FORT WORTH, Texas — Fort Worth's top school official has shut down speculation about underperforming schools closing down in the district.
On Tuesday, Superintendent Dr. Angelica Ramsey gave a district strategic plan presentation at the city council work session.
Dr. Ramsey shared with council members that the district is in the middle of laying out its 10-year facilities master plan. That includes projected operation costs, graduation rates, budget cuts, and future student enrollment.
Ramsey also squashed rumors about the district being close to shutting down schools due to low enrollments, at least for now.
"We are nowhere near those conversations, because we have in this master facilities plan which not going to be done until about December. So, until that time, the next step is, here are the recommendations from the plan and what next," said Dr. Ramsey.
During her presentation, Dr. Ramsey also talked about partnering with the city to help reduce the number of families relocating out of the district to find affordable housing.
Dr. Ramsey said conversations with parents moving out of the Fort Worth ISD school boundaries "housing affordability" came up time and time again.
"They're leaving our school district to go to another school district as they look for specials for an apartment and housing that is not as high when it is time for them to renew their lease," said Dr. Ramsey.
Dr. Ramsey added her goal is to help bring generational wealth to the City of Fort Worth.
Last week, Fort Worth ISD said it is facing a $43.6 million shortfall for the next school year. The district sent WFAA the following statement about the budget cuts and layoffs:
"Fort Worth ISD is confronting significant challenges including declining enrollment, an anticipated budget deficit, the depletion of ESSER funds, coupled with legislative inaction on public school financing, and fewer federal dollars. Consequently, difficult decisions must be made, including budgetary cuts.
Our primary goal is to prioritize student success by directing our funds where they are most needed: in the classroom. It's essential that our budget supports adequate classroom resources and teacher retention efforts. These decisions are made with careful consideration, understanding the impact they have on our students and staff alike.
The district will be presenting this item before the board for approval tomorrow, Feb. 13. Until the board takes action, we are unable to provide further details or answer any additional questions."