The Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) could be axing part of its Equity and Excellence (E&E) Department by the end of the school year in a bid to shore up its finances.
As reported in The Dallas Express, FWISD is facing an $80 million deficit, partly due to a significant decrease in enrollment. The FWISD Board of Trustees voted last month to pursue a restructuring plan that would shed some jobs in the administration in order to deal with its financial situation.
Declining enrollment has also affected the Dallas Independent School District (DISD), as many parents are relocating to better-performing districts in North Texas. Both DISD and FWISD have been struggling for years with unacceptable student achievement outcomes.
Only 41% of students scored at grade level on the STAAR exam in DISD, and roughly 20% of the district’s Class of 2022 did not graduate high school in four years, according to the latest Texas Education Agency accountability report. For its part, FWISD only managed to get 32% of its students to score at grade level on the STAAR, though its on-time graduation rate was better than DISD’s, with 85.7% graduating on time last school year.
Some insight into these potential cuts was hinted at by FWISD Board Secretary Carin “C.J.” Evans at the Cowtown Republican Women’s meeting earlier this week. According to the Texas Scorecard, she said that the E&E Department “no longer includes the racial equity [committee].”
The district’s superintendent, Angélica Ramsey, is set to present some of the specifics of her restructuring plan at a school board meeting Tuesday evening. It is expected to include multiple administrative cuts and a reshuffling of organizational goals.
Hollie Plemons, a mother in FWISD, told the Texas Scorecard that she would like to see the wholesale elimination of the E&E Department but still supports dissolving its Racial Equity Committee.
“This is a step in the right direction,” said Plemons. “But, I’m being very cautious to keep an eye on the FWISD organizational chart to make sure that the mission of the E&E department isn’t just spread out all over the district in other departments.”
According to FWISD’s website, the Racial Equity Committee is “meant to ensure that minority students get the same chances of academic success as white students.” It is supposed to work to provide “high quality, culturally and personally relevant instruction, curricula and support.”
Plemons claimed that the department had done little to improve students’ academic performance and that FWISD should focus on education rather than politics.
“After over seven years and $14,000,000 in salaries alone, the department did absolutely nothing to improve outcomes for our students. It was way past time to shut it down,” said Plemons, per the Texas Scorecard. “FWISD needs to focus on education and stop with the politically divisive agendas that do nothing but destroy our children, our communities, and our city.”
FWISD trustee Michael Ryan, a supporter of the E&E Department, told the Texas Scorecard that he believes the superintendent will only axe the Racial Equity Committee instead of eliminating the entire department.
“If I asked 20 people what equity is, I would probably get 19 different answers,” said Ryan. “I would say that, to the board, it means that we will do everything possible within the resources of the district to give every child the best education possible by allocating our resources where needed to help all children succeed.”
