PROTECT STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
A community response to the proposed early closure of De Zavala Elementary
On February 18, families were notified that Fort Worth Independent School District had proposed the closure of De Zavala Elementary one year earlier than previously approved — just five days after the district’s school choice window closed on February 13.
Under the revised plan, students from Daggett Montessori would relocate to the De Zavala campus, leaving no space for current De Zavala students.
This decision affects more than one school. It impacts families, programs, staffing, enrollment planning, and student stability across our entire community.
We believe all students and families deserve:
Stability in their learning environment
Transparent planning and communication
Fair access to transfer options
Protection of strong academic programs
We are organizing to demand fair and commonsense treatment for students in our community.
What happened.
As taxpayers, we invested $2.7M for FWISD to hire an out-of-state consultant to analyze building conditions and create a consolidation recommendation for our district. According to FWISD, they only recently discovered Daggett Montessori needs $2.5M in repairs. Across this two-year process, the first draft of the plan was so flawed the school board sent it back for major revisions. How does this happen?
Simply put, this is the latest chapter in an embarrassing saga of district leadership.
Today, De Zavala Elementary students are being put at further risk.
De Zavala was originally slated to close after 2026–2027.
On 2/13 the district’s school choice and transfer selection process was closed.
On 2/18, the families of De Zavala Elementary were told the school would close a year earlier than planned.
De Zavala students and staff are being displaced with no meaningful opportunity to plan or participate in meaningful dialogue with the district about decisions that will change their lives.
This is not how a district should treat its families and staff.
What’s at stake.
De Zavala Elementary
PROTECT STUDENTS & STAFF
Displacement of students with little notice
Dedicated teachers and staff given only months to plan for their next steps
Loss of stability for families
Serious concerns about the future of the Dual Language program
Daggett Montessori
PROTECT EQUITY
K-8 students deserve a stable, well-supported facility
Relocation should uplift your community without destabilizing another
Daggett Elementary
PROTECT PROGRAMS
Dual language planning must ensure strong staffing, program integrity, and long-term sustainability
Campus capacity must equally equip access to a quality education for all students
Lily B. Clayton Elementary
PROTECT CLASS SIZE
Enrollment shifts must include transparent capacity planning
Class sizes, staffing levels, and campus culture must be protected