Something doesn’t add up in Fort Worth ISD, per FWISD Watchdog. While families are told to rally around the slogan “One Fort Worth ISD,” some of the district’s top leaders are doing everything but showing up for the communities they claim to serve.
At the center of the latest issue is a push to change the residency requirements for high-ranking district officials. It’s not a new idea, and it’s been shot down before. But here we are again, and this time it seems personal. The superintendent wants to give her inner circle—many of whom live far outside the district—a pass so they can continue collecting six-figure salaries without having to live where their decisions have the most impact.
Take Deputy Superintendent Kellie Spencer. She’s been with FWISD since coming from Midland, but still lives in Midlothian. That hasn’t stopped her from signing off on school closures across Fort Worth. And now she may finally get the green light to continue doing so without even pretending to be a neighbor.
Then there’s Priscilla Dilley, the new Chief of Schools and a close friend of the superintendent. She also lives outside FWISD, and her kids don’t attend district schools. Add to that her husband’s real estate connections, and the rumors start to swirl: Could closed campuses become hot spots for commercial deals?
Meanwhile, school board trustees appear to be more interested in photo opportunities and PAC funding than in maintaining public trust. A few free tacos won’t cover for a lack of real leadership or community presence.
Here’s the simple truth: if you’re making over $200,000 to lead a school district, you should live in that district. Show up. Drive the same roads. Send your kids to the same schools. Sit in the bleachers at Friday night games. If the goal is truly “One FWISD,” then it’s time to stop talking and start living it.
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