Making Money on State Takeovers – A Texas Trend
- 4 hours ago
- 5 min read
By Nisie
The TEA takeover of Fort Worth ISD has already had a heavy impact on staff, students, and parents since the school board was removed and replaced last year. The changes have resulted in swift reactions. Student enrollment and staff retention is struggling to keep steady. Enrollment fell to 67,705 students last year, almost 20,000 fewer than in previous years. It is not just the students who are turning away from the troubled district; teachers and staff are following right behind them. The exact numbers have not been released, but it’s reported that hundreds of teachers, administrators, and staff have left Fort Worth ISD (FWISD) leading up to and during the Texas Education Agency (TEA) takeover. Close to 50 principals and assistant principals resigned or retired during the recent school year, including Superintendent Dr. Angélica Ramsey and state-appointed successor Karen Molinar. And if it’s not the staff leaving voluntarily, they may be out the door anyway.
Despite major pushback and backlash from the community, decisions were made by the state-appointed Fort Worth ISD board of managers that have been devastating to immigrant and non-English speaking students. During the board meeting before a crucial vote on potential school closures, nearly 137 speakers expressed concerns about staff cuts and the closure of two schools this June, including De Zavala Elementary and Newcomer Academy. But the community’s objections were ignored. The appointed board voted unanimously to shut down International Newcomer Academy after 30 years of serving students in grades 6th- 9th to help them learn English. The restructuring also resulted in the board gutting over two dozen district-level leadership, and support roles specifically focused on dual-language and emergent bilingual programs.
After the meeting, Dr. Peter B. Licata stated, "We recognize these changes are deeply personal for many families and staff. We have heard those concerns, and the district’s commitment is clear: these changes are not about reducing support for students, but about using our resources more effectively to direct support into classrooms for the students who need it most. No student will lose access to required services as a result of these changes. Every recommendation is grounded in research, informed by best practices, and shaped by what is working in comparable districts."
But fears of further school closures and layoffs loom over Fort Worth ISD. It is clear that, given the ongoing pushback, the community does not trust the TEA's decisions to benefit students and staff, especially after the latest debacle.
Just last month, Shayma Alzubi was appointed to be the new VP for 9th grade at Western Hills High, only to be abruptly reassigned. A post made to social media welcoming the now-ousted VP received intense backlash from anti- Islam groups and conservatives. Brandon Hall, a Member of the Texas State Board of Education drew attention to Alzubi’s new position by, “alerting” his followers on X with a post assuring his supporters that he is, “on top of the situation,” the post also included a picture of the newly appointed principal, along with additional photos of Alzubi’s profile pictures framed with Black Lives Matter frames and an Islamic Flag. Soon after Brand Hall’s post to X, district officials announced they would have to reassign Alzubi to investigate potential violations of social media policies. The backlash from the Fort Worth community was swift. At a June 1, 2026, school board meeting, the majority of the 20 speakers during public comment opposed the district's decision. And again, the community was ignored. Are removing principals from their positions for allegedly biased reasons, throwing non-English-speaking kids into an environment where they are alienated from their peers, and disregarding the needs of children with special needs part of Fort Worth's values? If your answer is NO, then you might come to the harsh realization that the TEA takeover has not only hijacked Fort Worth ISD but Fort Worth's morals as well. But for Texas, these takeovers are not about morals at all – they are about the money.
In Texas, it is astoundingly easy for districts to be taken over by the state. The "Single-School" Trigger Rule is a law enacted in 2015. The law does not give much leeway: if one school in an entire district receives a failing academic accountability grade (an "F" from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for five consecutive years, the state is legally required to step in. Texas has taken over more school districts than any other state in the country. When the TEA takes over a school district, millions of public education dollars are diverted from local teachers and traditional elective programming to private entities and consulting networks. The cost of these unpopular alternative programs can exceed $300,000 per month. For Mike Miles the $300k a month was just too enticing and he would find a way to pocket some of those diverted funds for himself.
TEA-appointed superintendent of the Houston Independent School District, Mike Miles was reportedly maintaining a lucrative $120,000 annual consulting contract with Third Future Schools ( an alternative program to traditional public education) while serving as Houston's superintendent. Texas lawmakers subsequently passed legislation banning public school administrators from consulting outside. May of 2026, investigative records confirmed that Miles had continued to receive thousands of dollars in consulting fees from Third Future Schools through early 2026, despite the ban. Following intense public pressure, Miles canceled the contract and returned the compensation. Others have also seen significant financial and career advancement by migrating to takeover zones. High-level deputies and associates of Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles have been leading takeover efforts in other districts around Texas.
Mike Miles is not directly leading the Fort Worth ISD state takeover, but his controversial "New Education System" (NES) reforms heavily influence the TEA-appointed board. NES reforms include gutting libraries, harsher discipline, budget cuts, and mass layoffs. Can Fort Worth trust a TEA-appointed school board that is influenced by a man who was attempting to pocket money from Houston ISD? He gave the money back, but like they say, “what's done is done.”
The state takeover of Fort Worth ISD is not just about challenging the community’s democratic right to elect school board members who represent their needs. It also raises the issue of whether the community can set and uphold moral standards for those board members and the children attending Fort Worth ISD schools.
*The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Hola Texas or its publisher."
Fact Check
References:
Burgess, D. B.. "There were 71,060 students enrolled in Fort Worth ISD schools in 2023-24 school year." Ft Worth Times, September 8, 2025. https://ftworthtimes.com/there-were-71060-students-enrolled-in-fort-worth-isd-schools-in-2023-24-school-year/
Sgroi, Matthew, and Jacob Sanchez. "Fort Worth ISD loses appeal of state takeover, prompting a trustee’s resignation." The Texas Tribune, February 8, 2026. https://www.texastribune.org/2026/02/09/texas-fort-worth-isd-takeover/
Medeiros, Emily. "Nearly 50 Principals Left Fort Worth ISD During the 2023-2024 School Year." Texas Scorecard, October 14, 2024. https://texasscorecard.com/local/nearly-50-principals-left-fort-worth-isd-during-the-2023-2024-school-year/
Beasley, Lacey, and Marissa Armas. "After an hours-long meeting, Fort Worth ISD managers vote to close bilingual campus, cut some staff." CBS Texas, April 28, 2026. https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/fort-worth-isd-school-close-staff-cuts-4-29-2026/
O’Neal, Samuel. "Fort Worth ISD votes to close International Newcomer Academy, despite pushback." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, April 28, 2026. https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/education/article315569396.html
Jones, Alexsis, and Emmanuel Valenzuela Rivas. "Fort Worth principal reassigned after conservative backlash." KERA News, May 26, 2026. https://www.keranews.org/education/2026-05-27/fort-worth-principal-reassigned-shayma-alzubi
"Accountability Interventions." Texas Education Agency. https://tea.texas.gov/node/106377 Accessed June 4, 2026
Schueler, Beth, et al. "Do state takeovers of school districts work?." Brookings Institution, 2023. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3730190
Jones, Alexsis, and Emmanuel Valenzuela Rivas. "Fort Worth principal reassigned after conservative backlash." KERA News, May 26, 2026. https://www.keranews.org/education/2026-05-27/fort-worth-principal-reassigned-shayma-alzubi
Lee, Josephine. "Mike Miles Cancels Moonlighting Contract with His Former Charter School Network." The Texas Observer, April 14, 2026. https://www.texasobserver.org/mike-miles-moonlighting-contract-former-charter-school-network/