Fort Worth ISD to eliminate, change admin jobs in reorganization. Employees must reapply

The jobs of some Fort Worth Independent School District employees will be eliminated and others will change next school year, district officials said in a statement Saturday.

A district spokesperson said the reorganization is part of an upcoming program change intended to address declining student enrollment and “the need to reallocate resources from central administration to impact student learning more positively.”

District Superintendent Angélica Ramsey met with employees whose positions may be affected on Friday, officials said. The district hasn’t said how many employees were part of the meeting.

Messages from employees received by the Star-Telegram indicate that hundreds of employees at the central office and the district’s Teaching and Learning Center were told they will have to reapply for positions if they want to continue working for Fort Worth ISD. The center provides training and other instructional resources for the district.

An unspecified number of positions will be eliminated, while others while be merged or undergo changes in responsibilities, district officials said.

“Employees will have the opportunity to apply for positions under the reorganization,” the district’s statement said. “With hundreds of classroom vacancies each year, employees certified to teach also have the opportunity to return to the classroom.”

A photo from Friday’s meeting shared with the Star-Telegram shows a presentation with the three options that employees were given: They can declare their intention to resign from their current position and apply for a new position; to resign and not reapply; or to resign and apply for retirement benefits. An employee who did not want to be identified said they were given a deadline of March 27 to make a decision but were not told what positions would be available for them to apply for. District officials said details of the reorganization plans are still being finalized.

School districts receive state funding based on the number of students they serve, so decreased enrollment leads to tighter budgets. Fort Worth ISD enrollment has declined steadily over the past six years, while enrollment rises at charter schools. Fort Worth ISD had under 75,000 students in 2021-2022, according to the most recent data available from the Texas Education Agency.

The same year, the district had 10,683 employees, according to its website. That number included 5,199 teachers, 809 aides, 1,743 professional support employees, 366 administrative employees and 2,566 auxiliary employees.

Fort Worth, like many districts, has struggled to fill vacant classroom jobs in recent years because of a shortage of certified teachers.

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