The purpose of a facility master plan is to create a comprehensive facilities plan that provides an actionable road map to improve the condition of facilities, align enrollment to building capacity, create spaces that align with current and future academic programming, and ensure that resources are equitably distributed across the district.

The Task Force was assembled to provide valuable input and help shape the future of FWISD facilities.
Parents, staff, and community members were selected from applications submitted in September 2024 to
participate in meetings throughout the 2024-2025 school year. Selections were made to ensure equal
representation across each of the thirteen pyramids and our schools of choice.
The Steering Committee was developed to provide an alternate perspective and ensure representation of
business and community leaders in this process. Members were selected from the applications submitted.

Administration has established a target of June; however, we will continue the work as long as necessary to
ensure the development of a plan that best meets the needs of students in FWISD.

While not primarily a cost savings exercise, funds saved through master facility planning will be reallocated to
support District priorities and student needs. This includes providing robust educational and extracurricular
opportunities for all students, ensuring that campuses are staffed with full-time support personnel (such as
assistant principals, library media specialists, etc.), and addressing infrastructure needs at aging facilities.

Community members are encouraged to participate in scheduled meetings and share feedback through
surveys provided.

Population shifts and declining birth rates have resulted in an older population base, with fewer school-aged
children residing within Fort Worth ISD boundaries. While the City of Fort Worth is growing, much of that
growth is in areas zoned for surrounding districts. Additionally, North Texas has extensive charter school,
private school, and home school options competing for students.

Many school districts across the state and nation are facing financial constraints, aging infrastructure and
declining enrollment. These changes have stretched limited resources, resulting in inequities in core
educational programming, extracurricular options, and staffing.

While our buildings are often the hubs of their community, their primary function is to keep students
comfortable, safe, and dry. What makes the campus special is not the bricks and mortar, but the people inside
dedicated to helping students learn and grow. Consolidating campuses would allow us to equitably allocate
resources, ensuring all students have robust educational and extracurricular opportunities, staffed by highly
qualified staff.

Fort Worth ISD has undergone multiple years of budget cuts in an attempt to preserve resources at the
campus level. This includes a reduction of departmental budgets and personnel. As with campus facilities,
administrative facilities are being evaluated for consolidation. The goal, with both campus and administrative
facilities, is to efficiently and effectively utilize resources to support District priorities and student needs.

Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD: Facilities Planning and School Closures

“Due to funding and enrollment issues, CFBISD joined the list of Dallas-Fort Worth school districts forced to

face consolidation and campus retirement efforts.”

Coppell ISD: Elementary Campus Closure

“The district said the closure was necessary due to a lack of state funding, declining enrollment due to

pressure from charters, and lower birth rates.”

Irving ISD: Boundary Adjustments and Campus Closure

“After carefully evaluating enrollment trends, building capacity, financial impact of underutilization and current

age of facilities, the difficult decision has been made to implement attendance boundary changes for the 2024-

2025 and 2025-2026 school years.”

Lewisville ISD: School Retirement and Boundary Adjustment

“We have peaked in enrollment in around 2015-16 at 53,000, and over the next 10 years, we're forecasted to

stabilize at enrollment of about 45,000.”

Northwest ISD: Reduced Teaching Positions and Increased Class Sizes

“Changes are coming to Northwest ISD: the district will eliminate 101 teaching positions by August, seeking to

address a budget shortfall of $15.8 million.”

Plano ISD: Elementary and Middle School Closures

“Even though it was an emotional vote for some, trustees said declining enrollment was the reason for the

closures. Some of the schools in Plano’s central and eastern sectors are half-empty.”

Richardson ISD: Project RightSize Consolidation Plan and Campus Closures

“On March 21, RISD trustees voted to approve Project RightSize proposals that will consolidate and repurpose

five elementary campuses.”

KIPP Texas Public Schools: KIPP Destiny Elementary and Middle Recommended for Closure

“Due to a confluence of factors similar to what other state districts are facing, including persistent declining

enrollment, we regretfully will recommend to the KIPP Texas Board of Directors that KIPP Destiny Elementary

and KIPP Destiny Middle Schools close at the end of the 2023-2024 school year.”

The Community Task Force and Steering Committee worked in parallel to develop unique options for the

pyramids and Choice schools after a deep review of district data. Options are refined and continue to evolve

over time throughout the process. District staff further refine options after ensuring viability and alignment with

district program models.

What data was utilized when making facility master plan options? Where can I find the data?

Data considered in developing options can be found in the State of the Schools Report and Pyramid Packets

on the Facility Master Planning website. Some of the key indicators include:

● Pyramid and campus capacity, utilization, live-in utilization, birth rates, current enrollment, and future

enrollment trends

● Campus Facility Condition Index (FCI) and educational adequacy score

● Geographic placement of facilities within the pyramid

● Bond 2021 projects planned and in progress

In the fall of 2024, the Facilities Master Plan Educational Framework Survey was shared with parents, staff, and community stakeholders. The majority of respondents supported a school size of 4 to 6 teachers per grade level. This model allows for elementary schools to be fully programmatically staffed, ensures that teachers have content collaboration partners, and equitably allocates limited resources.

Industry standard is to include only permanent, “brick and mortar” construction in campus capacity and square footage. Portable buildings are not considered permanent structures and are excluded in these calculations.

New construction, city development projects, and birth rate trends are considered in enrollment projections.

Options developed are based on data included in the State of School Facilities Report. For some pyramids, the data supports more considerations than in others.

Fort Worth ISD recently completed significant construction at high schools as part of the 2017 bond program and work is underway at middle schools for the 2021 bond program. Given the recent investment in facilities to ensure students have access to modernized classroom spaces, secondary options are limited to facilities not yet in the construction phase.

Work continued and options evolved after the Board Meeting presentation on February 11. In the spirit of transparency, Fort Worth ISD will inform school communities of any changes as soon as we are confidently able to do so.

All feedback will be taken into consideration before final recommendations are made to the Board of Education.

Fort Worth ISD regularly monitors enrollment trends across all campuses. Data informing the facility master plan will be reviewed to ensure the plan remains fluid, flexible, and responsive in order to ensure equitable access to educational resources across the district.

The Arlington Heights pyramid has capacity for 3,063 students across elementary campuses. With an enrollment of 2,803 students, the pyramid’s utilization rate of 91.5% is the highest in the district. Closure of North Hi Mount would result in a reduced capacity of 2,823 seats and a utilization rate of 99.3%. The closure is not feasible as there must be enough seats available to accommodate all students and allow for some flexibility should enrollment fluctuate.

De Zavala is currently one of many underutilized campuses across the district. With capacity for 537 and an enrollment of 272, the campus has a 50.7% utilization rate. The nearby elementary campuses, Lily B. Clayton and E. M Daggett, are high performing and diverse schools with additional capacity. Consolidating students at these larger facilities, both located only 1.1 miles from De Zavala Elementary, would allow for efficient and equitable redistribution of resources with minimal disruption to the community.

The student to teacher ratio for classrooms through 4th grade, per the Texas Education Agency, is 22:1.

Students will continue to receive all services outlined in their Individualized Education Program (IEP). The consolidation of campuses will not negatively impact Special Education services.

Typically, campuses with fewer students have limited programming offerings as compared to their larger neighbors. This may mean fewer advanced courses, limited electives options, or shared teachers and support staff split between multiple campuses.

Fort Worth ISD offers a robust selection of Programs and Schools of Choice to provide high quality school options within a local, public school setting. Options include programs with a focus on visual and performing arts, CTE, STEM, collegiate programs, and more. Choice opportunities are available for grades K-12 through an application process.

The only anticipated impact for our LAN schools is an increase in enrollment. This increase would be the result of a campus consolidation.

CTE programs are provided based on student interest and availability of funding. Some of the Choice campus options include relocating to a new location. Since those students live all over the district, what is the benefit of moving to a new building?A potential benefit of moving a Choice program is to centralize the program within the boundaries of FWISD and make it more accessible to a greater number of students.

Our existing schools have decades of history and a unique culture at their respective sites, which is something to consider with any consolidation. Should campuses merge into a new facility, a primary focus will be creating a welcoming, unified campus community at the new site that honors the history and experiences of its members.

In order to ensure any potential transition is as seamless as possible, systems and processes will be implemented to support the success of all students and staff. Opportunities exist to merge the traditions of the campuses and create new memories together, enhancing the experience for all. Stakeholder groups would be identified to ensure that this is done in a thoughtful way, incorporating the voices of students, staff, and the community.

Transportation is provided for students who live more than 2 miles from their zoned school.

Transportation impacts are being considered as a part of this process.

Staffing will be provided according to FWISD staffing guidelines. In most cases, an increase in students will mean an increase in teachers and support staff.

Staffing for campuses is determined by student enrollment. We believe that based on current vacancies and natural attrition, there will be minimal impact to employees. While specific assignments may change due to boundary changes, consolidation, or district needs, our goal is to provide every employee with a role that aligns with their certification and expertise.

Leadership is an essential part of a school’s success. As we continue to work through this process, we are focused on ensuring that all FWISD campuses have strong leadership and high quality staff.

The facilities master plan will provide an actionable roadmap for implementation over a two to five year period. Data will continue to be collected and analyzed to ensure that any actions taken, after approval by the Board of Education, remain in the best interest of the district.

If schools are consolidated and a replacement campus is built after a voter-approved bond, FWISD will engage with both school communities regarding the naming of the building.

The average campus in Fort Worth ISD is 68 years old. Older buildings require significant maintenance due to aging systems and dated materials. Many times higher FCIs are at facilities in need of major system replacements, such as roofs or HVAC components. All buildings undergo regular maintenance to ensure students remain safe and dry, but larger scale renovations can only be completed through a voter-approved bond program.

As the options become more solidified, the district will begin to identify ways in which facilities may be utilized to support their communities.

The consolidation of campuses allows the district to redistribute resources to ensure they are equitably distributed across the district.

Although some of the options do require a voter-approved bond, there has been no discussion among Trustees regarding a future bond.

Any future bond program will equitably address the needs of FWISD.

Projects included in the ongoing 2021 bond program are in progress or scheduled for upcoming construction. No timeline has been established for a potential future bond program.