The Texas Education Agency is taking the first step to narrow down the candidates for the Fort Worth ISD board of managers this weekend.

Half of the 286 applicants will attend a workshop called Lone Star Governance starting on Saturday. The 2-day workshop, hosted by the TEA in Fort Worth, will outline what candidates are signing up for if they are selected to the board. The workshop also includes coaching, with the goal to improve student outcomes. 

The second half of candidates will attend another Lone Star Governance workshop next month.

After further narrowing of the field and candidate interviews, appointments are expected in the spring.

Who are the applicants for the board of managers?

On Wednesday, the TEA released some data on the 286 people who applied to be on the board.

Women make up the majority, with 153 of the applicants; 133 are men. Current or former parents total 171 applicants, 84 are district alumni and 140 are current or former employees.

Twenty-three former or current board members also applied.

Some FWISD parents who spoke with CBS News Texas are concerned that applicants are not required to live in the district. TEA Commissioner Mike Morath said he would prefer to appoint managers that are local, but it's not a must. 222 applicants live within FWISD, and 64 do not.

Why appoint a board of managers?

The TEA announced in October that it would take over management Fort Worth ISD after one of its campuses received failing grades for five consecutive years. As a part of the takeover, the TEA must a board of managers to replace the elected school board.

Morath is also conducting a nationwide search to hire a new superintendent. Current superintendent Karen Molinar is re-applying for the job. 

Morath also appointed a conservator to oversee the district. Christopher Ruszkowski will oversee and support Fort Worth ISD's improvement efforts and report on the district's progress to the TEA.