When “Hard Choices” Ignore Smart Solutions: The Case for Keeping Fort Worth’s Top-Performing Schools Open
In Fort Worth ISD, school closures are being framed as “hard but necessary choices.” This narrative—while politically convenient—oversimplifies a much more complex reality. For families, educators, and community leaders advocating to keep our top-performing schools like De Zavala Elementary open, the stakes are not just emotional—they are deeply rational.
Let’s be clear: advocating for a high-performing, community-rooted, and academically successful school is not about sentimentality. It’s about protecting opportunity. It’s about ensuring that district decisions are grounded in a holistic understanding of success—one that includes academic achievement, community impact, student safety, equitable access, and the long-term growth of our city.
Yet too often, those calling for transparency, data, and community voice in this process are being labeled as “emotional.” This dismissive framing conveniently sidelines substantive concerns about equity and strategic vision. It minimizes the real, measurable outcomes our schools have achieved and the generational consequences of dismantling them.
A Better Way Forward
We believe Fort Worth ISD can—and must—do better. The district's approach to school closures should be driven not just by enrollment trends or building age, but by a comprehensive view of:
Student outcomes
The school’s role in community stability and safety
Access to high-quality instruction and programming
Demographic trends and future city development plans
The voices of students, families, and staff who are directly impacted — not merely those cherry picked for task forces
If the goal is truly to improve educational outcomes and use public funds wisely, then eliminating one of the district’s top-performing schools is not just counterproductive—it’s indefensible.
This Is What Advocacy Looks Like
What we’re doing is not emotional—it’s responsible. It’s informed. It’s future-focused. And it’s time for the district to recognize that.
Below, you’ll find recent news coverage highlighting our advocacy efforts, the achievements of De Zavala Elementary, and the broader implications of Fort Worth ISD’s decisions. These stories reflect the facts, the voices, and the values of our community.
📺 News Coverage
NBC | Fort Worth ISD would close A-rated school campus, when district is at risk of takeover
CBS | Fort Worth ISD reviews school closures as budget deficit prompts phased plan
We invite FWISD leadership to revisit these decisions with transparency, courage, and a commitment to educational excellence that includes—rather than excludes—the communities they serve. The future of Fort Worth deserves nothing less.