Meacham Middle School students temporarily relocate after rain damages Fort Worth campus

Meacham Middle School students will attend classes at Briscoe Elementary for several weeks while Fort Worth ISD repairs damage caused by heavy rain.

Families, staff and students are preparing for classes at an unfamiliar campus after heavy rain damaged part of a Fort Worth middle school last week.

Fort Worth ISD's Meacham Middle School students missed the last two days of school because of the damage.

Starting Tuesday, students will temporarily attend classes at Briscoe Elementary School while repairs are made at Meacham.

On Monday, workers loaded trucks with desks, furniture, classroom supplies and other items to transport to Briscoe.

Fort Worth ISD sent families a letter and an information sheet detailing what to expect during the temporary relocation. Meacham and district leaders also held a community meeting over the weekend.

Distance is among the biggest concerns for some families, along with doubts about how long the repairs will take.

"That's too far," one parent said. "I don't believe when they say two weeks. Maybe it's going to be the rest of the year."

According to the district, students' schedules will remain the same. Students will begin the day at Meacham and be bused from there to Briscoe.

Some parents also expressed frustration with how the district handles major changes affecting families.

"I think if they would have heard the parents before making their own decision, it would have been a collaborative effort, and parents would have felt heard," community advocate and Fort Worth neighbor Norma Garcia Lopez said.

Garcia Lopez also raised concerns about whether the district's new leadership understands the needs of the Meacham community.

"The new TEA executive leadership, they still don't know our communities," Garcia Lopez said. "Every community in FWISD is different, and this is a predominantly Latino community, also immigrant community, and so in order to gain their trust, you've got to earn their trust."

Fort Worth ISD Trustee Roxanne Martinez, who represents District 9, attended the community meeting and also expressed concerns about the transition.

"If relocating Meacham students to Briscoe Elementary is truly the best option the district can provide, it is simply not good enough for our students and families," Martinez said. "This decision further reflects a troubling lack of understanding of, and concern for, the needs of the Meacham community."

Martinez also called for the contractor she said was responsible for the damage to be held accountable for the disruption and costs.

The district said Monday that repairs at Meacham will take several weeks.

Families will receive weekly updates on the progress of repairs as new information becomes available, according to the district.

"The building will not reopen until the district is confident that the campus is fully safe and operational," Fort Worth ISD said.