The state of Texas is taking control of Lake Worth Independent School District, removing its elected school board and superintendent and installing state-appointed leadership after years of low academic performance, according to the Texas Education Agency.
The takeover affects the district northwest of Fort Worth and comes just two months after the state stepped in to run neighboring Fort Worth ISD.
Under Texas law, the TEA is authorized to intervene when a campus or district receives consecutive unacceptable accountability ratings. Lake Worth ISD met that threshold, triggering the state action and ending local governance for the district, at least temporarily.
The move places Lake Worth ISD under the direction of a state-appointed board of managers, which will assume the powers and duties of the elected trustees. The superintendent will also be replaced as part of the intervention. TEA officials say the goal of a takeover is to stabilize district leadership and accelerate academic improvement.
Lake Worth ISD serves students in western Tarrant County and operates several campuses. The district has faced ongoing academic challenges despite previous improvement plans and oversight.
The Lake Worth takeover follows the state’s decision earlier this fall to assume control of Fort Worth ISD, marking back-to-back state interventions in major school districts in the Fort Worth area. TEA officials say each case is evaluated individually under state accountability standards.
Local control can be restored if districts demonstrate sustained academic improvement and meet state requirements, though the timeline varies based on performance and progress.
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