I just noticed that the FISD Board of Trustees selected the names of 2 elementary schools to be built, and named the 2 middle schools. I’ve been curious to see if one middle school remained “Forney Middle School” and the other was named after a person, or if there was a “North FMS” and “South FMS”. Click Read on to see what names the district chose for the schools…

Also, the Dallas Morning News Homecenter, which covers new homes, neighborhoods, etc., ran an article today entitled “Reasons to celebrate in Forney”. They make mention of Forney’s growth, which they estimate as 120% growth since 2000 and 20% annual growth in the school district. They focus on community events such as the Fourth of July fireworks and the annual Hometown Christmas, and Mayor Grooms mentions that the city would like to organize community events once a quarter, which might include a chili cook-off each fall.

The two new elementary schools are:

• Nell Rhea Elementary, to be located in Fox Hollow
• Margaret Taylor Smith Elementary, to be located in Windmill Farms

And the middle schools will be renamed to:

• Leon Brown Middle School, the district’s current middle school in Windmill Farms
• Linelle Warren Middle School, currently under renovation at 811 S. Bois d’Arc.

The Dallas Morning News article highlights the fact that Forney is close to Dallas and has grown into a bustling city, but maintains a small-town, hometown feel. The article estimates Forney’s current population at 13,000 - that places us within 600 or so people of Terrell’s population, and within a few thousand people of Rockwall’s population.

The article also discusses Forney’s excellent school system and the fact that you can find anything from a typical “starter home” in a large subdivision up to larger homes on acre-plus lots. It’s primarily a public relations piece, but it’s still interesting reading. Just let me know when that annual chili cook-off will be!

Mayor Grooms also said something in the article that sums up one of my favorite things about living in Forney right now. In the article, when discussing these community events, the Mayor says, “the key is bringing people together.” Forney, perhaps through planning and marketing, but most likely through a combination of location, affordability and other factors not completely within the city’s control, has managed to attract an incredible diverse and unique population. I love meeting new neighbors and business owners, because there’s such a great combination of viewpoints coming together in our city lately. It’s lead to growing pains (if you’re new to Forney, don’t mention “bond election” or “new high school” in a crowded room around here), but it’s also given Forney a lot of potential and made it an engaging, interesting place to live.

That’s all the updates for now - still no word on when Lucky’s or Walgreens will be opening, and I know Pollo Ranchero in Shafer Plaza was hoping to be open a couple of weeks ago - has anyone noticed if they’re open yet? As always, if you have any news to share, or rumors, questions, etc., feel free to email me at Josh@TwentyPeacefulMinutes.com, and you can discuss this post in our Forney Discussion Forums, here: New School Names Announced; Dallas Morning News Article on Forney.

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