-language pathologists said eliminating their positions would mean vulnerable students would miss out on crucial support. As the district looks to improve literacy, Jessica Gutwein said SPLs, like her, play a “pivotal role” by preventing reading challenges through early intervention.
Sarah DeValdenebro receives applause after addressing her concerns about proposed changes within the district before a capacity crowd at the Fort Worth ISD School Board’s regular meeting which was held in their Board Room located at 7060 Camp Bowie Boulevard in Fort Worth, on April 28 2026.
Steve Hamm/The Dallas Morning News
“When those needs are addressed consistently and effectively, students are better able to engage with the curriculum and make academic progress,” she said. “Part-time SLPs, like myself, and SLP assistants, are a large part of how that support is being delivered.”
Article continues below this ad
In the past three years, district enrollment has declined, but emergent bilingual enrollment has continued to increase, according to Lizabeth Garza-García, director of secondary emergent bilinguals.
“Our students who are learning English are not disappearing,” she said. “They are arriving, many as newcomers, immigrants, refugees, often with interrupted education, significant resilience and a strong desire to belong and succeed.”
In the final hours, she urged the board not to cut the bilingual staff. Her pleas did not sway the outcome, nor did the pleas of the 100 who also signed up to speak.
A concerned citizen holds a sign as part of a capacity crowd gathered to express their concerns at the Fort Worth ISD School Board’s regularly scheduled meeting held in their Board Room located at 7060 Camp Bowie Boulevard in Fort Worth, on April 28 2026.
Steve Hamm/The Dallas Morning News
Before casting her vote, manager Rosa Maria Berdeja promised those who remained: “We are listening.” As an immigration attorney, she resonates with the stories of people who left their countries in search of better opportunities.
Article continues below this ad
“Targeted support for immigrant children is crucial, and so is ensuring that they have opportunities to integrate into the broader community,” she said. “They deserve the opportunity to flourish surrounded by their peers where they can build friendships, share experiences and thrive.”
By signing up, you agree to our Terms Of Use and acknowledge that your information will be used as described in our Privacy Policy.
In the end, she voted to close the school and cut staff.
The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas.
Article continues below this ad
The DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative, with support from Bobby and Lottye Lyle, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Garrett and Cecilia Boone, Judy and Jim Gibbs, The Meadows Foundation, The Murrell Foundation, Ron and Phyllis Steinhart, Solutions Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University, Sydney Smith Hicks, and the University of Texas at Dallas. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control of the Education Lab’s journalism.