Parents are concerned after latest academic performance report for Fort Worth ISD
FORT WORTH (CBSNewsTexas.com) – During a meeting Tuesday night, Fort Worth ISD gave a status report for the last school year.
Attendance rates, graduation rates and college and career readiness are all below state averages, leaving parents concerned.
Trenace Dorsey Hollins' organization, Parent Shield Fort Worth, represents hundreds of parents focused on improving education for their children.
"Our boots are on the ground, we're knocking on doors, talking to parents," she said.
On Tuesday, she spoke on their behalf. She reacted to the district's latest Texas Academic Performance Report.
"I was disgusted," she said. "Honestly, I was disgusted. Like I stated, the goals are low, the expectations are low, but the implementation is even lower."
For the 2021-2022 school year, it shows attendance rates for the district at 92.8% compared to 95% for the state.
For seventh and eighth grades, the annual dropout rate is at 2.2% for the district compared to .9% for the state. For grades 9-12, 4.3% for the district compared to 2.4% for the state.
Only 66.4% of graduates are ready for college, career or military compared to 76.9% for the state.
"The data just presented tells you just one of the many reasons families have had to struggle, many making significant sacrifices to find alternatives to ensure their children receive the education they deserve," parent Kerri Reh Meyer said.
"We don't have any more time to wait," Hollins said. "They need to address this immediately like the house is on fire."
Some of this information is now factoring into new policies that could mean layoffs and restructuring.
Earlier this month, Superintendent Angelica Ramsey notified some employees their jobs could be affected.
The district says it will be reallocating resources from central administration to impact student learning more positively.
"This needs to be a top priority," Hollins said. "Our children are the future of Fort Worth so it just needs to be taken to heart as such."
District officials say the policies have not been made public yet. However, they are expected to be released soon.
Read the full report here.