DREAMS WORTH REDEEMING: Edward J. Briscoe Elementary School Celebrates Achievement, Legacy, and the Closing of a Historic Chapter in Fort Worth’s 76104 Community.
FORT WORTH — This week, generations of children, parents, teachers, alumni, church leaders, and community supporters will gather to celebrate the enduring legacy of Edward J. Briscoe Elementary School during a series of End-of-Year Awards Programs that now carry a deeper emotional significance.
The celebrations will honor academic excellence, student growth, leadership, and community achievement. But they will also mark the closing of one of southeast Fort Worth’s most beloved neighborhood schools.
On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 5:00 p.m., New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church, located at 2864 Mississippi Avenue in Fort Worth, will host the final 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony in the history of Edward J. Briscoe Elementary School.
Then, on Thursday, May 21, 2026, students across multiple grade levels will be recognized during campus awards ceremonies held throughout the school day.
For many families, the moment will be both celebratory and heartbreaking.
“Our community has lost a treasure,” said Pastor Kyev Tatum of New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church.
As Fort Worth ISD prepares to close Edward J. Briscoe Elementary School, many in the historic 76104 neighborhood say the loss reaches far beyond brick and mortar.
“This school helped shape generations of children,” Tatum said. “It gave structure, stability, discipline, hope, and opportunity to families who needed a safe and loving place for their children to learn and grow.”
Built in 1988, Edward J. Briscoe Elementary School was named in honor of longtime Fort Worth educator and humanitarian Edward Jewel Briscoe, a pioneering Black educator whose life story embodied perseverance, discipline, sacrifice, and servant leadership.
Born in Dallas in 1910 and raised in Lampasas, Texas, Briscoe attended Sam Houston State Teachers College during the Great Depression, paying his tuition by working as a campus custodian, sweeping floors and cleaning restrooms to remain enrolled in school.
After graduating in 1933, Briscoe moved to Fort Worth and began what would become nearly four decades of transformative educational leadership in the Fort Worth Independent School District.
In 1957, he became principal of Carroll Peak Elementary School, where he impacted countless young lives through his firm discipline, high expectations, compassion, and belief in the potential of every child.
His philosophy became legendary among students and teachers alike:
“You can if you think you can and work hard enough.”
That spirit became the heartbeat of the school that would later bear his name.
The Briscoe eagle mascot came to symbolize the soaring aspirations of generations of children who learned to believe in themselves within the walls of the campus.
Pastor Tatum says his own connection to Briscoe runs deep.
“Mr. Briscoe was my very first principal when I was only five years old,” Tatum recalled. “He was tough, but he loved children. He believed in excellence, dignity, and discipline. He cared about teachers. He cared about families. He cared about our community.”
Others remember Briscoe’s quiet acts of generosity and mentorship.
Mother Eugena Livingston often shared how Mr. Briscoe helped her purchase her very first automobile as a young first-year teacher — an act that reflected his lifelong commitment to uplifting others.
Now, decades later, the school named in his honor prepares to close its doors.
Still, school leaders and community members say the spirit of Briscoe will continue through the students, teachers, and families whose lives were shaped there.
Current Principal Devona Mays is widely credited for continuing the school’s legacy of excellence, compassion, and student-centered leadership during some of the most challenging years in public education.
Originally from Riverside, California, Principal Mays earned her bachelor’s degree from California State University Stanislaus, a master’s degree from Capella University, and her principal certification from Lamar University.
Over the course of her twenty-year educational career, she has served as a Special Education teacher, Pre-K teacher, Early Childhood Specialist, Title I teacher, Data Analyst, Dean of Instruction, Assistant Principal, and ultimately Principal of Edward J. Briscoe Elementary School.
Under her leadership, Briscoe remained deeply committed to student achievement, teamwork, strong communication, and intentional planning centered around the needs of children.
Community leaders say her steady leadership, compassion, and dedication helped guide the campus through both triumph and transition.
“This school was blessed with one of the finest principals in America,” Pastor Tatum said. “Mrs. Mays gave her heart to these children and families.”
This week’s awards celebrations will honor far more than report cards and test scores.
For generations of families in southeast Fort Worth, Briscoe was more than a school.
And while the campus may eventually grow quiet, many believe the legacy of Edward J. Briscoe Elementary School will continue to echo throughout Fort Worth for generations to come.
Because some schools become more than buildings.
They become family.
They become history.
They become dreams worth redeeming.
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