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The Fort Worth Independent School District Administration building at 7060 Camp Bowie Blvd on Wednesday, April 22, 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas.<\/p>\n
Abigail Dollins<\/p>\n
Fort Worth Star-Telegram<\/p>\n
Tarrant County Democrats voted to censure the state-appointed board of managers for the Fort Worth school district over the board\u2019s decision to close International Newcomer Academy<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Democrats\u2019 decision, which was made by the Tarrant County Democratic Party County Executive Committee on Wednesday, comes after the board voted in April<\/a> to close the district\u2019s only campus designated for immigrant and refugee students.<\/p>\n The censure singles out board president Pete Geren, board secretary Rosa Maria Berdeja and board member Luis A. Galindo.<\/p>\n \u201cI do recognize that they [the Tarrant County Democratic Party] have a responsibility to advocate for what they believe is best for our students, just as the board of managers has that responsibility as well,\u201d Berdeja said in an interview. \u201cIn this instance, with what we believe was best and what they believe is best is not the exact same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n Galindo said in a statement that he shared the concern voiced by the Tarrant County Democratic Party for immigrant students. He added that data indicated that immigrant students in mainstream Fort Worth ISD school were consistently outperforming students who attended the INA.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a tough decision. But it was a decision that put our immigrant children\u2019s interests first based on lessons learned by the district over the years,\u201d he said in the statement<\/a>. \u201cHad I voted otherwise, I would have failed the immigrant children I am duty-bound to serve.\u201d<\/p>\n No other board members immediately replied to the Star-Telegram\u2019s requests for comment.<\/p>\n \u201cTarrant County Democrats believe every child deserves access to a quality public education, including students who are new to this country and need specialized support,\u201d said Allison Campolo, Ph.D., the party\u2019s chair, in a statement. \u201cClosing International Newcomer Academy removes a trusted support system from students who deserve stability, belonging and focused instruction.\u201d<\/p>\n The Fort Worth school district is in the midst of a Texas Education Agency takeover<\/a>, meaning the state agency has appointed the board of managers and the district\u2019s superintendent with the intent to improve test scores. The board\u2019s unanimous vote to close the International Newcomer Academy pushed dozens of parents and residents to speak against the decision.<\/p>\n At the time, Superintendent Peter Licata said the board decided to close the academy because members do not believe the campus allows students to experience large campus amenities, like a robust choice of electives. The plan is to have the students assimilate into larger campuses so they have access to the same resources as other students. Berdeja added that there were significant differences in performance between INA and non-INA students.<\/p>\n \u201cThe non-INA students are performing significantly higher than the INA students, so what that tells me is that there is more that we can be doing for the students that were in the INA campus,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Editor\u2019s note: Pete Geren is the president and chief executive officer of the Sid W. Richardson Foundation, which is a funder of the Star-Telegram\u2019s Crossroads Lab. The Star-Telegram retains independence in all coverage decisions.<\/p>\n This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 3:18 PM.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Fort Worth Star-Telegram<\/p>\n