A car parked on Fifth Street in downtown Fort Worth gets a parking meter citation.
Star-Telegram
Two downtown Fort Worth free parking leases funded by the Tax Increment Finance District (TIF) are expiring by the end of December.
These leases provided free parking on weekends and evenings in downtown Fort Worth.
The TIF parking leases began in 1999 as a way to improve downtown garages and development of buildings and to provide a complimentary benefit to the public.
An alternative parking validation program is being discussed in efforts to reduce the cost of parking for performing arts patrons in downtown, according to a news release from Downton Fort Worth, Inc.
“Downtown theaters, restaurants, and retailers rely on patrons of the performing arts for a sizable percentage of their evening business,” said DFWI Chairman Henry Borbolla. “Any assistance to bring people downtown is important, and a validation program makes sense.”
Here’s what to know about parking in downtown Fort Worth.
Where are the TIF parking leases that are expiring?
The two expiring leases are located at 401 Calhoun St. and 601 Commerce St. in downtown Fort Worth.
When will the free weekend evening parking garages expire?
These garages free parking leases will expire on Dec. 31, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. Make sure you have your New Year’s Eve ride plans in order if you’re celebrating downtown.
How much is parking normally in downtown Fort Worth?
Parking downtown varies by location, depending on whether patrons park at meters, lots or garages.
Metersare generally pretty inexpensive, ranging from $0.50 to $2 an hour. They are free all day on weekends and after 6 p.m. on weekdays.
Garages along Houston and Commerce Streets range from $3 to $24, dependent on how long one is parked for.
The TIF parking lease at 401 Calhoun St. (City Center Garage #2) is between $5 and $20, depending on how long one is parked for.
The other TIF lease at 601 Commerce St. (777 Main Parking Garage) is between $5 with a maximum of $25, depending on how long one is parked for.
Are there still free parking options downtown?
There are still free parking options downtown. Many businesses offer parking validation, so always check—your parking may be discounted or even free.
There are 2,562 on-street parking metered spaces that will remain free on weekends and after 6 p.m. on weekdays.
If you shop at restaurants or retailers that are a part of Sundance Square, you get 2.5 hours of free parking with validation at garages located at 345 W. 3rd St. and 201 W. 6th St.
Many restaurants and hotels throughout downtown also provide valet services.
Ella Gonzales is a service journalism reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She is part of a team of local journalists who answer reader questions and write about life in North Texas. Ella mainly writes about local restaurants and where to find good deals around town.
Mexican Inn Cafe No. 2, built in 1949 in the gambling-and-honky-tonk heyday of the Jacksboro Highway but closed for five years, is for sale.
The location, 612 N. Henderson St. next to the “Wind Roundabout” sculpture, is the oldest remaining building for a company started in 1936 by gambler Tiffin Hall.
The No. 2 location is now at a major gateway to retail development on Westside Drive. It was completely remodeled in 2021, but never reopened after road construction and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chris Carroll, owner of nine Mexican Inn locations and also Spring Creek Barbeque, originally remodeled the restaurant to serve growing development on Panther Island and in near west Fort Worth.
The Mexican Inn No. 2 property on North Henderson Street, built in 1949, as seen as Nov. 15, 2025. Bud Kennedy bud@star-telegram.com
But new plans for the $1.7 billion Westside Village development just west have made the property more attractive.
“Things are hot over there,” Carroll said.
The first Mexican Inn was opened in 1936 by gambler Tiffin Hall at 115 E. Fifth St. It eventually expanded into the corner space location downtown at 516 Commerce St. and closed after a 1987 fire.
It is known nationally as the first restaurant on record to serve arroz con pollo Mexicano, a dish with pulled chicken and queso over rice, It also advertised chicken in mole sauce, unusual at a time when Tex-Mex restaurants were featuring enchilada and taco plates.
The first Mexican Inn Cafe location opened in 1936 at 516 Commerce St. It was followed in 1949 by Mexican Inn No. 2, 612 N. Henderson St. The No. 1 location was destroyed by fire in 1987. Jill Johnson Star-Telegram archives
Locally, it’s known for its Fritos-style chips.
The Mexican Inn Cafes are the fourth oldest Tex-Mex restaurant company in North Texas, trailing El Fenix (1918), The Original Mexican Eats Cafe (1930, although the restaurant claims 1926) and Joe T. Garcia’s Mexican Dishes (1935).
The Henderson Street location is decorated with the company’s signature azure blue tile work and trim.
It’s described in the “Handbook of Texas” as the beginning of “Thunder Road,” a 4-mile stretch of Jacksboro Highway known in the 1950s for gambling halls, seven flashy dance nightclubs, six liquor stores and a legacy of high-roller gaming, late-night carousing and organized crime.
The Mexican Inn No. 2 location was built in 1949 and upgraded with even more elaborate tile work, as seen Nov. 15, 2025. Bud Kennedy bud@star-telegram.com
Rock, country and blues musicians made the Mexican Inn a regular stop on the way to or from the Stockyards. Country singer Ernest Tubb (”Waltz Across Texas,” “Walking the Floor Over You”) had his tour bus detour to the restaurant every time the band was anyplace near North Texas.
Coincidentally, the building is not the Mexican Inn company’s oldest. The location at 1625 Eighth Ave. was built in 1948 for a different Tex-Mex restaurant.
Mexican Inn Cafes’ distinctive chips are like homemade Fritos. The restaurants opened in 1936, not long after Fritos originated in San Antonio in 1932. Bud Kennedy bud@star-telegram.com
Bud Kennedy is celebrating his 40th year writing about restaurants in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He has written the “Eats Beat” dining column in print since 1985 and online since 1992 — that’s more than 3,000 columns about Texas cafes, barbecue, burgers and where to eat. Support my work with a digital subscription
The 43-day government shutdown is officially over, but several large airports will continue to reduce flights by six percent.
On Nov. 7, the FAA ordered flights to be reduced by 10 percent. Then on Nov. 12, Congress met and voted on a Senate-passed funding package to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
However, just because the government reopened does not necessarily guarantee immediate travel relief. And airline experts predict reduced flights will affect Thanksgiving travel plans.
“Such strong staffing levels suggest a further ramp up in-flight reductions are not necessary to keep the traveling public safe,” Duffy said in a statement.
Air traffic controllers will receive back pay, according to the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019. However, based on the last shutdown, back pay can take up to two-and-a-half months to receive.
“Since the beginning of the shutdown, controllers have been working without pay, and staffing triggers at air traffic facilities across the country have been increasing,” the National Air Traffic Controllers Association wrote in an email to the Star-Telegram this week. “This has resulted in increased reports of strain on the system from both pilots and air traffic controllers.”
What will DFW Airport and Dallas Love Field be like during Thanksgiving week?
“You can’t just flip a switch and reboot our national aviation infrastructure,” Funk told USA TODAY. “We have aircraft that are out of place, crews that are out of place, pilots that are out of place … When you try to restart the system like that, it’s not going to get better quickly. I would expect really bumpy operations and pretty brutal travel experiences, at least throughout the week.”
Earlier this year, the Star-Telegram spoke to travel advisor Denise DelVecchio about holiday travel tips. Keep in mind that plane tickets the day before, of and after holidays will always be more expensive and busy. Always arrive early to the airport (two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight).
If your flight gets canceled due to lingering effects of the shutdown, try and re-book as soon as possible, either in-person at the airport or through the airline’s app. Some airlines may waive change fees.
Why has there been a lack of air traffic controllers since the shutdown?
Since the government reopening doesn’t mean an immediate paycheck– or immediate backpay– it is uncertain whether air traffic controllers will all bounce back right away.
NATCA told CNN some controllers have already taken second jobs, and those side hustles could continue until they get their missed paychecks.
Duffy also told CNN that there has been a spike in air traffic controller retirement since the shutdown began. Before Oct. 1, an average of four controllers would retire per day. Now, there’s 20 to 25 controllers retiring per day.
Duffy and the FAA will have to figure out how many controllers retired or resigned due to the shutdown and assess the damage from there. This means that once the government reopens, it will take some time to assess the damage done to the controller space because of the shutdown.
Ella Gonzales is a service journalism reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She is part of a team of local journalists who answer reader questions and write about life in North Texas. Ella mainly writes about local restaurants and where to find good deals around town.
The Fort Worth Independent School District Administration building located at 7060 Camp Bowie Blvd. in Fort Worth.
Chris Torres
ctorres@star-telegram.com
Parents and community members in the Fort Worth Independent School District voiced skepticisms and concerns about the pending takeover of the district to a state education official during a community meeting Thursday night.
The Texas Education Agency hosted its third meeting in recent weeks to provide information and answer questions regarding state intervention in Fort Worth ISD, which was triggered by five consecutive years of poor academic performance at a now-closed campus.
More than 20 speakers grilled Steve Lecholop, TEA’s deputy commissioner of governance, with questions and critiques about how Fort Worth ISD’s takeover would compare to the state’s takeover of Houston ISD, in addition to decision-making processes, curriculum choices and teacher autonomy. The informal meeting at Fort Worth ISD’s administration building was well attended with a packed audience in the school board’s meeting room.
Edriana Cofer, an English I teacher at Dunbar High School, told Lecholop that she currently has no autonomy in how she’s able to teach lessons to students through the current district curriculum. She asked if that framework will continue under the takeover. She also noted how her curriculum doesn’t include studies of books, just excerpts from them.
Other speakers, including the district’s 2022-23 Teacher of the Year Ale Checka, also spoke on the practice of teachers being discouraged from using full book texts in their classes.
“Will the curriculum be made by district personnel? Will it be curriculum put together by TEA?” Cofer asked. “My biggest fear is increased lack of autonomy because I don’t have that.”
Lecholop’s response to Cofer, in addition to most speakers, was reiterating how the appointed superintendent and board of managers would be in charge of making decisions for the district regarding curriculum and other matters.
Some speakers referenced news coverage by Texas Monthly and the Houston Chronicle reporting that students were being pushed into less rigorous math and science classes in Houston ISD, thus inflating STAAR test scores, since its state takeover.
“I know that you have not been open to, maybe, us explaining our skepticism with the numbers, but if you work in public education… that kind of data can be so easily manipulated,” Checka said. “And somebody like me who consistently puts in not just a 90% passing rate, but 100% passing rate in a different venue, I could tell you how another campus can do that by just changing which students take which classes without a single child ever being a stronger reader and writer.”
Lecholop outlined statistics of Houston ISD’s academic growth throughout the meeting. There were 55 F-rated campuses in the district in 2023 at the beginning of state intervention. This year, there are no F-rated campuses in the district.
“For the first time in generations in Houston ISD, kids are learning. Poor kids are learning,” Lecholop said. “If you look at other assessments given by Houston ISD, the same data is reflected. NWEA math is a really good example of this.”
Jeremiah Taylor, a student at Young Men’s Leadership Academy, was one of only two speakers who spoke with optimistic about the takeover, noting how change is needed in Fort Worth ISD while referencing the academic improvement seen in Houston ISD. The other speaker thanked Lecholop for answering questions from the community.
Taylor, who also attended last week’s TEA community meeting, said he didn’t appreciate how others were “coming at” Lecholop with their comments while he’s doing his job.
“The definition of insanity is doing something over and over and expecting something different. And five years and still failing is the best description for that word. So I hope the new board of managers can stay in their lane and help our kids succeed,” Taylor said.
Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath notified Fort Worth ISD in October of his decision to take over the district by replacing the elected school board with a state-appointed board of managers and conducting a nationwide search for a potential new superintendent. Current Superintendent Karen Molinar will be considered as a candidate. District officials have eight days left to appeal Morath’s decision; the school board will be discussing responses to the takeover during its next regular meeting on Tuesday.
Morath has already appointed a state conservator to oversee the takeover transition and monitor turnaround plans for low performing schools. The conservator, Christopher Ruszkowski, began the job immediately after his appointment one week ago.
Graham Brizendine, a Fort Worth ISD parent and graduate, asked Lecholop if TEA would commit to a requirement that appointees to the board of managers must live in the boundaries of Fort Worth ISD. Lecholop said state law doesn’t require those appointees to live in the district.
“We want to appoint a board that represents the Fort Worth community… the benefit of not being bound by the boundaries of the district is that if a great applicant applies, who happens to live on the wrong side of the street, they are not excluded from service on this board,” Lecholop said.
The state takeover was prompted by the Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade campus receiving five failed accountability grades in a row from TEA. When this happens, state law requires the state education commissioner to either close the campus or replace the school board with an appointed board of managers. Fort Worth ISD closed the campus after the 2022-23 school year
Lecholop encouraged attendees to continue engaging with current district leaders as processes move forward. He said it would be likely for the current school board to stay in place for the foreseeable future if it chooses to appeal the takeover decision, which would start a 90-120 day process, he said.
“The appointment of the board of managers isn’t imminent. It has to wait until the legal process concludes. So over the next few months, what’s likely to happen is that the same board members will continue to govern the school district,” he said. “I would encourage everyone in this audience tonight, and anyone listening online, to show up at board meetings, raise your voice, make your voice heard in an appropriate manner. This will continue to happen once the board of managers is appointed.”
Lina Ruiz covers early childhood education in Tarrant County and North Texas for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. A University of Florida graduate, she previously wrote about local government in South Florida for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers.
Keith Lee, an online food critic with over 17.3 million followers on TikTok, visited a restaurant in west Fort Worth as part of an American Express small business initiative.
Lee, whose viral TikTok videos of him sampling food and bringing attention to small businesses, came to Drew’s Place Restaurant in the Como neighborhood on Monday, Nov. 3.
Drew’s Place, located at 5701 Curzon Ave,. is owned and operated by Drew and Stephanie Thomas and their daughter, Krystal. They were recently chosen as one of 50 U.S. historic small restaurants that will receive $50,000 from American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The grants are given as part of the organization’s Backing Historic Small Restaurants program, which invests in small, independent restaurants that serve as cultural and culinary landmarks across the U.S.
Yesterday, Lee released a new TikTok video where he is partnering with American Express to support small businesses for Small Business Saturday on Nov. 29. In partnership with Main Street America, the Amex Shop Small Grant Program is a partnership with Main Street America to provide $20,000 grant to support small businesses across the country.
@keith_lee125 Supporting small businesses made me who I am today. This year, I’m tapping in #withAmex to back small businesses for #SmallBusinessSaturday — starting with Drew’s Place, a 2025 Backing Historic Small Restaurants grantee that’s been serving up good food and community for decades. They’re proof of how a little support can make a big difference. @American Express ♬ original sound – Keith Lee
“He’s kind of like his videos that we see, the same person, very genuine, very focused on giving back to some of the places that may get overlooked like the smaller businesses.,” said Krystal Thomas.
Lee didn’t try out their food like he usually does in his videos, but was there to shine a light on the restaurant and its recent award.
The family plans to use the money it won from the grant for new exterior paint, an expanded outdoor patio seating area, a mural on the wall facing their parking lot, a covered area for their walk-up customers, new lighting and a remodeled sign.
Stephanie Thomas was thankful for Lee’s visit, as small businesses like theirs depend on their customers and have little marketing, so opportunities like this are worthwhile.
“You typically won’t see us on TV ads, radio, if we’re lucky, and newspaper print, billboards, and a lot of times those are struggles for us,” Stephanie Thomas said. “ We understand the importance of advertising, so anytime you get a Keith Lee and American Express that can bring awareness to your small business, it’s amazing.“
Kamal Morgan covers racial equity issues for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He came to Texas from the Pensacola News Journal in Florida. Send tips to his email or Twitter.
Keith Lee, an online food critic with over 17.3 million followers on TikTok, visited a restaurant in west Fort Worth as part of an American Express small business initiative.
Lee, whose viral TikTok videos of him sampling food and bringing attention to small businesses, came to Drew’s Place Restaurant in the Como neighborhood on Monday, Nov. 3.
Drew’s Place, located at 5701 Curzon Ave., is owned and operated by Drew and Stephanie Thomas and their daughter, Krystal. It was recently chosen as one of 50 U.S. historic small restaurants that will receive $50,000 from American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The grants are given as part of the organization’s Backing Historic Small Restaurants program, which invests in small, independent restaurants that serve as cultural and culinary landmarks across the U.S.
Yesterday, Lee released a new TikTok video where he is partnering with American Express to support small businesses for Small Business Saturday on Nov. 29. In partnership with Main Street America, the Amex Shop Small Grant Program is a partnership with Main Street America to provide $20,000 grant to support small businesses across the country.
@keith_lee125 Supporting small businesses made me who I am today. This year, I’m tapping in #withAmex to back small businesses for #SmallBusinessSaturday — starting with Drew’s Place, a 2025 Backing Historic Small Restaurants grantee that’s been serving up good food and community for decades. They’re proof of how a little support can make a big difference. @American Express ♬ original sound – Keith Lee
“He’s kind of like his videos that we see, the same person, very genuine, very focused on giving back to some of the places that may get overlooked like the smaller businesses.,” said Krystal Thomas.
Lee didn’t try out their food like he usually does in his videos, but was there to shine a light on the restaurant and its recent award.
The family plans to use the money it won from the grant for new exterior paint, an expanded outdoor patio seating area, a mural on the wall facing their parking lot, a covered area for their walk-up customers, new lighting and a remodeled sign.
Stephanie Thomas was thankful for Lee’s visit, as small businesses like theirs depend on their customers and have little marketing, so opportunities like this are worthwhile.
“You typically won’t see us on TV ads, radio, if we’re lucky, and newspaper print, billboards, and a lot of times those are struggles for us,” Stephanie Thomas said. “ We understand the importance of advertising, so anytime you get a Keith Lee and American Express that can bring awareness to your small business, it’s amazing.“
This story was originally published November 13, 2025 at 6:34 PM.
Kamal Morgan covers racial equity issues for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He came to Texas from the Pensacola News Journal in Florida. Send tips to his email or Twitter.
One person was killed on a Fort Worth highway early Saturday after their vehicle was rear-ended, police say.
Courtesy: Fort Worth police
One person was killed on Interstate 30 in east Fort Worth early Saturday after their vehicle was rear-ended, police said.
Officers responded to the major accident in the eastbound lanes of I-30 near Eastchase Parkway shortly before 1 a.m. The driver of the car that was hit died at the scene, according to police.
The Traffic Investigation Unit is looking into the crash. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner will publicly identify the person who died. More information about the accident wasn’t immediately available.
Tarrant County College is looking for buyers for the abandoned TXU power plant property along the Trinity River near downtown Fort Worth, on what will be the future Panther Island development.
TCC bought the plant in 2004 with the idea of a 35-acre campus downtown, and eventually amassed about 47 acres on both sides of the river. But the 2008 financial crisis and other factors put a hold on any plans, and the college instead spent $238 million to buy RadioShack’s corporate campus.
The college said now is the time to gauge interest in the property. The dilapidated plant sits on two parcels totalling about 8 acres adjacent to the North Main Street bridge. The location will be a prime spot when the $1 billion-plus Panther Island development comes to fruition years from now.
“Proceeds from the sale can be reinvested in TCC’s core educational priorities — upgrading teaching and learning equipment, to better serve our students, our future workforce for the region,” TCC Chancellor Elva LeBlanc said in a statement.
The Panther Island project — technically a flood mitigation initiative reliant on federal funding — involves digging another channel for the Trinity River. The plan is to develop the newly formed island into a residential and commercial riverfront district that connects downtown, the Stockyards and West 7th Street corridor.
In 2022, a Fort Worth Star-Telegram analysis of property records showed that TCC owned a total of 21.6 acres of the Panther Island area, valued around $9.4 million.
Some development work has already begun. In 2023, Fort Worth-based Tillar Partners began exploring potential for $120 million mixed-use project on nearly 12 acres of the west side of the island. In 2024, the abanonded LaGrave Field baseball stadium was demolished. Encore Panther Island Apartments, at the foot of the North Main Street Bridge, opened about four years ago with 300 units.
In all, the public-private Panther Island project will open up more than 5 miles of shoreline and several hundred acres for development. As originally conceived, Panther Island’s development would be focused on dense residential buildings with some commercial. Consultants HR&A Advisors recommended in 2023 a district with both residential and a vibrant entertainment hub, outdoor recreation and the potential to attract companies and talent to the city.
Matt Oliver, a spokesman for the Tarrant Regional Water District, said construction on a stormwater canal system is expected to begin in 2026.
“ ”I think there’s a lot of exciting momentum around Panther Island right now,” he said.
An aerial view of the north edge of downtown Fort Worth in May 1939, showing the North Main Street bridge and the former Fort Worth Power & Light plant along the river. Ritchey Flying Service Fort Worth Star Telegram Collection/UT Arlington Libraries’ Special Collections
The TXU plant was built in 1912 for the Fort Worth Power & Light company by the Cleveland Construction Co. of Ohio. The steam-driven plant, with 265-foot smokestacks, used water from the river to generate electricity for homes, downtown buildings and the Stockyards meatpacking plants.
The Fort Worth Record and Register newspaper reported in 1912 that the structure under construction would be “one of the greatest industrial plants” in the Southwest with a promise of attracting new industry to the city — not to mention putting an end to “petty inconveniences” suffered by residents of household lights often “flickering and at times going entirely out.”
The old TXU power plant along the North Main Street bridge on Aug. 26, 2005. The smokestacks have since been demolished. RODGER MALLISON FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
In 2014, TCC trustees issued a request for qualifications from developers and other real estate professionals for help with the building, but nothing came of those. Over the years, the roof disintegrated and many of the windows are broken.
Historic Fort Worth Inc. has sought to have the property designated a historic landmark since 2005. The group has previously listed the TXU plant on its annual most endangered list.
In a letter to the Fort Worth mayor and city council on Oct. 21, the organization once again made the plea.
“We urge you to nominate the power plant as a City of Fort Worth historic and cultural landmark and to work towards a nomination for the National Register of Historic Places,” Alyssa Banta, chairman, and Jerre Tracy, executive director, wrote in the letter. “Historic designation would help to offset the restoration expenses for the power plant, as it adds economic incentives for the restoration of this iconic resource.”
LeBlanc, the TCC chancellor, also referenced the opportunity to preserve the building with a historic designation, which would bring in state and federal grants, tax credits, and other infrastructure funding.
“Selling now enables private investment to help realize Panther Island’s vision—a vibrant, mixed-use waterfront district with walkable streets, green spaces, and robust transit,” LeBlanc said.
TCC said it will accept bid submissions through Nov. 20.
Some Tarrant County College faculty members were ordered to repay a portion of their salaries. Administrators say they were paid for classes not taught.
Rodger Mallison
rmallison@star-telegram.com
Dozens of Tarrant County College faculty members have been ordered to pay back portions of their salaries, with college administrators saying the teachers did not meet their contractual obligations.
According to a statement from Chancellor Elva LeBlanc, contracts for 65 full-time faculty members “were adjusted to address concerns raised by faculty members about clear documentation of contract dates.”
LeBlanc said the affected faculty members taught fewer classes than required by their contracts, and thus must reimburse the college.
“The salary repayment is limited to those faculty members who were paid for hours not performed under their contract,” wrote LeBlanc.
A TCC spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request asking faculty members must repay money paid under this year’s contract or a previous year’s.
LeBlanc said only a small percentage of TCC’s full-time and adjunct faculty were affected. She added that they “will be given fair and flexible repayment options.” The college’s spokesperson has not clarified what the repayment terms will be.
“As a public institution, TCC is legally obligated to recover those overpayments to comply with board policy and state law,” LeBlanc said in her statement.
A TCC professor declined to comment when contacted by the Star-Telegram.
According to TCC’s Board Policy Manual, full-time faculty members are required to work a minimum of 35 hours per week, which includes instruction time, preparation time and time spent meeting with students.
Those on nine-month contracts must devote 480 hours to instruction — which can include things like lab work, clinical work and internships in addition to lecture time — over the course of the contract. Full-time faculty members on 12-month contracts commit to another 192 hours during TCC’s two summer sessions.
Matt Adams is a news reporter covering Fort Worth, Tarrant County and surrounding areas. He previously wrote about aviation and travel and enjoys a good weekend road trip. Matt joined the Star-Telegram in January 2025. Support my work with a digital subscription
The sanctuary entrance at St. Stephen Presbyterian Church in Fort Worth. The abrupt closure of the church’s day school, announced Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, has left parents and former teachers searching for answers.
Star-Telegram file photo
In less than a week, the St. Stephen Presbyterian Day School went from being a decades-old and beloved institution to being no more, and parents say church leaders have been largely silent about what precipitated the closure and what happens next.
It all began on Oct. 29 when school director Lauren Ferguson was dismissed from her role. According to a St. Stephen teacher and multiple parents whose children attended the school, Ferguson’s firing seemingly came out of nowhere. Later that day, church administrators informed parents that Marcie Ellen Duplantis, St. Stephen’s director of Christian formation, would take over as director.
In the days that followed, at least seven of the nine St. Stephen teachers resigned, along with at least two board members, sources told the Star-Telegram. Former teacher Sonia Behrens, who taught at St. Stephen for 23 years, said she resigned in solidarity with Ferguson. That backlash seems to have caught school and church leaders off guard.
“They didn’t anticipate the tectonic shift,” said Connor Brankin, who had two children enrolled at St. Stephen.
Parents said they were told the dismissal was not the result of criminal wrongdoing or abuse allegations.
Neither Ferguson nor Duplantis have responded to requests for comment. The Star-Telegram also left a message for St. Stephen head pastor Elizabeth Callender.
The St. Stephen Presbyterian Day School, at 2700 McPherson Ave. in Fort Worth, had classes for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. The school operated on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., but documents obtained by the Star-Telegram show there were plans to expand the program to five days a week in the coming years. There were approximately 50 students enrolled in the school.
Ferguson had served as director since 2019, according to her bio on the school’s website, which has since been removed.
St. Stephen parents speak out
Jessica Rhodes, a parent, said communication from the church over the past several days has been lacking, adding that several parents never received emails church leaders sent regarding the school’s leadership change and subsequent closure.
Church administrators scheduled a meeting for Sunday, Nov. 2, to address questions, but that meeting was canceled less than two hours before it was set to begin. In the email announcing the cancellation, families were told the school was ceasing operations.
“We apologize for the short notice and appreciate your understanding that classes cannot be held without teachers,” the email read.
Despite the meeting being called off, several families still went to St. Stephen on Sunday evening in search of answers. Rhodes said Callender and Duplantis were not available, but parents met with Bill Curtis, one of the church elders.
Rhodes believes church leaders haven’t done enough to show empathy for the children and families impacted by their decisions.
“Nobody will take responsibility,” she said.
Another parent, Kacey Blaisdell, said Callender was in the church during the informal parent gathering on Sunday, but that she wouldn’t come out and speak. Blaisdell and others also said Callender hasn’t responded to their emails.
“Where is the minister? Where is she?” Blaisdell asked rhetorically. “It is beyond disgusting and cowardly not to show up at that meeting.”
While the school and the church largely operated independently, parents told the Star-Telegram Callender had oversight over the school’s operations.
Brankin said when unpopular decisions are made, leaders are the ones who should be accountable. He said he understands that the church can’t comment on personnel matters, but he would like to hear someone say sorry for the disruption to kids and families that Ferguson’s dismissal caused.
When he didn’t receive a response to his emails, Brankin said he went to the church offices and spoke with Curtis and Callender. He described that meeting as somewhat cold and said it did little to lessen his disappointment over how things were handled.
Leslie Ramirez, a parent who has had children at St. Stephen for the past seven years, praised the school and Ferguson’s leadership, saying her children, especially her youngest daughter, thrived at St. Stephen.
Because of the positive experience they had, Ramirez said she was happy to pay the $285-a-month tuition despite there being free pre-kindergarten alternatives in Fort Worth.
Ferguson had already told administrators she planned to leave the school in May 2026, according to documents obtained by the Star-Telegram. Ramirez wondered why the church wouldn’t allow Ferguson to work out her term while they searched for a new director instead of springing the change on everyone so suddenly.
The parents who spoke with the Star-Telegram made it clear they don’t blame the teachers for resigning. All placed the blame rests solely on the administrators who made the decision to dismiss Ferguson without understanding how it would affect school staff.
“The ones who were hurt by this were our children,” Ramirez said.
In addition to disrupting the students’ routines, parents said the school closure forced them to scramble to make child care arrangements. On the Monday after the closure was announced, Rhodes had her child with her while she was working, as did others. Brankin said parents were having to make time to tour schools and paying unexpected application fees to get their children into new programs.
This week, St. Stephen notified families that they would receive refunds, though it was unclear how much they would get and if the refunds would include things like the $285 supply fee.
Matt Adams is a news reporter covering Fort Worth, Tarrant County and surrounding areas. He previously wrote about aviation and travel and enjoys a good weekend road trip. Matt joined the Star-Telegram in January 2025. Support my work with a digital subscription
State Rep. Nicole Collier, hosted a town hall meeting Wednesday night for teachers and members of the community to hear from Steve Lecholop, deputy commissioner for governance at the Texas Education Agency, about the state’s takeover of the Fort Worth ISD.
Those attending the town at the Fort Worth Teaching and Learning Center didn’t always like what they heard.
TEA Commissioner Mike Morath announced on Oct. 23 the state’s plans to take over the FWISD after the Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade Center received its fifth failing grade in a row.
Collier, who represents District 95, is opposed to the takeover, saying in a statement on Instagram shortly after the announcement that she is skeptical of the TEA’s history of top-down control.
“The state’s takeover structure does not afford sufficient public input and without consideration of outside factors that contribute to a student’s success,” Collier said in the press release. “The purported turnaround will come at a cost, not just to the public’s trust, but also to the future success of this community.”
Lecholop was joined by Hunter Thompson, TEA’s executive director of government relations, who helped answer questions about legislation.
Collier told the audience the purpose of the town hall was to help them clarify their thoughts and to assist her office in developing ideas, as well as gather feedback from the community.
The questions were only permitted through writing, which Collier read to the TEA representatives.
The group of at least 100 attendees more often than not expressed their lack of trust in the answers that Lecholop gave.
He said that the TEA aims to be as transparent as possible about the takeover and is recruiting board managers to replace the current board of trustees.
Many of the questions centered on accountability and the metrics for success, including how they will be held accountable and what they can and cannot do.
Lecholop said that the board of managers will be held to the same standards outlined in the Open Meetings Act, which includes new legislation that requires school board meetings to be held after work hours so parents can attend.
When it came to questions about how the metrics would be set and whether they would change over time, Lecholop said the commissioner is not required by law to provide exit criteria or make public any exit strategy. However, Morath has has done so in Houston ISD, which is in its third year of a state takeover.
Another question concerned funds for special education and how students with Individualized Education Plans will be supported during testing.
“The same federal and state laws that apply to every school district in the state of Texas will also apply for work,” Lecholop said. “There is no difference in the application of special education laws just because an intervention may or may not be occurring.”
Houston ISD’s TEA takeover was frequently discussed, with the audience raising concerns about teacher retention , while the TEA highlighted its academic improvements.
“In Houston, what we see is that student outcomes have increased dramatically across the district,” Lecholop said. “Our great hope for the future of this great city, is the same thing… because the students certainly deserve better than they’re currently receiving.”
Steven Poole, executive director of the United Educators Association, said that teachers didn’t receive many answers at the meeting.
“Teachers are nervous about the future of Fort Worth ISD, and they’re having to make decisions for themselves and their families, employment wise,” Poole said. “The answers were the future board and the future superintendent will control all of that, but they also see what has happened in Houston, and there has been a lot of chaos and a lot of teacher turnover and a lot of practices they don’t agree with.”
Poole said that improvement is necessary in Fort Worth ISD, and that’s what the teachers want.
“They question the validity and the longevity of those improvements that Houston has seen, because a lot of numbers can be manipulated in Houston, and that’s the suspicion, and they’re hearing it come from the teachers from Houston directly,” Poole said. “So, they’re worried about their own schools, they want the best for the individual students here in Fort Worth, but they’re worried, they’re leery of what’s occurring in Houston.”
Collier said while she appreciated the questions, she disagreed with the answers provided by the TEA.
“With the conservator and the Board of Managers being the decision makers, there is no accountability built in other than them being removed by the commissioner,” Collier said. “That’s something that we need to look at legislatively. And you know that’s another reason why we do these community forums, is to get ideas and to identify the concerns that the community has.”
Collier said that if her constituents have concerns about any state agency, they can reach out to her office at 817-332-1180.
Two more public meetings are set for 6:30 p.m. Nov. 6 . at Polytechnic High School, 1300 Connor Ave., Fort Worth, and at 6:30 p.m. Nov 13 Fort Worth ISD Administration Building 7060 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth,
This story was originally published November 5, 2025 at 11:09 PM.
Karen Molinar, the Superintendent of the Fort Worth Independent School District, gives a presentation on a report and update on student academics and instructional framework during a FWISD School Board Meeting at the District Administration Building in Fort Worth on Tuesday, May, 20, 2025.
Chris Torres
ctorres@star-telegram.com
Fort Worth ISD’s school board opted to take no action on the pending state takeover of the district and made no changes to the superintendent’s contract Tuesday night.
The board discussed both topics in a closed session, in addition to discussing the Tarrant Appraisal District voting process for its board of directors, for about three hours.
The board took no action on an agenda item that considered “possible action” in response to the pending state takeover of the district. It also unanimously approved a motion acknowledging its evaluation of Superintendent Karen Molinar’s performance. Board member Tobi Jackson made a statement on behalf of the board clarifying the action, or lack thereof, on both items.
“While the specific details of the evaluation are confidential, the board was pleased to document Dr. Molinar’s exemplary leadership and dedicated service to the Fort Worth Independent School District. The board took no action regarding her salary or the term of her contract,” Jackson said.
“In addition, the board did not take action at this time, as it awaits the commissioner’s final decision of the informal review regarding the appointment of a board of managers for the Fort Worth Independent School District. This board remains hopeful that the dialogue and presentation shared with Commissioner Morath during last week’s informal review will lead to a different outcome on behalf of our students and our community,” Jackson said.
On Oct. 23, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath announced his decision to take over the school district after one of its campuses, the Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade Center, received its fifth consecutive failing grade . The letter grades issued annually by the Texas Education Agency provide a snapshot of how campuses and districts are performing academically, which are primarily based on STAAR test scores, or the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness.
After a campus receives five consecutive failed grades, state law requires the school be closed or the school district’s trustees be replaced with an appointed board of managers. District officials had already closed the sixth-grade campus and merged it with Forest Oak Middle School.
District officials attended an informal review meeting in Austin last week at which they presented information to Morath about the progress the district has made. The closed meeting allowed them to submit documentation and information that they want Morath to consider during his decision-making process related to the board of managers and the appointment of a conservator to oversee the transition of the takeover. It remains to be seen what Morath’s decision will be . If he moves forward with his takeover decision, the district can appeal it to the State Office of Administrative Hearings.
Applications are due on Nov. 21 for Fort Worth community members who wish to be considered for the board of managers. Morath is also planning to conduct a nationwide superintendent search but will consider current Superintendent Molinar as a candidate.
Robert Rogers, president of The Reading League Texas and chairman of the Fort Worth Students First political action committee, told the board during public comment on Tuesday that he believes in the concept of local governance but implored the board to think about how well that model has historically served school children in Fort Worth. Rogers encouraged the board to embrace the takeover.
“What are you defending based on your tenure as a trustee? Can you vigorously defend the outcomes produced by local-controlled governance?” Rogers said.
“Fort Worth can create its own course of action through this process. We are not Houston or any other city. If all of us rally behind the students in the district and focus on educational excellence in the teaching of reading, we can make the most of this takeover, create a large urban district that could be the envy of the nation, and rapidly exit takeover status because we are achieving what is best for our students,” he said.
Steven Poole, executive director of the United Educators Association, voiced a different sentiment during public comment. He contended that Fort Worth ISD can’t chart its own path during a state takeover, pointing to the takeover of Houston ISD as an example. The Houston Chronicle reported that four members of the appointed board of managers were unexpectedly removed in June; Morath had told the Chronicle that the replacements were “not at all” related to potential criticism of the superintendent or the district’s current path but were based on “a mix of factors.”
“(The board of managers) are only…. held accountable and responsible to the commissioner of education, plain and simple,” Poole said. “The idea that we can chart our own way is absolutely not true. So you should, as representatives of all communities in Fort Worth, explore every option to push back on this takeover. Our communities deserve it,” Poole said.
Superintendent receives evaluation
The school board made no changes to Molinar’s contract after discussing her evaluation in a closed session.
Her evaluation is partly based on district goals set by Molinar and the school board. The district’s 2025-2029 strategic plan calls for the steady improvement of state test scores over this period. One goal is to have half of the district’s third graders performing on grade level in reading and math by 2029. In the spring, 41% of third graders met grade level in reading while 34% met grade level in math.
Molinar earns $360,000 annually, and her contract is set to expire on June 30, 2028. The school board can review and adjust Molinar’s salary at any time.
In the instance that Molinar’s employment is terminated by way of resignation, mutual agreement or action of the board, her severance payout can’t exceed one year of her annual salary and benefits, according to the contract. It remains to be seen how her severance could be impacted if Morath chooses another candidate to serve as superintendent amid the takeover.
Molinar is able to be reassigned from her superintendent position to another position in the district through mutual written agreement between her and the school board, according to her contract.
The school board was required to give her an evaluation by Oct. 31 as outlined in her contract. Board members discussed her performance in a closed session at its regular meeting on Oct. 28 but didn’t take action on it until Tuesday night.
“It may seem like the agenda item is in response to last week’s decision by TEA but it is actually standard operations for FWISD,” a district spokesperson said in a statement last week.
Lina Ruiz covers early childhood education in Tarrant County and North Texas for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. A University of Florida graduate, she previously wrote about local government in South Florida for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers.
Students are drilled for tests instead of inspired to learn. This isn’t education — it’s demoralization.
Getty Images
Demoralized
I’m the parent of two recent Houston ISD graduates who lived through the state takeover of the district. I hoped it would bring positive change. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Under Superintendent Mike Miles, Houston children are drilled for tests instead of inspired to learn. Students deliberately answer questions wrong to avoid “team centers,” where success means more worksheets. This isn’t education — it’s demoralization.
I urge Fort Worth ISD to fight the state takeover. Protect your schools, your teachers and your students’ futures.
– Heather Golden,Houston
Priced out
When I was a kid, it was possible to return enough soda bottles or mow enough lawns to pay for a ticket to see the Rangers play. Now that I’m retired, I’ll never enjoy another game because of the high ticket and concession prices. Had I known the cost of going to the State Fair this year, I would have stayed longer last year.
It’s sad that so many normal folks can’t afford to enjoy what used to be the little things in life.
– Ray Flenniken,Fort Worth
Clean it up
Guest commentary author Matthew Kandrach is wrong: Coal isn’t the answer to lowering energy costs, period. (Oct. 31, “Electric bills are rising fast. Here’s how coal plants can help”) Coal power is more expensive than ever because of the high cost of maintaining aging plants, rising fuel prices and environmental cleanup requirements.
Renewable energy such as wind and solar is now the cheapest source of new electricity. Once generation is built and connected to the electrical grid and battery storage facilities, renewables have no fuel costs and protect consumers from global price spikes, while also creating local jobs and, most important, not contributing further environmental damage. If we want affordable, reliable energy for the future, we should invest in clean, renewable power — not return to outdated, costly, dirty coal.
– Andrea Christgau,Keller
Wrong choice
I always read the Star-Telegram Editorial Board’s endorsements for elections, and I generally trust and agree with the information you provide. However, your choice of John Huffman for the Texas Senate was surprising. (Oct. 19, C6, “Star-Telegram endorsement: Tarrant election to fill state Senate seat”)
Perhaps the intent was to draw a distinction between two Republicans, Huffman and Leigh Wambsganss, but you could instead endorse the Democrat, Taylor Rehmet. He is an up-and-coming leader, who is enthusiastically trying to represent unions and working people.
Huffman’s campaign literature says he will defend schools against extreme “woke” indoctrination, ban so-called “critical race theory” and protect women and girls by keeping men out of their sports. I think it’s way past time for the Star-Telegram to call out these candidates who have nothing to offer except this kind of inflammatory nonsense.
– Penny Baxter,North Richland Hills
Power grabs
We have a constitutional amendment election Tuesday. This Texas Legislature doesn’t need another victory for its power grabs and poor spending decisions. Vote against all 17 amendments. That would send a strong message that we are sick of Gov. Greg Abbott and his cronies.
– Robert Adams,Fort Worth
Our fault
For the last 80 years, Congress has steadily ceded its constitutional powers to the presidency. If an autocracy is pending, we have done this to ourselves. I do not care if our next senators and representatives from Texas are Democrats, Republicans or independents. I want to elect candidates who will claw back from the executive those powers that rightfully belong to Congress and make it again a co-equal branch of government.
A demonstration voting machine at the Tarrant County Election Administration displays the screen voters will see after casting their ballot on Wednesday, January 29, 2020, in Fort Worth. The 2025 local runoff election will take place on June 7.
FortWorth
Unless there’s a major swell Tuesday, just a small fraction of Tarrant County’s registered voters will decide the results of Tuesday’s election.
During early voting, 111,291 of Tarrant County’s roughly 1.3 million registered voters cast ballots in person, according to an unofficial tally from the Tarrant County Elections Administration. The in-person early voting period started Oct. 20 and ended Friday.
Eleanor (Elly) Dearman is a Texas politics and government reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She’s based in Austin, covering the Legislature and its impact on North Texas. She grew up in Denton and has been a reporter for more than six years. Support my work with a digital subscription
Thursday night’s district game between Fort Worth Western Hills and Fort Worth Southwest at Clark Stadium was cooler in terms of temperature but intense.
The Southwest Raiders (4-5, 3-2) knew they needed to bring the heat to continue their push to earn a playoff spot. They delivered with a 40-6 statement win over Western Hills (2-6, 1-4).
Less than a minute into the game, Raiders’ Jeremiah Hogg ran it into the end zone and scored a touchdown for his team. The 2-point conversion from King Russell-Billingsley was good, which put the score 8-0 with 11:27 remaining in the first quarter.
The Cougars were forced to punt on fourth down. The Raiders made a long return, which set them up to score. Drew Lampkin ran it in for the second touchdown of the night for the Raiders. The score was 16-0 with 1:26 left in the first quarter.
Southwest’s Drew Lampkin (24) rushes for a touchdown during the first quarter of a high school football game against Fort Worth Western Hills at Clark Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas, Thursday, October 30, 2025. Southwest won 40-6. Dylan Craver Southwest Media
The Southwest Raiders stayed consistently moving in the second quarter. With 7:59 on the clock, Jayton Grady scored the third touchdown of the night, which made the score 22-0. Just a minute later, at 6:46, Southwest maintained the momentum with a 40-yard touchdown pass from Russell-Billingsley to Anthony Boswell. The score going into intermission was 28-0.
The third quarter was quiet on the scoring front. Defense was the star of the period for both teams. However, that energy changed 6:31 into the fourth quarter when Zachariah Cain scored his first of two touchdowns in the quarter for the Southwest Raiders. This brought the Raiders up 40-0.
Tyler Johnston with the Cougars scored a running touchdown with 18 seconds left in the game. Cain had a standout night for the Raiders, with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but he said he is already looking forward to their last scheduled game.
“We still have bigger things to do,” Cain said.
One of those bigger things is a matchup against Decatur Friday, November 7, in Decatur. This matchup, along with others next week, will determine the final playoff seeds. Western Hills will play Carter-Riveside Friday, November 7, at 8 p.m. at Scarborough-Handley Field.
Editor’s note: This story was produced by members of FW Southwest High School’s advanced media program.
Fort Worth Western Hills runs onto the field during a high school football game against Fort Worth Southwest at Clark Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas, Thursday, October 30, 2025. Southwest won 40-6. Dylan Craver Southwest Media
A six-story building with offices, retail space and restaurants will anchor the corner of North University Drive at White Settlement Road (soon to be renamed Westside Drive) as part of the $1.7 billion Westpark Village development.
Documents filed with the city of Fort Worth this week, including artist renderings, describe the design as having a pedestrian-friendly plaza “flanked with restaurant patios, retail storefronts, and lobby entries.” The top floor would be “dedicated to a social club, offering wide views of the Fort Worth skyline from indoor and outdoor dining and social spaces.”
The site is the former location of the Fort Worth ISD administration building.
The project will kickstart in the beginning of 2026 with Phase I, which includes the 100,000-square-foot office building as well as a 308-unit residential building just to the north on University Drive and Shotts Street. The first phase is expected to be complete by 2028.
Led by Dallas-based developer Larkspur Capital and consultant The Keystone Group, the development will take about 15 years to complete in four parts.
It will also result in approximately $45 million in infrastructure improvements, according to the city of Fort Worth . The area, which is near the Trinity River, has historically experienced stormwater and flood problems.
Courtesy of the City of Fort Worth
The city invested a $125 million grant package to aid in remedying flood concerns in June. If everything goes to plan, the city expects the project to generate roughly $121 million in new property, hotel and sales taxes, according to the city’s economic development manager, Michael Hennig .
This first phase office space will have retail on the first floor, two restaurants and a private social club, according to Larkspur. It was designed by Austin-based firm Michael Hsu Office of Architecture. According to blueprints, there will be an office building and a restaurant space with outdoor seating, all separated by a garden area.
The southeast corner of the apartment building will house a restaurant and retail spaces. The $1.7 billion Westside Village project will break ground in early 2026 and is estimated to finish in 15 years. Courtesy of the City of Fort Worth
The apartment building, designed by Dallas-based architecture firm Corgan, will feature a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom units. The first floor will have retail space and a restaurant on the southeast corner.
The development will have underground parking for a more sophisticated, pedestrian-friendly look, the developers say.
“Fort Worth has always had a rich cultural fabric, rooted in tradition,” said Colt McCoy, a partner at commercial real estate firm HPI, which is leasing the office space. “With Westside Village, the developers are creating a place where the city’s history and character meet forward-thinking design and modern amenities. It is setting the stage for Fort Worth’s next chapter of growth.”
The apartment building will be on the corner of University Drive, pictured here, and Shotts Street. It will include 308 residential units, a restaurant and retail spaces. Courtesy of the City of Fort Worth
Rachel Royster is a news and government reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, specifically focused on Tarrant County. She joined the newsroom after interning at the Austin American-Statesman, the Waco Tribune-Herald and Capital Community News in DC. A Houston native and Baylor grad, Rachel enjoys traveling, reading and being outside. She welcomes any and all news tips to her email.
Fort Worth ISD School Board President Roxanne Martinez speaks on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, after Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath announced a state takeover of the district that will mean temporarily replacing the elected trustees with an appointed board of managers. Behind Martinez are Fort Worth ISD Board Trustees Michael Ryan, Tobi Jackson, Anael Luebanos and Anne Darr.
Chris Torres
ctorres@star-telegram.com
In the wake of last week’s state takeover of the Fort Worth Independent School District, more community members weighed in on the decision during the district’s first school board meeting since the announcement by Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath.
The president of the district’s Council of Parent-Teacher Associations, an elementary school parent and a middle school teacher shared words of support for the district during the public comment portion of the meeting, calling on district leaders to use data to break the cycle of its “pursuit of mediocrity”; and voicing their intent to run for the soon-to-be appointed board of managers, which will replace the current school board.
The district is undergoing a state takeover from the Texas Education Agency after one of its campuses — the Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade Center — received failed accountability letter grades from the state five years in a row. When this happens, state law requires the failing school to either be closed or the school board be replaced with a state-appointed board of managers. The district closed the school at the end of the 2022-23 school year.
Morath announced on Oct. 23 his decision on a takeover, noting he would begin his search for the state appointees, in addition to appointing a state conservator to oversee the transition and implement turnaround plans at low-performing schools. He will also be conducting a nationwide superintendent search but will consider current Superintendent Karen Molinar as a candidate. Morath said he expects to name the new board and superintendent in the spring; the new board of managers will be selected from a pool of applicants who are local community members.
District officials have the option to appeal the takeover decision. Officials will meet privately on Thursday in Austin with Morath for an “informal review” of the appointment of the board of managers and the conservator. On Tuesday night, the board released a statement saying it was focused on “preparing for a productive discussion during the review.”
“The Board of Trustees appreciates the opportunity to meet with Commissioner Morath and TEA officials in Austin this Thursday for the informal review. We value the Commissioner’s time and remain committed to working collaboratively on behalf of Fort Worth ISD students and families. At this stage, our focus is on preparing for a productive discussion during the review. The Board has provided materials to support that process, and we will share additional information publicly as appropriate following the meeting,” school board President Roxanne Martinez said in a statement.
On Tuesday, Guadalupe Lynch, president of the Fort Worth ISD Council of PTAs, was one of the community members who spoke during public comment. She offered her support to the school district and noted that she and her colleagues want to contribute their voice to the process.
“With the TEA takeover in consideration, you guys have our support however we need it. Please feel free to reach out. We are already grooming our local leaders to step in and apply for the board of managers so that we have some percentage of local voice. Thank you for what you do,” Lynch said.
Heather Tolksdorf, a De Zavala Elementary parent, tied the school board’s decision earlier this year to close the elementary school with TEA’s decision to take over the district. She and other De Zavala parents have been vocal about their confusion behind the decision to close their children’s A-rated school and view its closure as a mistake, based on its high academic performance. Tolksdorf also referred to a culture of using “back channels as a more effective form of getting things done” in reference to other Fort Worth ISD schools getting their names off of the district’s closure list.
“This is the culture of our district that got us here. Yet when I consider the challenges facing our district, I have a deep concern that this who-knows-who way of operating runs too deep to overcome. Our families are here today in the public forum to call attention to this risk, to push our community and whichever leaders come forth next to use data to make decisions,” Tolksdorf said. “The TEA takeover is a resounding affirmation that we will not preserve our district with continued failure and the pursuit of mediocrity. This is a call to our community and future district leaders: preserve, study and replicate excellence.”
Scott Blanco-Davis, who identified himself as an English teacher but is listed on the World Languages Institute website as a middle school science teacher, said the district’s future is unclear while sharing his intent to apply to the board of managers.
“I don’t know where our future lies. I don’t know what TEA is going to do. I do know that I’ve been worried about the district for a long time. So understand, I put my name in for board of managers,” he said.
No school board members commented about the takeover on Tuesday, but Molinar emphasized the district will continue to serve students from pre-K through high school regardless of the takeover process moving forward. She quoted Nick Saban, a former football coach and sportscaster for ESPN’s College GameDay, about “locking in” and “locking out.”
“Regardless of the news of the TEA takeover, this is the work that we are committed to every single day in this district and will continue… We are not stopping. It is pedal to the metal with even more urgency,” Molinar said. “Our instructional team, our teachers, our campus leaders and all of our support staff — we’re locking in on our students right now. And we’re going to lock out any of the negativity that impacts them on a daily basis.”
Several other community leaders have already voiced their reactions to the news. Mayor Mattie Parker said in a statement that a new board of managers has “the potential to be “transformative” for the district while acknowledging the recent academic gains seen under the helm of Molinar, of whom she said she was in favor of staying on as superintendent. Tiffany Clark, a Texas State Board of Education trustee who represents Fort Worth, said she was blind-sided by the announcement, calling it a political move rather than an academic one. Other opponents of the takeover such as Fort Worth City Councilman Chris Nettles and Tarrant County Commissioner Alisa Simmons echoed similar sentiments, considering it an overreach on local control.
Texas lawmakers voiced mixed reactions to the takeover with Republicans calling it a necessary step in charting a more successful path for the district while Democrats said they would have preferred Molinar and the current school board to continue making the growth the district has seen recently.
The Association of Texas Professional Educators, which represents more than 366 members who work in Fort Worth ISD, said teachers weren’t expected to feel impacts of the change for “several months” but called the takeover “concerning.”
Fort Worth ISD’s takeover follows the TEA’s takeover of the state’s largest school district: Houston ISD. The takeover there began in 2023 after one of its campuses also received five F grades consecutively. As a result, the district saw no F-rated campuses this year, and its STAAR scores have soared. On the other hand, high turnover has been seen among teachers and principals while enrollment has declined.
Another Tarrant County school district, Lake Worth ISD, is at risk of a state takeover for the same reason: one of its campuses received five failing accountability grades in a row. Morath visited Lake Worth ISD last week, just two days before announcing the takeover of Fort Worth ISD. He’s said he plans to make a decision on Lake Worth ISD “in a few months.”
What’s happened in Fort Worth ISD leading up to the takeover?
The A-F accountability grades that prompted the state takeover are a measure on how well campuses and districts overall are performing academically with an emphasis on test performance on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR.
The Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade Center received its fifth failing grade for the 2023 school year, but those grades were not released until this year due to a delay stemming from a court battle. Morath notified the district of a potential takeover in May after their release.
It remains to be seen whether Morath will choose Molinar to stay in the superintendent position. Molinar was selected for the interim job after the resignation of former Superintendent Angélica Ramsey in fall 2024 and inherited the permanent position in March. Ramsey’s resignation came shortly after Mayor Mattie Parker called on the district to turnaround its stagnant academic performance, which has trailed behind other urban school districts across Texas.
The district has seen improvements in academic performance since Molinar has taken over. In addition to improvements in spring 2025 STAAR scores across almost every grade level, the number of campuses with F accountability grades from the state declined from 31 to 11 over the course of a year, and 63 schools gained at least one letter grade.
Lina Ruiz covers early childhood education in Tarrant County and North Texas for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. A University of Florida graduate, she previously wrote about local government in South Florida for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers.
You may not think of Halloween as a holiday known for a bunch of deals, but lots of North Texas spots have big opportunities for savings — you just might have to wear a costume first.
Halloween falls on a Friday this year, with plenty of opportunities to take advantage of all weekend long.
Fast food chains and restaurants offer Halloween deals for rewards members. If you are not yet a rewards member for one of the following restaurants, but want the spooky deal, you can sign up for free online or by downloading the restaurant’s app.
All October long on Monday through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. (In honor of National Pizza Month — not Halloween-related, but still a great deal.)
$1 cheese pizza slices (slices are from a 30-inch pizza, so they are rather large).
Ella Gonzales is a service journalism reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She is part of a team of local journalists who answer reader questions and write about life in North Texas. Ella mainly writes about local restaurants and where to find good deals around town.
Nineteen Buddhist monks began a 2,300-mile walk from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C., promoting national healing, unity and compassion on Sunday.
Shambhavi Rimal
srimal@star-telegram.com
Clad in brown robes, some barefoot, with simple packs in their shoulders, 19 Buddhist monks began their 2,300 miles walk of peace from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C., to promote national healing, unity and compassion.
Community members lined up outside the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth on Sunday morning to bid them farewell. As the monks set out on their walk some community members bowed and touched their feet in respect while the chant “Buddham Saranam Gachhami” echoed through the temple.
Along with the monks, a dog found by Bhikkhu Pannakara, vice president of the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center and spiritual leader of the walk, during a similar walk in India, joined them on the journey on Sunday.
Bhikkhu Pannakara and fellow monks pray before beginning their walk for peace. Shambhavi Rimal srimal@star-telegram.com
“I ask for your permission to lead this journey,” Bhikkhu Pannakara said as he sat before a statue of Lord Buddha to pray before leading the walk. “In this journey, we have two senior monks —one from Laos who is 70 years old — and monks from Taiwan and Vietnam. Wherever we go, monks from that location will join us for two to three days,” he said.
During the 110 days journey the monks will travel across 10 states stopping at state capitols, historic landmarks, and local communities, said Dr. Neeraj Bajracharya, General Secretary of the Nepalese Buddhist Association.
Nineteen Buddhist monks began a 2,300-mile walk from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C., promoting national healing, unity and compassion. Shambhavi Rimal srimal@star-telegram.com
They are planning to walk at least 20 miles per day, Bajracharya said. “Since today is the first day, and we started at 9:30 a.m., today’s journey will be about 14 miles.”
Following ascetic practices, the monks will sleep under the trees and eat one meal per day, Bajracharya said. Two RVs will ride along in the journey where the food for the monks will be prepared, he said.
“The reason we walk like this is because, over the last several decades, with all the wars, people have lost respect for life. Buddhism teaches respect for life and peace. In today’s society, people are angry, burned out, and killing each other. That’s why they hosted this walk for peace,” Haltom City Mayor An Truong said.
“When I heard about this 2300-mile walk I was amazed,” Texas Rep. Nicole Collier said. “It really touches the hearts and minds of people.”
The city of Fort Worth understands the importance and strength that comes from diversity, Collier said.
“We live in a time when the noise often drowns out understanding, where division can feel louder than unity – but this is what the community and interfaith solidarity looks like,” Collier said.
“This walk is about a vision for unity that doesn’t embrace our differences, but celebrates them.” Collier said.
“I’m so honored to be invited to your beautiful facility today and to feel of the peaceful spirit that all of you have as you are helping to prepare these amazing people to take this journey to Washington D.C.,” said Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints interfaith representative for the Fort Worth area, Christine Sturgeon.
“People of any faith make our community better, and your dedication and compassion for everyone is so inspiring to me,” Sturgeon said. “As my brothers prepare to take this arduous journey, I pray for their safety and for the weather to cooperate with their walk.”
Texas is home to an estimated 1.1 million Buddhists from diverse backgrounds, including Thailand, Vietnam, China, Japan, Korea, India, Nepal, Tibet, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Laos, according to a news release from Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center.
The Texas State Legislature recognized May 15 as Vesak Day during “Buddha Day at the Capitol,” celebrating interfaith harmony and cultural diversity, the release stated.
Shambhavi covers crime, law enforcement and other breaking news in Fort Worth and Tarrant County. She graduated from the University of North Texas and previously covered a variety of general assignment topics in West Texas. She grew up in Nepal.
Texas Depression-era gangsters Bonnie and Clyde are shown here joking around.
The Associated Press
Everyone knows the infamous Bonnie and Clyde for their romanticized criminal life on the run. But did you know that the two stopped in Dallas and Fort Worth?
“Bonnie Parker, auburn-haired cigar-smoking young woman has been fleeing about the country with Clyde Barrow for the last year while the Dallas desperado evaded capture.” the Star-Telegram reported on Dec. 3, 1933
They both grew up in Dallas. Parker was 19 and married when she met Barrow in Dallas in 1930. He was 21 and single.
Parker was a petite 5-foot-5 and only 100 pounds, according to FBI wanted signs. She didn’t come from much money and worked as a waitress and wrote poems. Barrow came from a family that wasn’t rich, but wasn’t necessarily poor. He started as a thief. With Parker, he became a killer.
The couple’s criminal activity was prevalent in the Lone Star state. Though, there are also reports of their crimes in Oklahoma, Missouri, Louisiana, Arkansas, Kansas, Iowa and Illinois.
So, in honor of it being Halloween season, here is a nugget of history about one of the biggest real-life nightmares that happened nearly a century ago in Texas.
The ‘Dallas desperado’ and the ‘cigar-smoking young woman’
Fort Worth Star Telegram collection
Before Barrow met Parker in Dallas in 1930, he was already a criminal — arrested twice in Dallas and once in Fort Worth. Parker was not yet a criminal, but her husband, who she never crossed paths with again after 1929, had frequent run-ins with the law.
Shortly after meeting Parker, Barrow was changed for burglary and sentenced to 14 years in a Waco prison. Hespent nine days in a cell before Parker snuck him a handgun and he escaped. Later that same year, Barrow was re-arrested and spent two years in the Texas State Penitentiary before his parole in 1932.
The Waco Times Herald reported on Clyde Barrow’s escape from a prison in Waco in 1930. Newspapers.com
The parolee and the young woman reunited (with a few others) and started a two-year string of crimes.
The Star-Telegram newspaper reported on Bonnie and Clyde’s car burglary after escaping the police on Nov. 23, 1933. Newspapers.com
In 1933, a Texas sheriff sought to arrest Parker and Barrow in Grand Prairie after dozens of reported robberies. The sheriff failed, and the two managed to abandon the car they were driving and steal a 1932 Ford V-8 Sedan. They escaped 340 miles north to Miami, Okla. The stealing of the Ford V-8 got the FBI involved in the couple’smanhunt.
Newspapers.com
In 1934, the couple helped five prisoners escape from Eastham State Prison Farm in Waldo. Barrow fired a machine gun at the prison to distract from the running fugitives. Some of the prisoners shot and killed two guards with an automatic pistol.
Parker and Barrow also shot two officers in Grapevine later that year as well.
Star-Telegram front page on Monday, April 2, 1934.
Other crime reports in Texas have been linked to the pair, like murders in Hillsboro, Abilene, Sherman and Dallas, as well as more robberies in Lufkin and Dallas, auto theft in Victoria and the kidnapping of a sheriff and police chief in Wellington.
The Star-Telegram reports on Clyde Barrow on April 8, 1934. Newspapers.com
These are just a few of the nefarious acts by Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. According to the FBI, the couple is believed to have killed 13 people throughout their countless burglaries and robberies.
Car used by Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow at time of their deaths, May 1934. Sheriff C.D. Little at far right. C.D. Little Family Papers
“They met their death just as they had skipped across the country — with a machine gun and pistols at an arm’s reach — in a fast automobile frantically trying to move from one place to another before officers learned their whereabouts,” the Star-Telegram reported on May 24, 1934.
The Stockyards Hotel at 109 E. Exchange Ave. in Fort Worth has a “Bonnie and Clyde Junior Suite” dedicated to the killer couple that features historic artifacts and a poem written by Parker to Barrow.
Barrow allegedly stayed in the Stockyards Hotel in 1933 as a hideout during one of the couple’s heists. This corner room offered the perfect view to keep watch over Main Street and the primary north-south international highway.
Parker stayed at the Oasis Hotel (now the Downtown Cowtown Isis Theatre and a Boot Barn) down the street at 2407 N. Main St. The two separated their hotel stays in case of police raids.
Parker is buried at the Crown Hill Memorial in Dallas, while Barrows is buried next to his brother in Dallas’ Western Heights Cemetery.
The FBI calls Parker and Barrow “the most notorious crime couple in American history.” And they etched themselves into DFW’s history, too.
Ella Gonzales is a service journalism reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She is part of a team of local journalists who answer reader questions and write about life in North Texas. Ella mainly writes about local restaurants and where to find good deals around town.
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