TEA names new superintendent, Fort Worth ISD Board of Managers in state takeover

FWISD names new superintendent after state takeover

The TEA has released the names of nine board members who will lead Fort Worth ISD through a state takeover.

FORT WORTH, Texas - Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath on Tuesday appointed nine members to a new board of managers and named a new superintendent to lead Fort Worth ISD through a state takeover.

The transition follows a move by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in October 2025 to intervene in the district following years of struggling accountability ratings.

TEA appoints new FWISD superintendent

What we know:

Dr. Peter B. Licata has been named the district’s new superintendent. Licata, who has more than 30 years of experience in education, most recently served as the superintendent of Florida's Broward County Public Schools, the sixth-largest district in the nation. Under his leadership, Broward County earned its first ‘A’ rating in 14 years.

Licata begins work Tuesday under a 21-day interim contract. He will serve in this capacity until he receives formal approval from the newly appointed board of managers.

Fort Worth ISD's Board of Managers

Dig deeper:

The nine-member board, which replaces the elected board of trustees, is responsible for overseeing district management and the budget. The members include:

• Bobby Ahdieh: Dean of Texas A&M School of Law and COO of Texas A&M-Fort Worth.
• Rosa Marie Berdeja: Attorney and chair-elect of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
• Luis A. Galindo: 35-year veteran attorney and adjunct professor at Texas A&M School of Law.
• Laurie George: Current FWISD parent, former educator, and specialist in multilingual learning.
• Pete Geren: Former four-term U.S. congressman and former U.S. Secretary of the Army.
• Courtney Lewis: Finance professional and board member for the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce.
• Frost Prioleau: Technology executive and 25-year Fort Worth resident.
• Jay Stegall: Fort Worth native and business operations veteran in the retail and restaurant sectors.
• Tennessee Walker: Attorney, FWISD parent, and board chair for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Tarrant County.

TEA takes over FWISD

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Mike Morath on FWISD state takeover | FULL INTERVIEW

FOX 4's Shaun Rabb talked to TEA Commissioner Mike Morath about his decision to take over the Fort Worth Independent School District. The plan involves replacing the current school board with a state-appointed board of managers.

The backstory:

The state takeover was triggered by a history of poor academic ratings. While the district reduced its number of F-rated schools from 31 in 2024 to 11 in 2025, one now-closed campus received a failing grade for five consecutive years.

Despite the district's decision to close the school in 2023, the repeated failing grades mandated the TEA intervention.

Fort Worth joins Houston ISD as the second major Texas district currently under state control. The Houston intervention, which began in 2023, is expected to last until at least 2027.