Resilience, perseverance and grit. It’s what our great school district founders had back in 1899 when they set out to make Forney ISD a great school district and a great place to live, work and raise a family. And it’s what today’s Forney Family has too.
There’s a reason why Forney ISD successfully navigated the endless curveballs the COVID pandemic has thrown our way. Why our area’s population is projected to reach approximately 100,000 by 2025. Why Fortune 500 companies like Amazon, Goodyear Tire & Rubber and Vistra Energy are putting down roots in Forney. And why we have big things coming to Forney like The OC.
It’s because our Forney Family has always stayed true to our roots and approached every challenge … and every opportunity … with a “we’ve got this” mindset.
Our drive for excellence is why every 3rd- 12th grader has their own Chromebook computer. Why we recently won the Best Communities Award for Music Education from The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) for the seventh year in a row. And why our communications and marketing team received the highest honor, a Platinum Star Award, from the Texas School Relations Association for its Forney Family program.
With our core value as “relationships first,” all 6 of our 6th-12th grade campuses were nominated for the Capturing Kids’ Hearts National Showcase School award this year. Nominees are described as schools that have committed to being transformed into an emotionally safe and relationally connected place for students, staff, and parents to come alive with a love for learning. Teachers and staff implement Capturing Kids’ Hearts® processes to increase students’ connectedness with both peers and adults on campus. They create a classroom environment where students feel safe and are excited to enter and learn every day.
For the second straight year we reduced the tax rate for homeowners by a total of 16 cents and for five straight years we’ve received an ‘A’ FIRST Rating (Financial Integrity Rating of Texas). We are currently $70 million under budget with our active construction projects.
While many school districts struggled, we made our Forney Family stronger than ever during the coronavirus crisis. Not only did we make the switch from in-person to virtual learning virtually overnight, our teachers and staff went above and beyond. They kept educating our more than 13,000 students and served our entire community by working with churches and service organizations to provide thousands of free, healthy meals to students, senior citizens and first responders. And they helped connect residents who needed a helping hand with support organizations and groups.
Putting projects on hold was never an option we considered. We continued to move forward and do what’s best for our students. That included starting our own in-house police department and breaking ground on five new schools to serve our growing student body, and expanding 4 of our elementary campuses.
Providing each and every student with the tools and experiences they need to truly be ready for the global future that awaits them is our number one priority. To do this, we must ensure that each child is supported with a plan, purpose and community dedicated to ensuring his or her health and wellbeing. Working together as a connected, collaborative, learning community, we will make this vision a reality
Forney ISD has a long history of innovation and forward thinking. Now, something big is coming to help continue our journey of inspiring and empowering excellence in our teachers and students.
Opportunity is knocking at our front door. And I know we will seize it.
Dr. Justin Terry
Superintendent, Forney ISD
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