Forney ISD History
Mission: In partnership with parents and the community, the District shall create and sustain an environment to maximize the potential of each learner.
The 2023-2024 school year marks 125 years of educational excellence for Forney ISD. The district has plans to honor the occasion with a celebration for alumni, current and future students, families, teachers, and school staff in the spring. Throughout the year, Forney ISD will be collecting stories and photograph submissions to feature on social media and their website.
"We are proud of the legacy and educational excellence that began 125 years ago," said Forney ISD Superintendent Dr. Justin Terry. "It is truly an honor to be a part of the long history of success in Forney ISD and we look forward to continuing that success over the next 125 years."
In 1869, the Brooklyn School was built to serve as both a schoolhouse and Union church. When the town name changed in 1873, the building was renamed the Forney School. In 1889, the Board of Trustees raised $2,500 to build a new five-room, two-story wood frame structure on the land where the District's current administration building is located. On December 6, 1899, the community voted and approved the school to be incorporated as an independent school district, removing it from the county system and creating a foundation for learning that continues today.
In 1903, a brick and stone building was constructed in place of the former wood structure.
It housed all grade levels until 1922 when high school students were moved to a separate building, Lewis High School. Elementary students continued to attend school in the original red brick and stone building.
The need for a larger school became apparent as the community continued to grow and the original Forney High School was built in 1939. The building currently serves as the District's central office. In its original construction, the building had 12 classrooms, office space, and combination gym and auditorium that could seat up to 1,000 people.
Over 50 years later, in 1995, Forney ISD built several schools at different grade levels to accommodate elementary and secondary students. In 2000, Forney was beginning to boom and throughout the first decade of the new century, the Forney ISD Board of Trustees worked with the community to provide plenty of space for students to continue to learn and grow. In just ten years, the District built seven elementary schools, one middle school, and a second high school to accommodate all of the new students moving to Forney.
Today, the District continues to see unprecedented growth as part of one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation. Forney ISD consists of ten elementary schools, three intermediate schools, three middle schools, two high schools, as well as a learning academy and a college and career center. Construction is already underway to expand with additional elementary, intermediate, and middle school campuses.
"This is an exciting time to be a part of the Forney Family," said Forney ISD Board of Trustees President Greg Pharris. "We are grateful to be a part of a community that has always supported our students and staff, and we are committed to continuing to build on the foundation that was set 125 years ago."