The Fort Worth Independent School District’s board will appeal a decision by the state education commissioner to take over the district.
At a meeting Tuesday evening, the board voted 7-1 to ask the State Office of Administrative Hearings to review Commissioner Mike Morath’s plan to remove the elected board and replace it with a state-appointed board of managers. The review represents the last step in the appeal process available to the board.
Trustee Kevin Lynch voted against the appeal. Trustee Tobi Jackson joined the meeting via Zoom, but was unable to vote because of technology issues. All other board members voted to approve the proposal.
Morath announced last month that he plans to take over the district due to years of lackluster academic performance. In addition to replacing the elected board, Morath is conducting a nationwide search for the district’s next superintendent. Current Superintendent Karen Molinar is a candidate in that search.
The takeover follows five consecutive F ratings at the Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade Center. The school’s fifth F rating triggered a state law that requires the commissioner either to order the district to close that campus, or to take over the entire district.
Board members met with Morath for about an hour in Austin for an “informal review” — the first step in the appeals process — on Oct. 31. During that meeting, board members and district officials spoke with the commissioner about academic progress the district has made in recent months and efforts in the district to continue that progress. But a week later, Morath reaffirmed his decision to take over the district and announced the appointment of former New Mexico education secretary Christopher Ruszkowski as the district’s conservator.
TEA is accepting applications through its website from those interested in serving on the appointed board of managers. The deadline to apply is Friday, Nov. 21.