Community Views on Fort Worth ISD Intervention

COMMUNITY VIEWS ON FORT WORTH ISD INTERVENTION MARCH 2026

ABOUT FWEP At Fort Worth Education Partnership (FWEP), we believe that every Fort Worth student deserves access to a high-quality public education. In pursuit of that vision, we support, invest in, and coordinate opportunities that increase access to high-quality educational experiences.

FOREWORD Fort Worth Independent School District (ISD) serves tens of thousands of students across our community. With the state's decision to intervene and install a Board of Managers, we believed it was important to understand where our community stands: what residents know about the intervention, how they feel about it, and what outcomes they are watching for. These findings are meant to inform both policymakers and community leaders as they navigate this critical moment for Fort Worth students.

This poll, which surveyed 742 Tarrant County residents, including a substantial oversample of parents, and Fort Worth ISD residents and parents, offers insights into how our community views the state's intervention in Fort Worth ISD, including what residents hope it will accomplish and what they expect from the Board of Managers going forward.

METHODOLOGY National opinion research firm HarrisX conducted a survey of 742 adults in Tarrant County, Texas on behalf of Fort Worth Education Partnership between March 3-12, 2026.

The survey was administered online in English and Spanish. It included an oversample of over 500 City of Fort Worth residents, over 400 adults within the Fort Worth ISD boundaries, and a substantial sample of parents, spanning different school types and grade levels to ensure robust representation of key demographic and geographic subgroups.

Survey results were weighted by age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, and income to align with U.S. Census proportions for Tarrant County and Fort Worth.

The sampling margin of error is +/- 3.60%. Margin of error is larger among demographic breakouts.

For a detailed breakdown of the demographics of each subset, see the Breakdown by Surveyed Demographic Set appendix.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The State’s Role in Academic Success Residents across demographic groups are most hopeful that the intervention will improve student educational outcomes (38%). This view was consistent across parents and non-parents, and across racial and ethnic groups. Thirteen percent believe the State’s primary responsibility is providing adequate financial resources for public schools, while 25% emphasized transparency and accountability so communities can see how local schools are performing.

Residents place student outcomes ahead of state school ratings when measuring success. Sixty-five percent believe hearing a majority of a students are reading/doing math on grade level is a better indicator of success than a school receiving and “A” or “B” rating (35%). This is especially true among parents (67%).

Community Awareness and Views on the Intervention Overall, 59% of respondents reported being very or somewhat familiar with the state intervention in Fort Worth ISD. Awareness was highest among parents: 73% of Fort Worth ISD parents reported familiarity with the intervention.

Views on the intervention varied by geography and parental status. Across Tarrant County, 58% of respondents approved of the state's decision to intervene, 21% disapproved, and 21% were unsure. Approval was higher among parents (71% approve, 18% disapprove) than non-parents (45% approve, 24% disapprove). Among Fort Worth ISD parents specifically, 64% approved, 22% disapproved, and 14% were unsure.

What Our Community is Looking For Residents across demographic groups are most hopeful that the intervention will improve student educational outcomes (38%). This was followed by improvements in teacher quality and retention (30%) and increases in school safety and student well-being (29%).

Residents also believe the intervention is more likely to have a positive than a negative impact across a range of areas. Sixty-six percent expect a positive impact on student educational outcomes, 64% on quality of education, and 62% on teacher quality. Fort Worth ISD parents expressed somewhat higher optimism than residents overall, with 74% expecting a positive impact on student outcomes and 75% on school safety.

Expectations of the Board of Managers Residents identified two actions above all others that would give them confidence the Board of Managers is acting in the best interest of Fort Worth ISD students: setting clear, measurable academic goals with public progress reports (34%) and demonstrating measurable improvements in student educational outcomes (34%). Among Fort Worth ISD residents, paying and retaining the strongest teachers at the highest-need schools (32%) was also a top expectation. Fort Worth ISD parents placed particular importance on meaningful opportunities for parent input (29%).

These findings reflect a community that is paying attention. While views on the intervention itself are not uniform, residents across demographic groups share a common focus: they want to see real improvements in student outcomes, clear communication about progress, and a Board of Managers that earns trust through transparency and results. The data reflect both the weight of this moment and the community's enduring commitment to Fort Worth students.

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THE STATE’S ROLE IN ACADEMIC SUCCESS When asked about the state's most important responsibility in public education, 62% of Tarrant County residents identified ensuring schools provide high-quality education to all students, regardless of zip code or income. 13% prioritized adequate financial resources for public schools, and 25% emphasized transparency and accountability so communities can see how local schools are performing. This distribution was broadly consistent across all demographic groups.

When asked how they would best measure whether a school is succeeding, 65% of residents said hearing that a majority of students are reading and doing math on grade level, compared to 35% who said a school receiving an "A" or "B" state rating. Parents (67%) and Fort Worth ISD parents (60%) were especially likely to prioritize grade-level performance as their primary measure of school success.

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FAMILIARITY AND VIEWS ON INTERVENTION Overall, 59% of respondents were very or somewhat familiar with the state intervention in Fort Worth ISD. Parents, particularly Fort Worth ISD parents, were the most informed group, with 73% reporting familiarity, compared to 46% of non-parents.

Tarrant County residents support the intervention: 58% approved, 21% disapproved, and 21% were unsure.

Approval outpaces disapproval across demographic lines, though the exact shares vary notably by geography and parental status.

Approval was higher among parents (71%) than non-parents (45%), while non-parents were more likely to disapprove or remain undecided.

Among Fort Worth ISD parents, 64% approved, 22% disapproved, and 14% were unsure.

Within the Fort Worth ISD boundary overall, 49% approved, 28% disapproved, and 23% were unsure.

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WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS LOOKING FOR Residents are most hopeful that the intervention will improve student education outcomes, including across demographic subgroups. They are also hopeful about teacher quality and retention, school safety, and the development of a clear long-term improvement plan.

Residents believe the intervention is more likely to have a positive than negative impact across key metrics for improvement, particularly on student outcomes (66% positive) and overall education quality (64%). Views on trust in district leaders and parent input in schools showed greater variation across demographic subgroups.

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WHAT WOULD BUILD COMMUNITY CONFIDENCE IN THE BOARD OF MANAGERS Residents identified setting clear, measurable academic goals with public progress reports (34%) and demonstrating measurable improvements in student educational outcomes (34%) as the top actions that would give them confidence that the Board of Managers is acting in the best interests of Fort Worth ISD students. These were top among the Fort Worth and Fort Worth ISD parent subgroups as well.

Paying and retaining the strongest teachers at the highest-need schools ranked third overall (28%) and was the top response among Fort Worth ISD residents (32%). Among Fort Worth ISD parents specifically, creating meaningful opportunities for parent input (29%) ranked higher than in the broader samples.

Other priorities cited included improving school safety (24%), increasing transparency in decision-making and public reporting (24%). Respondents placed less emphasis on strengthening special education services (22%), adopting research-based curricula in reading and math (21%), reducing achievement gaps between student groups (21%), and ensuring financial transparency and responsible budgeting (18%).

Across geography, demographics, and views on intervention, Fort Worth residents are aligned on what matters most: that every student in this community has access to the high-quality education they deserve, and that the adults responsible for making that happen are held to that standard.

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Every Fort Worth area student deserves access to a high-quality education.