The Fort Worth Independent School District Board of Trustees voted 8-0 with no discussion or comments, to approve a plan developed by district administrators to close 18 campuses, mostly elementary schools, over the next five years.
Parents from Briscoe and De Zavala elementary schools packed the board room Tuesday night, many took a back seat and allowed their children to speak about why their schools should stay home.
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WATCH HERE"I really enjoy my teachers not only are they hardworking and kind, but they helped me be a better student in the future," said a former Briscoe student.
“I’m hoping that the district reconsiders the list, and they don't vote yes right now,” Stephany Velez said.
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SIGN UP Velez’s two children attend De Zavala Elementary School.
“They won't be voting on each school. They'll be voting on the whole plan, which includes all of the schools. So, I just hope that they take a step back and they rethink some of the things.”
Velez said she chose De Zavala for its dual-language program, high rating and overall community environment.
“It's an A-rated school, and there's four elementary schools in the whole district that have that rating,” Velez said. “It’s the only one that's on the list that has A-rating … It's also a school that has a 95.7% attendance rate, so the students are there every day. There's no suspension rate as well.”
Velez said it should be communities over dollars as the board decides whether to close 14 of its campuses.
“I really hope that they've heard all of our arguments and the data that a lot of the parents at De Zavala have been speaking to during the board meetings,” Velez said.
The district originally planned to keep performance out of this decision, letting building condition and enrollment lead the way, they've kept true to that pledge.
But some parents from De Zavala point to the possible take over of Fort Worth ISD due to performance concerns as a reason to rethink closing this A-rated campus.
Closures already approved include West Handley Elementary, S.S. Dillow Elementary, Eastern Hills Elementary and McLean 6th Grade.
The following schools are under consideration for closure or consolidation under a five-year plan as the district faces a deficit of more than $17 million.
Would close in June 2026
- Nash Elementary
- Briscoe Elementary
- Kirkpatrick Elementary
- Riverside Applied Learning Center
Would close in June 2027
- De Zavala Elementary
- McDonald Elementary
- Pate Elementary
- Stevens Elementary
Would close in June 2028
- Beal Elementary
- Helbing Elementary
- Sunrise-McMillan Elementary
Would close in June 2029
- Hubbard Heights Elementary
- Kirkpatrick Middle School
- Morningside Middle School
Outside the Riverside Applied Learning Center on Tuesday afternoon, parents were smiling after attending a graduation ceremony. Still, some admitted it was bittersweet.
“Es más triste porque son muchos sueños, muchos sentimientos encontrados,” Maria Enriquez said in Spanish, that the ceremony was sad because it stirred many mixed emotions as the school’s future remains uncertain.
Enriquez said her daughter helped her submit concerns and opposition to the school closure online.
“Give the parents a chance to fight for it before the decision is made in the future because it hurts not having a true voice in it,” Taylor Blackwell said. Blackwell is a parent of a fourth-grader at Riverside ALC. “It seemed like the decision was already set before we even knew.”
Blackwell questioned whether the district would truly consider parent concerns ahead of Tuesday’s vote.
“It’s like something came through and now your home is no more,” Blackwell said. “At least take a look at the advantages of the programs.”
Many Riverside ALC students also spoke at the meeting, some grads even showed up to advocate for the campus.
After midnight, Wednesday morning, the board called the item for vote. Despite hours of speakers pleading for another look at the plan. Board members voted without any public discussion on the concerns community members brought up.
Trustee Wallace Bridges was absent from the meeting.
The district estimates the move will save more than 77 million dollars when it's complete, eliminating the need for costly building repairs, and empty seats as their enrollment shrinks.
Parents of some of the impacted schools, said the would contribute to the enrollment declines by pulling their kids from the district, rather to move to larger consolidated campuses.
