Forney ISD 2027-28 Changes: Academy Dates, New Campus Grades and the Parent Checklist
Academy applications open Nov. 30 for current K-7 students; Engage selections and OC Prep applications open Dec. 15. What changes for campuses, choices and the school run.
Representative photo, not a Forney ISD campus or program. Photo: Shahabudin Ibragimov / Unsplash. Free under the Unsplash License.
FORNEY, Texas - For parents looking ahead to the 2027-28 school year, Forney ISD's new Limitless Opportunities guide comes with two dates to save, several campuses changing grade levels and one practical question: who is doing the driving?
The district lists Monday, Nov. 30, 2026, as the opening of academy applications for current kindergarten through seventh-grade students. Tuesday, Dec. 15, is the announced opening for elementary Engage Opportunity selections, intra-district transfer applications and middle school OC Prep applications. Those are opening dates, not deadlines.
What this means for your calendar
- Academies: The published timeline runs from Nov. 30, 2026, through Jan. 8, 2027. Applicant review and assessment are listed for Jan. 11-15, with acceptance notifications Jan. 25-29 and a Jan. 29 commitment deadline.
- Incoming kindergarten families: The current academy page says your application window opens in spring 2027. Do not assume the Nov. 30 window covers a child who has not yet started kindergarten.
- Engage selections, elementary transfers and OC Prep: The guide lists Dec. 15, 2026, through Jan. 22, 2027, with acceptance notifications in mid-February.
The district says timelines are subject to change. These dates come from the current guide and academy page; check the district's Limitless Opportunities page before applying.
Elementary becomes PK-5; middle school becomes 6-8
The guide describes a 2027-28 grade structure of prekindergarten through fifth grade, sixth through eighth grade, and ninth through twelfth grade. Smith and Rhea are listed as elementary campuses. Jones and Rhodes are listed as sixth-through-eighth-grade OC Prep campuses.
For your family, that means the campus name or grade span you know today may not be the one to use for next year's planning. The district also points families to new attendance-zone maps. Check those maps rather than assuming a current assignment carries over; this article cannot determine a child's campus from a neighborhood name alone.
An Academy is not the same as an Engage Opportunity
An Academy is an application-based program with eligibility requirements. The district says its Academy Committee reviews attendance, behavior and academics. Current academy students do not have to reapply, but families must complete an annual recommitment process. Students who were not placed the previous year must reapply to be considered.
An Engage Opportunity is an elementary program tied to a neighborhood campus, with students choosing an area to explore during the school year. The guide describes different athletic, career and fine arts options by campus. Choosing an interest at your zoned school is a different decision from applying to move to an academy campus.
Wilson's choices, and Rhea's Dual Language role
The 2027-28 guide lists K-5 Wilson academy options in golf, swim, coding and robotics, entrepreneurship, gymnastics, baseball and softball, and taekwondo. Baseball/softball and taekwondo are marked as dependent on student interest; the current academy page says they are pending student interest and application. A listing is not a guaranteed seat or an unconditional promise that every option will run.
Rhea is designated in the guide as the district's primary PK-5 Dual Language Academy campus. Blackburn continues to be listed for the K-5 Advanced Academics and Fine Arts Academy. Families should use the 2027-28 guide rather than last year's campus list when comparing programs.
The transportation question matters
The guide says district transportation is not provided for academy students, except qualifying Dual Language students. It also says bus transportation is unavailable for approved elementary transfers to an Engage Opportunity at another campus.
Eligible students attending their neighborhood campuses can receive district transportation, and qualifying OC Prep students can receive it too. Eligibility still matters; the guide does not promise a bus for every student.
In plain English: a program can fit your child's interests perfectly and still need a daily family transportation plan. The school run, unfortunately, does not disappear into the fine print.
OC Prep: which campus would you apply to?
The district's current OC Prep page says students zoned to Forney High School apply to OC Prep at Jones, while students zoned to North Forney High School apply to OC Prep at Rhodes. Both serve grades 6-8 and offer career pathways alongside the core curriculum and fine arts.
The five listed study areas are Health and Biomedical Innovation; Engineering and Construction; Farm to Table and Life Sciences; Creative Design and Digital Media; and Arts and Entertainment.
A useful parent checklist
Before the windows open, check the 2027-28 campus map, compare the program options for your child's grade, work out transportation and note whether your family needs an application, a selection or a recommitment. An application is not an acceptance notice.
Sources: Forney ISD's 2027-28 Limitless Opportunities guide, version 2.0, current Academies page and OC Prep page, checked Nov. 12. Some other district FAQ text still describes the 2026 rollout; this report uses the 2027-28 guide for next year's changes. Forney ISD says information is subject to change.
