Voters Finally Yield to Bond: Forney ISD: Rapid Growth Overcomes Resistance to Second High School
By Jim Getz, The Dallas Morning News
May 17–For a year and a half, some Forney school board members and residents labored to get voters to accept an idea that was difficult for many to swallow: a second high school in a community that has had only one for 39 years — and for 69 years before that had a single school shared by primary and secondary students.
On Saturday, after two previous defeats at the polls, they succeeded in winning passage of a $70 million bond measure to open a second high school in fall 2009.
The relentless pressure of students pouring into the district, and possibly other issues, finally overwhelmed sentiment to keep Forney solely Jackrabbit territory.
“On Saturday, the community plowed hallowed ground,” said school board president Keith Bell. “That’s a very emotional issue, based on traditions and things.”
In an era of 20 percent annual enrollment growth, electronic textbooks and demographic changes, voters also opted for stability over more change. The board’s three incumbents — Mr. Bell, David Walker and John Taylor — were re-elected over four challengers from the biggest candidate field in nine years.
“I think one of the most important things that occurred is that the community overwhelmingly showed its trust and faith in its incumbents,” Mr. Bell said, “and I can tell you that’s appreciated.”
The bond issue may have passed in part because it stood alone on the ballot. A year ago, it was part of a $232 million package that was shot down 2-to-1. Then, in November, on a ballot that included a laundry list of bonds, voters were given a choice between two types of secondary schools; they rejected both.
As debate over a second high school continued for the past year, about 1,100 new voters registered in the school district.
Bruce Benedict, a board member who opposed the second high school, said other forces were also at work, including some people’s feelings about recently departed Superintendent Mike Smith. Jenny Preston started work as interim superintendent in February.
“It’s not a secret,” he said. “We now have a different superintendent. Our teachers are getting paid what they’ve always been due. The board made peace with the peewee football league [about the league's use of school district fields] like they should have done years ago.
“All these groups that had beefs with the board, once those were settled, they voted for it. … It’s all good, and it’s good for the kids.”
Although Mr. Bell agreed that Mr. Smith, now the superintendent of the New Braunfels school district, had ruffled feathers in Forney, he said the crowding in the middle and high schools had more influence on voters.
Now, officials say, comes the hard work: compressing everything from design and construction to curriculum and mascot choice into 28 months, when it normally takes 36.
Dwayne Thompson, director of finance and operations, said a teachers committee was formed before the election to decide how to proceed if the bond issue failed and to look at classes, faculty and other issues in the new school if the measure passed.
The district’s architect will begin designing the new school over the summer and present drawings to the board in the fall, with an eye to break ground in January.
Parity between the existing high school and the new school will be a priority. District spokeswoman Jennie Moore said that the district’s two oldest elementaries have been brought up to par with newer buildings and that the old middle school, now being remodeled to reopen in August 2008, will be brought to parity with the one that opened last August.
“We have a history of doing that in the district, and it’ll be that way with the new high school,” she said.
But everyone recognizes that some of the more difficult issues have nothing to do with bricks and mortar or classes and teachers. It’s the intangibles such as school pride and tradition.
Ms. Preston, who oversaw huge growth in the Allen school district, said she understands that.
“They expect, and rightly so, for us to honor the heritage of the community,” she said of those who had misgivings about a second high school. “They’ve built a community that’s all about family and have high expectations. It’s our job to take that and also preserve it for the people who are moving here for those same reasons.”
Once attendance zones are drawn to determine which students will go to the new high school, students and parents will be invited to serve on committees to decide the school’s name, colors, mascot and related themes.
“How do you as a community wrap your arms around both schools to keep the cohesive sense of community we have?” Ms. Preston said. “There may be processes out there we don’t know about.”
Mr. Bell said, “People will support what they help to create, and I hope they’ll come out to help assist us in these decisions.”
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Copyright (c) 2007, The Dallas Morning News
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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