The Northwest ISD must be doing something right: Thousands of families are flocking there.
Managing that growth is the highest priority for school board members, and so far, they’re doing the job.
In Place 7, that means incumbent Jennifer Murphy, 46, has earned a second term.
Murphy, who works as the director for foundation relations at Texas Wesleyan University, has been a consistent contributor to the district. Her first election and term started during the COVID pandemic in 2020. Murphy expresses a strong dedication to her community and the district, where schools are spread out across three counties. She’s aware of the need to facilitate growth in a way that people still feel connected to their community.
As a board member, she supported — and continues to support — the bond proposal which would fund about a dozen new schools and provide for other renovations. Murphy answers well the questions about why the district should borrow so much at once. Like other board members, even on the possibly unpopular sports facilities bond, she notes the pains of playing Thursday night football games and then trying to get kids through school on Fridays.
In NISD, a staunch conservative PAC is pushing a slate of candidates, including an opponent for Murphy. She stressed that she’s not interested in bringing partisan fighting to the school board but rather representing schools and families in the area.
Michelle Slater, Murphy’s opponent, did not respond to repeated requests for an interview.
Northwest ISD covers Roanoke to New Fairview and is one of the fastest-growing school districts in Fort Worth and its surrounding counties. School board members are elected to three-year terms. Members are elected at-large and represent the entire district.
Early voting starts April 24 and ends May 2. Election day is May 6.
