District earns just 7% of the state's graduate-readiness bonus

What happened

Texas pays districts a bonus for each graduate who takes a clear next step after high school: enrolling in college, earning a career credential, or enlisting in the military. For the Class of 2023, only 19% of Fort Worth ISD's 4,648 graduates qualified, so the district earned $1.4 million of a possible $19.4 million. The district did not turn money down or miss a filing deadline — the other $18 million was never earned, because most graduates did not meet the readiness marks. The district estimates about $103 million has gone unearned this way over six years.

Why it matters to families

This is bonus money, not a cut to the current budget. But the gap measures something real: how many Fort Worth graduates leave school without college enrollment, a credential, or enlistment. Districts whose graduates take those steps collect this funding; helping more students qualify would bring in millions in new money.

The evidence

The October 28, 2025 superintendent's report explains the bonus rules — $5,000, $3,000, or $4,000 per qualifying graduate above set thresholds — and shows 4,648 total graduates, 19% qualifying, a $19,423,000 maximum possible for the Class of 2023, $1,433,000 accessed, $17,990,000 not accessed, and roughly $103 million not accessed over the first six years.

The source