Longtime Fort Worth ISD official Karen Molinar named lone finalist for district superintendent
FORT WORTH — In a unanimous vote on Tuesday, the Fort Worth Independent School District board selected Karen Molinar as the lone finalist for the district's next superintendent.
In compliance with Texas law, the district must wait 21 days before making a final decision. The board is expected to confirm Molinar's appointment at a special meeting on March 11.
Molinar, 50, has been serving as the interim superintendent since October, following the resignation of Superintendent Angélica Ramsey.
Molinar began her career in Fort Worth ISD in 1997 as a teacher and has since held numerous leadership roles, including deputy superintendent, chief of staff, chief of elementary leadership, various director positions, principal, and assistant principal.
"The board is fully committed to moving our district forward today," Board President Roxanne Martinez said. "Public education faces numerous challenges, but no one is more prepared to lead the way and advocate for our Fort Worth ISD students than Dr. Molinar."
Molinar said she's honored to be the lone finalist for the position overseeing a district with more than 70,000 students.
"Fort Worth ISD is my home and I look forward to working alongside our talented educators and staff to ensure every student receives a high-quality education that prepares them for future success," Molinar said.
She acknowledges she will have a lot on her plate.
"I have a clear understanding of the challenges, but then also opportunities that lie ahead for us," she said.
Currently, Fort Worth ISD is facing a student enrollment decline and is considering closing more than 20 schools to address a $17 million budget deficit.
Molinar said she's looking at late spring before any recommendations or decisions are made.
"This is a phase-in process," Molinar said. "This is not going to be next year where we're looking at closing 5, 10, 15 schools. It will be a phase-in and then as we go through the process, we have to make sure we're continuously updating and making sure our decisions are still the right decisions as we go."
Last year, the mayor, city council members, and community leaders signed a letter to the school board asking them to approve a turnaround plan. The letter stated the district has consistently lagged behind other large Texas school systems in performance.
"We've already reallocated resources to work with our students for some intervention time and we've seen some gains," Molinar said. "So that is our first start, one looking at how we are currently staffed, how we are prioritizing literacy – and how can we reallocate to make sure we're working with students and getting results."
According to Fort Worth ISD, Molinar has a doctorate in education administration from Texas Wesleyan University, a master's in education administration from Tarleton State University, a bachelor of science from Salisbury State University, and an associate degree in early childhood education from Delaware Technical and Community College. She is certified as a Texas superintendent and Texas principal, with certifications in Maryland and Delaware.
