Lake Worth ISD posted gains in every high school-tested subject in 2026, a sign of academic movement in a district now under state control.
But improvement came with a caveat: Even after those gains, Lake Worth remained at or near the bottom of the 12 Fort Worth-area districts in most tested subjects.
Lake Worth’s results mirror a broader regional and statewide pattern: Students improved on high school end-of-course exams, especially in biology and algebra, but achievement gaps remain between Fort Worth-area students and students statewide, according to preliminary results.
Fort Worth Education Partnership, an education advocacy nonprofit, found that the state saw gains in every high school-tested subject, ranging from 2 to nearly 9 percentage points. The largest gains statewide came in biology and algebra.
Similar growth showed up locally. Schools located in the city of Fort Worth improved by 5 percentage points across all high school end-of-course exams, according to the organization’s analysis. Growth in Fort Worth was also driven largely by algebra and biology.
The Rev Partnership, which fosters collaboration among area districts, saw positive trends for Tarrant County students, said Elizabeth Brands, board chair and founder of the organization.
“Teachers and principals are achieving progress worth recognition and celebration for students across Tarrant County,” Brands said. “The achievements are shared broadly across multiple district partners. “Progress at this scale is good for our region and most importantly — it’s good for our students.”
Across the region, Aledo ISD remained the clear high performer. It led Fort Worth-area districts in all five tested subjects, with 73% of students taking algebra, 88% of students taking biology, 83% of students taking English I, 86% of English II test-takers and 87% of students taking U.S. history meeting grade level or better.
The results show the dual reality facing Lake Worth’s new state-appointed leaders. The district is improving but still trying to climb out of years of low academic performance that led the Texas Education Agency to replace its elected school board and install a new superintendent and board of managers this spring.
Students at Lake Worth High School, the district’s only campus serving 9th through 12th grades, posted an improvement of 18 percentage points in biology and a 10-point gain in Algebra I, along with gains of 10 points in English II, 6 points in U.S. history and 4 points in English I.
Superintendent Ena Meyers, who was appointed by the state this spring, said in May that any credit for recent gains belongs to the educators and leaders who were in place before she arrived.
“I was not here to help in that in any way,” Meyers said.
Meyers credited student growth to work done during the school year by Lake Worth ISD’s teachers, students and previous leadership team, which was led by former Superintendent Mark Ramirez.
In a statement, district spokesperson Noah Ceballos said Lake Worth ISD is proud of the work students, teachers, campus leaders and support staff put in for the improvements. He said the gains reflect a focused commitment to high-quality instruction and meeting students’ needs.
But Ceballos said the district also recognizes there is still important work ahead.
As Lake Worth prepares for the 2026-27 school year, Ceballos said district leaders are focused on strengthening instruction, increasing student achievement, supporting educators and ensuring students have access to rigorous and engaging learning.
The task now, Meyers said in May, is to build on that progress. She said the district still needs more students reaching grade level.
“We’ve got to keep going until we get every kid crossing that line and making sure every kid’s successful,” Meyers said.
Lake Worth’s strongest relative showing was algebra. The district’s 41% at grade level or better put it ahead of Fort Worth, Everman, White Settlement and Crowley. Its weakest area was English I, where 34% of tests reached grade level or better — the lowest mark among the 12 districts serving Fort Worth.
Lake Worth also ranked last among Fort Worth-area districts in biology and U.S. history. It was near the bottom in English II, ahead of only Everman.
While Lake Worth surpassed its 2019 performance in biology and English II, it remained below pre-pandemic levels in English I and U.S. history.
Other regional takeaways include:
Castleberry improved in all five tested subjects, including a 17-point gain in English I, a 15-point gain in Algebra I and a 9-point gain in biology.
Fort Worth improved in every subject, with double-digit gains in Algebra I and biology.
Lake Worth, Everman, Fort Worth and Mansfield posted growth that outpaced overall statewide gains, according to the Fort Worth Education Partnership.
Keller, Hurst-Euless-Bedford and Northwest remained among the region’s strongest performers. Each district had at least 68% of tests at grade level or better in English I, English II, biology and U.S. history.
English I remained one of the toughest subjects across the region, especially for Lake Worth, Everman and Fort Worth.
Algebra I also continued to lag in several districts. Crowley, White Settlement, Everman, Fort Worth and Lake Worth all had fewer than 42% of students reach grade level or better.
Fort Worth improved in every subject but continued to rank in the lower half of Fort Worth-area districts in each tested subject.
Disclosure: Lake Worth ISD manager Tom Harris is an executive vice president at Hillwood, a financial supporter of the Fort Worth Report. FWISD manager Pete Geren leads the Sid W. Richardson Foundation, a financial supporter of the Fort Worth Report. FWISD manager Laurie George is a member of the Report’s reader advisory council. The Morris Foundation is a financial supporter of the Report. News decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
Matthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org or @matthewsgroi1.
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