Fort Worth ISD has closed International Newcomer Academy, a move that affects students who need English language support. The district is shifting its language services to neighborhood campuses, aiming to provide support to students while they take grade-level courses.
Background
The closure comes as the district continues to restructure under state-appointed leadership. Fort Worth ISD had 29,555 emergent bilingual and English learner students during the 2024-25 school year, representing about 42% of the district’s enrollment.
Some parents have expressed concerns about the transition, citing the potential difficulties their children may face in regular high school classes. Liz Orozco, whose 14-year-old son Andrew Garcia has been in the United States for about six months, said her son began reading and understanding more English at the academy but still struggles to speak English in class and follow a teacher’s directions.
Response from District Leaders
District leaders say students will receive structured conversations, clear language objectives, collaborative learning with peers, multilingual materials, lessons created by bilingual professionals and English-as-a-second-language experts, and ongoing coaching for teachers. Superintendent Peter Licata said the redesign gives students access to grade-level classrooms, electives, fine arts, athletics, extracurricular activities, and college and career readiness pathways while building language support into instruction.
Original reporting: WBAP News/Talk (Dallas-Fort Worth) — read the source article.
