Fort Worth ISD plans to begin renovating Forest Oak Middle School in May as part of the $1.2 billion bond package voters approved in November 2021.
More than half of the 143,297-square-foot project includes a new secured front entry vestibule, media center, administration office, fine arts rooms, career and technical education labs, general classrooms, and science labs. Among the other improvements are a dining room expansion, corridor upgrades, technology and security upgrades, interior upgrades to common areas and the cafeteria, and removal of portables.
The estimated cost of construction is $48,563,902, and the anticipated delivery date is August 2026. Perkins & Will of Dallas is listed as the design firm on the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing.
The district’s 2021 bond program includes 27 projects — 17 of them middle schools.
It “largely focuses on Fort Worth Independent School District’s aging middle schools,” according to the district’s website. “The 2021 Bond program will provide major interior renovations throughout to accommodate FWISD education specifications. Examples of work include new, secured front-entry vestibules for schools, upgrades of corridors, common areas, media centers, and cafeteria spaces for student collaboration, and refitted science labs and modified classrooms to meet space requirements. In most cases, portables will be removed, and there will be building additions for various campus needs.”
About 75,000 students — “a diverse student population and strong community partnerships” — attend Fort Worth ISD. Of the district’s 140 campuses, 21 are high schools, 21 are middle schools, and 81 are elementary schools. For 2021-2022, it received a “B” rating from the Texas Education Agency (TEA).
Nearby Dallas ISD only earned a “C” rating from the TEA, with only 41% of students scoring at grade level or above on the 2022-2023 STAAR exam. Nearly 20% of graduating seniors did not receive a diploma within four years.