The Fort Worth ISD Education Foundation, an independent nonprofit that raises private funds for the district, paid Dickies Arena $80,000 for the district to hold its 2026 full-staff convocation on Aug. 5, according to public records obtained by the Star-Telegram.
The Fort Worth ISD Education Foundation is operated separately from the district, but uses fundraisers to provide opportunities for the district’s students and teachers, according to its webpage.
The 2026 convocation came after former Superintendent Karen Molinar opted to not hold one last year, citing budget concerns as the reason why.
“In light of some of our challenges, we have made a conscious decision not to spend additional funds on a large-scale event,” Molinar said in a video last year to all district employees. “Instead, we are giving that time back to you to be in your classrooms, on your campuses, and in your offices.”
New state-appointed Superintendent Peter Licata told the Star-Telegram that a third-party donor made the convocation event possible this year.
Fort Worth ISD did not list the donors who contributed to the Education Foundation’s fundraiser that paid for the reservation of Dickies Arena.
More than 11,000 district employees were at Dickies Arena on Aug. 5 for the convocation event. Attendance for all teachers was mandatory. It was the first district-wide event since the Texas Education Agency took over Fort Worth ISD due to stagnant academic performance. TEA Commissioner Mike Morath named Licata the district’s superintendent and replaced the former elected school board with an appointed Board of Managers in March.
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Samuel O’Neal is the K-12 Education Reporter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, covering public schools and policy that impacts them. He previously worked as a staff writer at the Philadelphia Inquirer and is a graduate of Temple University.