Representatives from the Fort Worth school district met with Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath in Austin Thursday afternoon, a week after he announced the state would replace the board and appoint a conservator to oversee finances.
Representatives from the district, including board President Roxanne Martinez, were seen entering the meeting at the Texas Education Agency’s office around 4 p.m. After meeting for about an hour, the six district representatives were seen leaving the downtown state building.
“We, as a board, appreciate the opportunity to meet with the commissioner today to share about our progress that we’ve made in Fort Worth ISD and that he was open to listening,” Martinez said in brief remarks to reporters, before heading back to North Texas.
The board’s Vice President Tobi Jackson and District 6 Trustee Anne Darr were also among the district representatives in Austin for the meeting.
“We highlighted the great things that are happening in Fort Worth ISD,” Martinez said. “The progress that has been made, the measurable progress that’s been made, some of the initiatives that have been put in place, and that our board is focused and committed on students.”
Morath will also appoint a superintendent. Superintendent Karen Molinar, a longtime district employee who was hired for the leadership role in March after holding it on an interim basis, is among the candidates included in a nationwide superintendent search, Morath said.
Molinar was not seen by the Star-Telegram at Thursday’s meeting, which was closed to the public.
Thursday’s “informal review” offers the district an opportunity to “present any information or supporting documentation it desires for the commissioner to consider in his decision making related to the board of managers and conservator,” according to an Oct. 23 letter from Morath to the school district.
In a Tuesday statement, the school board said it appreciates the opportunity to meet with Morath and Texas Education Agency officials.
“We value the Commissioner’s time and remain committed to working collaboratively on behalf of Fort Worth ISD students and families,” the statement reads. “At this stage, our focus is on preparing for a productive discussion during the review. The Board has provided materials to support that process, and we will share additional information publicly as appropriate following the meeting.”
If the TEA moves forward with the takeover after the review, the district can appeal to the State Office of Administrative Hearings.
After Thursday’s meeting, Morath is expected to further evaluate the best path for the district and send a letter with his determination, according to a TEA spokesperson. The district would then have 15 days to submit a petition for review to the State Office of Administrative Hearings.
The school board was scheduled to have a special meeting on Wednesday this week, before the informal review meeting in Austin, but it was canceled. The board was slated to discuss the state takeover and Molinar’s evaluation and contract in a closed session before taking public action on both topics.
The special meeting has been rescheduled for Nov. 4. The school board said in a statement that it pushed back the meeting to comply with the Tarrant Appraisal District’s ballot process, which required the board to take action within its first two meetings after receiving its ballot for an appointment to TAD’s Board of Directors. The special meeting on Wednesday would have been the second meeting, but the agenda did not include a TAD resolution.
The state takeover comes after the Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade Center received five failing ratings on the state’s A-F ratings for schools. The latest failing grade dates back to 2023, but wasn’t released until this year because of a court battle related to the rating system.
When a school gets five failing ratings, Texas law requires the campus in question be closed or a state takeover of the entire district.
Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade Center has already shuttered, merging with Forest Oak Middle School. Still, Morath said other schools in the district have had years of consecutive failing ratings and moved forward with state intervention.
“We cannot have an entire generation of kids, four or five years in a row, going to a school that does not give them any kind of access to the American dream in terms of their level of academic preparation,” Morath said during an Oct. 23 news conference.
The district remains focused on educating students, Molinar said during an Oct. 23 news conference. She acknowledged that the district didn’t act fast enough to give struggling campuses extra support and noted recent steps the district has taken to turn schools around.