24 lowest-rated schools lose local control under new district rules

What happened

Fort Worth ISD's new 'Earned Autonomy' framework sorts every campus into one of three tiers based on state ratings. The 24 campuses rated D or F lose control over curriculum, staffing, schedules and budget to the district's regional offices. Only 8 campuses, each with three straight years of an A rating, keep the most local control.

Why it matters to families

For families at the 24 lowest-rated schools, the district's regional office, not the principal, now picks the curriculum, sets the master schedule, and approves vendors and purchases. It follows Fort Worth ISD having 11 F-rated and 28 D-rated campuses on the state's 2024-25 accountability ratings.

The evidence

The August 11, 2026 board presentation defines the 'Elevate' tier (24 campuses with an overall D or F rating, an F in Domain 1, and 70 or below in Domain 3) as district-directed, with no curriculum substitutions and a district-prescribed master schedule, versus the 'Exemplar' tier (8 campuses with three consecutive years of an overall and Domain 1 A rating), which keeps broad autonomy over program, schedule and budget.

The source