HOUSTON – A state district court judge Friday dismissed North Forest ISD's lawsuit against the Texas Education Agency, saying the court "lacks jurisdiction" in the matter over the closure of the district.
NFISD Superintendent Edna Forte released a statement Friday which read, "We will continue to fight for our children and our community. We have still not received word from the U.S. Department of Justice on whether it approves the merger. The Trustees and our attorneys will continue to explore other options."
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North Forest ISD says it will appeal.
Back in April, North Forest ISD was ordered to close its doors on July 1. The district's 7,000 students would then be absorbed into Houston Independent School District.
HISD officials said about 300 students who live in North Forest already attend HISD schools because of the district's open transfer policies.
Financial and academic problems have plagued North Forest ISD since the 1980s and a result, NFISD has been under TEA sanctions on and off since then. While improvements have been made, North Forest continues to struggle academically with test scores still below the state average.
In May 2012, North Forest ISD appealed a decision to revoke its accreditation. That was denied, but the school district's closure was abated a year to allow it to improve, but the conditions set were not met, state officials said.