FORT WORTH, Texas — Fort Worth ISD says it will begin the 2026-27 school year with no teacher vacancies, marking a significant turnaround for a district that faced major staffing concerns earlier this year.
The district announced the milestone Sunday, one day before students are scheduled to return to class Monday, Aug. 10.
“A milestone worth celebrating! Fort Worth ISD is opening the 2026-27 school year with 0 teacher vacancies,” the district said in a social media post.
The announcement comes after a months-long push to fill positions following more than 1,000 staff departures ahead of the new school year.
As recently as July 23, Fort Worth ISD reported it still had 20 classroom teacher vacancies remaining with fewer than three weeks before the first day of school.
The district said Sunday that historically it has begun the school year with more than 200 teacher vacancies.
“This year, every student will have a teacher on day one,” the district said.
Fort Worth ISD credited school principals, its talent management team and other district employees with filling the remaining positions.
The district has spent months recruiting educators, including holding hiring fairs throughout the summer. In April, Fort Worth ISD also announced an automatic 5% raise for classroom teachers as part of its efforts to recruit and retain educators.
Although Fort Worth ISD says it has filled its teacher vacancies, the district continues to advertise other employment opportunities, including positions in special education and other areas.
The district called reaching zero teacher vacancies the result of “teamwork, urgency, and commitment” from employees across Fort Worth ISD.
