Fort Worth ISD is raising pay at several struggling campuses, offering teachers starting salaries of $100,000 as the district prepares for a state takeover following years of declining academic performance.<\/p>\n
Through the Accelerated Campus Excellence program, also known as ACE, Fort Worth ISD plans to attract experienced teachers and administrators to some of the district\u2019s lowest-performing schools, according to the Fort Worth Report.<\/p>\n
Starting salaries for teachers at ACE campuses will begin at $100,000. The salary increases also extend to campus leadership, with elementary principals earning $130,000 and middle school principals earning $145,000, according<\/a> to the Fort Worth Report.<\/p>\n The starting salary exceeds the median household income in Fort Worth, which was $82,503 in 2024, according<\/a> to City-Data.<\/p>\n When compared with statewide elected officials, the middle school principal salary is higher than the annual pay of the Texas commissioner of agriculture or the Texas railroad commissioner.<\/p>\n Karen Molinar assumed leadership of the district after Superintendent Kent Scribner resigned in 2024. Student performance has shown limited improvement during that period.<\/p>\n According to the Texas Education Agency, 41% of the district\u2019s third- and fourth-grade students met\u00a0grade-level standards, a modest increase from 33% in 2024.<\/p>\n Student enrollment has also continued to decline.<\/p>\n Enrollment for the 2025\u20132026 school year was 67,641 students, a significant decline from the peak of 87,432 students during the 2016\u20132017 school year.<\/p>\n Enrollment is projected to fall even further to 60,155 students by the 2030\u20132031 school year, according<\/a> to the Fort Worth Report.<\/p>\n Since Molinar took over in 2024, the district has lost nearly 3,000 students.<\/p>\n Despite the $100,000 starting pay for teachers, declining enrollment and academic performance concerns led Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath to intervene. In October, Morath announced that the state would take over Fort Worth ISD following years of academic underperformance, triggering state intervention, as previously reported by The Dallas Express<\/a>.<\/p>\n The announcement prompted nearly 300 applications<\/a> from stakeholders both inside and outside the district seeking appointment to the incoming board of managers.<\/p>\n