The Fort Worth ISD board of managers unanimously voted to reduce staff, shut down International Newcomer Academy, and speed up the closure of De Zavala Elementary at a board meeting Tuesday night.
These decisions are all connected to the state’s takeover of Fort Worth ISD, and the new leadership plans to overhaul district operations to increase campus ratings.
During a nearly eight-hour meeting, dozens of speakers took to the podium to try to save International Newcomer Academy. This is a specialized campus that focuses on teaching emerging bilingual students English as their second language. According to the Texas Education Agency, this campus is currently rated a ‘D’ and has been rated ‘F’ for the past three school years.
International Newcomer Academy will close in June 2026, along with De Zavala Elementary school, which was originally slated to close next summer. The board agenda cited this as a result of continued falling enrollment.
The board of managers also unanimously voted to cut roughly 32 roles districtwide. That includes emergent bilingual roles, speech therapy assistants, special ed roles, part-time physical and occupational therapists, and more.
Opponents in the audience said these are vital positions in the district.
“We are now firing teachers at 20-plus campuses, who have followed and are still forced to follow this man’s toxic, hostile leadership,” said Amanda Inay, who took the podium Tuesday night. Inay previously ran to be a member of the school board in 2025.
After public comments, Superintendent Dr. Pete Licata said he was disappointed with the reactions.
“Some things that were said were very offensive,” Dr. Licata said. “Some people are being very rude in the audience as we speak, and that’s on them. That’s not on me, that’s not on any of us, but we’re going to get through this because we’re working for kids.”