The closure of De Zavala Elementary, previously planned for summer 2027, will now take effect in fall 2026, the district said.

FORT WORTH, Texas — Families who attend De Zavala Elementary School will have to move to a new school sooner than expected, Fort Worth ISD announced. 

The boundary realignment, previously planned for summer 2027, will now take place in fall 2026, the district said in an announcement to parents. The realignment is part of a plan passed in May to close or consolidate 18 campuses.

Parents from De Zavala Elementary School, which is an A-rated school, strongly opposed the plan, WFAA previously reported. 

“If we don’t protect the few models of success we have, what message are we sending?” Stephanie Thomas, a De Zavala parent, told trustees at the time. “Will you stand up for what works or be remembered for dismantling it?”

Under the realignment plan, students who live north of Rosedale will be rezoned to Lily B. Clayton Elementary School, and those who live south of Rosedale will be rezoned to E.M. Daggett Elementary School, the district said. 

The district said the change was made early because the school’s principal applied and recently accepted the principal’s position at West Handley Elementary School. Plus, enrollment at De Zavala Elementary School continues to fall, the district said. 

“FWISD leaders are coordinating with Lily B. Clayton and E.M. Daggett Elementary staff to schedule campus tours of the receiving schools this spring,” the district said in a letter to parents. 

The school’s building will be repurposed to house the Daggett Montessori program after a recent geotechnical survey of the current Daggett Montessori campus identified ongoing soil movement beneath the building, causing foundation damage, the district said. 

“We recognize that this change affects your family, daily routines, and the school community you care deeply about,” Karen Molinar, superintendent, said in the letter to parents. “The decision was made thoughtfully and with great care, informed by safety data, guidance from foundation experts, facility conditions, enrollment trends, and long-term sustainability for students.”