Texas residents were upset following the Fort Worth Independent School District’s decision to close the International Newcomer Academy. The school was the only one in the region for refugee and immigrant students. The news came after a string of staff cuts was approved by the school board.
The Texas school board met on Tuesday, April 28, as reported by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Over 130 residents spoke up at the hearing, which took hours and included a five-minute recess. Despite the backlash, the school board remained “confident that its path forward is best for the district.” However, this did not stop parents from voicing their opinions. One parent, Kendra Frank, argued, “Eliminating positions and planning to replace them assumes those positions can be filled, but they are not filled.”
In addition, the board announced reductions in staff. This included those in positions working with Early Language Learners. The decision came days after Texas parents and teachers had attempted to prevent the cuts and closure from happening. Parents argued that the community will be “worse off with less ESL, speech therapy, and bilingual-related staffers.” The superintendent remained optimistic that the decision would make the district stronger.
Texas Residents Upset Over Closure
Several Texas residents have commented on a TikTok video by Natalieontv about the news. In these, they voice their disappointment, frustration, and unhappiness at the decision. One commenter says that as a former student, “this hurts deeply in my heart.” Another says, “My heart hurts for our state. People deserve better.” A third claims, “The ISD system in the state of Texas is broken.”
Another says, “Fort Worth, you’re letting your community down.” One commenter feels “that education is not considered a priority anymore.” Another is upset at the extensive loss in jobs that comes with the closure. They say, “This is so sad, all those positions that help so many students.”
This decision comes just a couple of weeks after the school board approved a separate round of staff cuts. It is unclear what this means moving forward for the academy students.
