Northwest ISD is beginning the work funded by 2023’s nearly $2 billion bond.
When voters passed the bond, which will fund the construction of a high school, middle school, four elementary schools and four early childhood education centers, among other projects, the locations of three of the elementary schools had yet to be determined.
During the Northwest ISD board meeting Feb. 12, trustees approved the $2 million purchase of 13.3 acres of land in Tarrant County for one of the elementary schools.
That new school will accommodate the population growth within and around the purchased land, according to the district.
“As a fast-growth district, Northwest ISD proactively purchases land for new schools to prepare for our sustained enrollment increases,” said district spokesperson Anthony Tosie.
The district, which has 29,150 students, is expecting an influx of 18,876 students by 2033.
The 13.3 acres sit on a lot of more than 100 acres in Fort Worth, bordering Sebright Trail and Hulson Trail. The land is within the Wellington housing community, a developing neighborhood with close to 750 homes and its own park, fitness center and pool.
When Wellington is complete, the community will have 1,627 single-family homes, according to Hanover Property Company.
The purchased land is also 1.2 miles from the district’s V.R. Eaton High School.
Some of the funding in 2023’s bond was set aside specifically for land purchases, Tosie said.
Of that money, $1.67 billion of the nearly $2 billion bond, or 83.5%, was earmarked for educational facilities and capital improvements.
The district still needs to purchase land for two other elementary schools and an early childhood education center. The earlier the district buys the land, the better for district taxpayers, Tosie said.
“Buying school sites before they are needed saves taxpayer funds, as land values within our boundaries can dramatically increase as development occurs in the area,” he said.
The site was used previously for agricultural purposes over many decades, according to Dunaway Associates, a landscape architecture and engineering firm that helped the district study the land prior to its purchase. The other acreage the district didn’t purchase will be used in developing more single-family homes.
Roads to the school location are in the process of being constructed.
While the district has slated a potential 2025-26 opening for this elementary school, which is yet to be named, a timeline for its construction will be dictated by student enrollment growth in the area.
Matthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org or @MatthewSgroi1 on X, formerly known as Twitter. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.