Six third-party organizations are interested in launching new school models at existing Fort Worth ISD campuses.
FWISD’s Call for Great Schools initiative is seeking nonprofits, universities, charter operators and local, state or federal agencies to offer plans for new schools to begin operating as soon as next school year. Any partnership selected would require approval from the district’s board of managers.
The request comes after Superintendent Peter Licata said in August that FWISD would not form any more partnerships with outside organizations to take over struggling schools in an effort to improve academic performance.
The district has received six initial indications of interest, spokesperson Evan Anderson wrote in an emailed response to the Fort Worth Report. Anderson did not identify the interested organizations. No organization has been chosen to run any school, and FWISD has not determined which schools could be considered for potential restructuring, Anderson said.
“The district has not set a target number of schools and has not selected any campus, neighborhood or community for redesign,” Anderson said. “Any recommendation will depend on the quality of the applications, the needs addressed and the district’s ability to reach an agreement that serves students, families and the community.”
At an Aug. 4 town hall meeting, Licata said that FWISD had no plans to expand the Leadership Academy Network — a joint program between FWISD and Texas Wesleyan University — and had no plans to create a new venture with any other external organization.
The Leadership Academy Network operates campuses through a partnership established under a state law that allows districts to transfer day-to-day school operations to outside organizations, which can provide a path to increased state funding and temporarily protect struggling campuses from state intervention based on consecutive failing ratings.
“The LAN schools were incorporated into the district to try and avoid the state takeover,” Licata said. “Now that we’re here, we’re not going to do that. We want our players on the field.”
Licata’s position has not changed, Chief of Staff Louis Kushner said, explaining that the superintendent’s previous comments referred specifically to partnerships in which outside organizations take over existing district schools because of poor academic performance.
“FWISD is not seeking those types of partnerships through this Call for Great Schools,” Kushner said.
Houston ISD, which is also under state-appointed leadership, approved similar partnerships earlier this year. Four of its highest-performing high schools began operating under agreements with nonprofit organizations for this school year, giving the schools greater flexibility over staffing, instruction, schedules and budgets.
Houston also approved partnerships with early childhood providers to expand pre-K access. Some parents welcomed the additional flexibility, while others raised concerns about transparency, oversight and access, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Instead, in Fort Worth, this year’s initiative focuses on adding or expanding educational programs in the district’s identified priority areas, Anderson said. Those include:
Middle-school innovation, including the development of new educational models, expanding programs to serve sixth through eighth grades or creating pathways connecting specialized schools.
Early learning expansion, including full-day pre-K for 3-year-olds, company-sponsored childcare partnerships and early learning centers.
College- and career-readiness efforts, such as growing Pathways in Technology Early College High School programs, early college opportunities and industry-aligned career training.
Flexible learning models, including a blend of in-person and online learning, virtual instruction or a schedule for the school day different from those used in most classrooms.
Eligible partnerships could also qualify for additional state funding through the partnership law, which provides incentives for districts entering certain agreements with outside school operators. The state would separately determine which partnerships would be eligible for funding.
Anderson described the Call for Great Schools as an established district process rather than a new project.
The district has used the process in the past to evaluate potential partnerships and educational models, Anderson said. The district also uses an internal process for district-managed campuses to submit proposals for specialized program development.
Any proposal would need to align with the district’s priorities, demonstrate benefits for students and families, and successfully complete the review process before receiving a recommendation from Licata and approval from the board, Anderson said.
What could change at FWISD schools?
Approved operators would be given more control of the operations of the school in exchange for increased accountability through a performance agreement. But they would remain FWISD schools, with the district monitoring performance and holding operators responsible for fulfilling their promises.
Flexibility could apply to areas of school operations such as instruction, personnel, scheduling, teacher training and finances, according to the district’s 29-page application.
Any agreement would define what the outside organization’s role is in relation to the district, as well as how the district will assess their performance.
The priorities that FWISD identified were based on demands from families or the need to fill a void in the district’s current offerings, Anderson said.
A school selected for redesign could choose to retain its current principal and staff, according to the application. But proposals can also suggest significant changes in staffing, classroom instruction and scheduling.
Questions about the potential expansion of outside-operated schools have surfaced at previous district meetings.
At an April 14 board meeting, Keith Annis, an FWISD parent and longtime PTA volunteer, questioned whether the district’s restructuring efforts could lead to more charter-operated schools.
“Is there any scenario in the turnaround plan that ends with Fort Worth ISD becoming a charter-run or privately managed district?” Annis asked.
Annis raised similar questions again at a subsequent meeting, asking what protections district leaders would establish to prevent further disruption to neighborhood schools.
The proposals could also involve different ways of deciding which students would attend.
Some partnership schools could continue serving students in an established attendance zone. Others could require families to apply, or use a combination of enrollment methods.
FWISD would consider access for neighborhood students and opportunities for families when reviewing proposals, Anderson said.
Community engagement would be critical to the proposal process for existing campuses, Anderson said. But he did not specify what opportunities families and educators would have to weigh in before an agreement is approved.
What’s next for FWISD’s proposed school partnerships?
Fort Worth ISD is considering outside partnerships that could begin in either the 2027-28 or 2028-29 school year. Here’s the timeline:
Sept. 22, 2026: FWISD launches its Call for Great Schools, inviting outside organizations to propose new school models or redesigns of existing campuses.
Oct. 9, 2026: Deadline for organizations interested in launching a partnership in the 2027-28 school year to notify FWISD of their intent to apply.
Oct. 30, 2026: Completed applications for 2027-28 partnerships are due. Organizations interested in launching in 2028-29 must also signal their intent to apply by this date.
November 2026: FWISD reviews applications and interviews prospective partners seeking to launch in 2027-28.
Dec. 15, 2026: Completed applications for partnerships launching in 2028-29 are due.
January 2027: FWISD reviews and interviews applicants seeking to launch in 2028-29.
By March 9, 2027: FWISD’s board of managers could vote on partnership agreements for the 2027-28 school year.
By May 11, 2027: The board could vote on agreements for the 2028-29 school year.
What law allows for the partnership?
Texas Wesleyan University runs six Fort Worth ISD schools through the Texas Partnerships program.
A 2017 law, Senate Bill 1882, established the program as a way to provide incentives for school districts to partner with charter schools, higher education institutions, nonprofits or government entities.
Partnerships can be used for either turnaround or innovation.
Fort Worth ISD has primarily used the partnerships law for turnaround.
The law provides additional state funding for campuses that fall under a partnership. Additionally, the schools are exempt from certain accountability interventions — a state-required turnaround plan, state-appointed board of managers and state-mandated closure — for two years.
Matthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org or @matthewsgroi1.
Disclosure: 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. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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