Fort Worth ISD board to discuss recommended school closures, hear public comment
After this week's discussion, the board is scheduled to vote on the plan at its meeting the following week on Tuesday, May 20.
'This proposal is about building a better future for our students,' Superintendent Karen Molinar said in a news release Monday. 'Our goal is to create learning environments that inspire success. By right-sizing and investing in our schools, we can ensure every student has access to the programs and resources they need to thrive.'
Fort Worth ISD officials said the plan was developed through an extensive review of facility conditions and enrollment trends, and input from the community meetings, stakeholder surveys and the district's Master Facilities Plan Community Task Force and Steering Committee. The district has said that the campuses being considered for closure are under-enrolled or need major repairs.
The following 14 proposed closures are part of the plan, pending approval by the board:
J.T. Stevens Elementary closing at end of 2026-27 school year; Students transfer to Westcreek Elementary and Bruce Shulkey Elementary
Charles Nash Elementary closing at end of 2025-26 school year; Students transfer to Oakhurst Elementary, Versia Williams Elementary and Rufino Mendoza Elementary
Harlean Beal Elementary closing at end of 2027-28 school year; Students transfer to David K. Sellars Elementary
H.V. Helbing Elementary closing at end of 2027-28 school year; Students transfer to Diamond Hill Elementary and M.H. Moore Elementary
Kirkpatrick Elementary closing at end of 2025-26 school year; Students transfer to Washington Heights Elementary and Dolores Huerta Elementary
Kirkpatrick Middle closing at end of 2028-29 school year; Students transfer to newly constructed J.P. Elder Middle
Edward J. Briscoe Elementary closing at end of 2025-26 school year; Students transfer to Carroll Peak Elementary, Morningside Elementary and Van Zandt-Guinn Elementary
Morningside Middle closing at end of 2028-29 school year; Students transfer to newly constructed William James Middle
De Zavala Elementary closing at end of 2026-27 school year; Students transfer to Lily B. Clayton Elementary and E.M. Daggett Elementary
Atwood McDonald Elementary closing at end of 2026-27 school year; Students transfer to Bill J. Elliott Elementary and East Handley Elementary
A.M. Pate Elementary closing at the end of 2026-27 school year; Students transfer to Christene C. Moss Elementary
Sunrise-McMillan Elementary closing at end of the 2027-28 school year; Students transfer to Maudrie M. Walton Elementary, Christene C. Moss Elementary and W.M Green Elementary (A.M. Pate could become a school of choice, and Sunrise-McMillan could become a family resource hub)
Riverside Applied Learning Center closing at end of 2025-26 school year. Students transfer to Bonnie Brae Elementary
Hubbard Heights Elementary closing at end of 2028-29 school year. Students transfer to Seminary Hills Park Elementary, Richard J. Wilson Elementary and Worth Heights Elementary
Additionally, the closures of S.S. Dillow Elementary and McLean 6th Grade Center and the construction of a new campus for Eastern Hills Elementary are included in the plan, with those changes already receiving board approval. The current Eastern Hills Elementary campus will close in June and its students will attend West Handley Elementary during the transition. West Handley will close in June 2028 and its students will be consolidate at the new Eastern Hills campus in the 2028-29 school year, the plan states.
District officials said the proposed plan would not require additional financing or a new bond program.
'This is a difficult process, but it is one rooted in equity, academic impact, and fiscal responsibility,' said Deputy Superintendent Kellie Spencer. 'We're proposing a phased approach that allows for stability, forward planning, and community partnership. Smarter spaces mean stronger schools.'
The May 13 special meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Fort Worth Independent School District Service Center, 7060 Camp Bowie Blvd. Video of the meeting will be live-streamed and archived on Fort Worth ISD's YouTube channel and on the FWISD Video on Demand site.
Residents who want to speak during public comment can sign up by calling 817-814-1920 by 4 p.m. on the day of the meeting or sign up at the meeting location until 5:20 p.m. If you want to make a public comment by written statement, you may email boardmeetings-publiccomment@fwisd.org by noon on the day of the meeting. Written statements will be shared with the board but won't be read aloud during the meeting. Public comment is limited to items on the agenda, per board policy.
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Other items on the agenda for the May 13 meeting are an update on plans for the school district's 2025-26 budget, including potential options for raising employee salaries, and an execution session to discuss the legal implications of a letter from the Texas Education Agency that informed Fort Worth ISD of a possible state takeover of the district because of failing test scores at a now-closed school.
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