Northwest ISD’s population boom isn’t showing any signs of slowing down, according to a North Texas demographer.
In fact, the district in far north Fort Worth gained more than 1,500 students in the fall semester. And more are expected.
Zonda Education, a Southlake-based demographics firm, expects Northwest ISD’s growth to keep chugging along because of strong new home construction figures, a strong North Texas economy and tens of thousands of houses planned to be built in the coming years.
“You are literally in a very unique space in terms of how much you are growing, and it’s growing all across the district,” Bob Templeton, vice president at Zonda, told the Northwest ISD school board Dec. 11.
Eleven of the district’s 22 elementary school zones are each seeing the construction of more than 150 new homes annually, according to Zonda Education. Nearby Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD has four elementary zones seeing similar growth, Templeton said.
Currently, 64 subdivisions are actively under construction, and another 37 are planned for the future. Groundwork is underway on nearly 6,000 lots in 18 subdivisions.
“The developers are not slowing down,” Templeton said.
Estimates show Northwest ISD having 37,132 students for the 2028-29 school year — a 20% increase from the current school year’s enrollment of 30,801.
By the 2033-34 school year, the district is projected to have 44,583 students. If that holds, Northwest ISD will grow almost 45% in the next 10 years.
The district is preparing for its boom. The school board purchased 171 acres in Denton County for $12 million. The site likely will be used for a future high school and middle school.
Northwest ISD also is working through a voter-approved $2 billion bond that will fund the construction of 12 new schools and other campus improvements.
“We’re going to be growing for a long time. Probably 30 to 40 years,” district spokesman Anthony Tosie previously said.
Templeton emphasized to trustees his projections are conservative and that his spring report likely will see changes should district growth keep its pace.
Jacob Sanchez is an enterprise journalist for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at jacob.sanchez@fortworthreport.org or via 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.
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