The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has officially appointed a nine-member board of managers and selected a new superintendent to lead the Fort Worth Independent School District (ISD), which has been under state oversight since October due to chronic academic underperformance. The district has struggled with multiple campuses where fewer than one third of students are performing on grade level and less than half demonstrate academic growth—conditions affecting roughly 20 schools.
Under Texas law, campuses rated academically unacceptable for five consecutive years trigger either a district takeover or campus closure. This legal framework has now guided the TEA’s decision to install a board of managers in Fort Worth ISD to oversee immediate improvements and long-term reforms.
In March, Dr. Karen Molinar, previously in consideration for superintendent, withdrew from the application process despite public support from both the district’s elected board and Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker. The TEA subsequently named Dr. Peter B. Licata as superintendent. Licata brings more than 30 years of educational experience, most recently leading Broward County Public Schools in Florida to its first “A” rating in over 14 years. His career spans teaching, coaching, district administration, and university-level instruction.
The newly formed board of managers comprises professionals with diverse expertise in education, law, business, and community engagement. Bobby Ahdieh, dean at Texas A&M University School of Law, brings extensive experience in higher education leadership. Rosa Maria Berdeja, chair-elect of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, contributes legal expertise and community leadership. Luis Galindo, an attorney with decades in business and real estate, also teaches business law at Texas Wesleyan University.
Parent and nonprofit advocates are also represented on the board. Tennessee Walker, a Fort Worth ISD parent and board chair for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Tarrant County, brings firsthand insight into the local education landscape. Laurie George, another parent, adds over a decade of public education experience and is pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of North Texas. Former congressman Pete Green and technology entrepreneur Frost Prioleau contribute nonprofit leadership and business acumen, while banking professional Courtney Lewis and consumer goods expert Jay Stegall round out the team with finance and operational experience.
The board will replace the current elected trustees for at least two years, with the possibility of extension depending on the district’s progress under TEA oversight. State law requires the board to operate under the same transparency and accountability standards as an elected board, including public meetings, hearings, and budget disclosures.
Working alongside Licata, the board of managers will implement TEA’s “exit criteria,” including eliminating multi-year academically unacceptable campuses, exceeding state and regional averages in Reading Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency, and meeting standards under the Lone Star Governance Continuous Improvement Framework. Once these benchmarks are achieved, governance will return to the elected board.
Fort Worth ISD’s state takeover is part of a broader trend in Texas, following similar interventions in Houston, Beaumont, Lake Worth, and Connally ISDs due to low academic performance. TEA’s recent actions highlight the state’s growing emphasis on accountability, rapid improvement, and ensuring students across Texas receive a high-quality education.
