Dr. Greg Smith, Executive Director, Fast Growth School Coalition: As part of our Fast Growth School Coalition platinum corporate partner profile series, Dr. Greg Smith asked the team at Huckabee, one of our founding FGSC corporate partners, to share an update on their work in Texas and with fast growth districts.
Josh Brown, AIA, President, Huckabee shared some background on the work they do all across our state. Here he is in his own words:
Huckabee has exclusively served Texas public school districts for 54 years. We know Texas school construction, we understand the challenges and opportunities faced by public education, and most importantly, our team is passionate about ensuring the success of all students through our work with our school district partners.
Huckabee is an architectural / engineering firm. We have five offices in Texas plus the only educational research center in the state, Learning Experience Labs, at Baylor University. We offer services that focus on education and create a holistic approach to planning, design, construction, and more. These include: architectural and engineering services, structural engineering, facility assessment, long-range and master planning, community engagement, branding, interior design, furniture coordination, safety and security planning, environmental graphics and wayfinding, cost estimating, jurisdictional review, and construction administration.
Huckabee also shares a commitment to engage at the state and national level in support of efforts that keep the best interest of Texas public school districts in mind. We are leading and participating in committees focused on school safety and security, TEA standards for facilities, the International Building Code, educational research, and more. This includes advocating through the Texas Legislature for priorities that our school district partners put forth.
Dr. Smith: We also invited Huckabee to share one of their recent case studies, spotlighting their work with a fast growth school district.
FORNEY ISD + HUCKABEE
Fast growth and incremental change leading to big impact for the community
Huckabee is an architecture / engineering firm that exclusively serves education. We have worked with Forney ISD for the past six years to provide planning and design services, community engagement and more. Our relationship began at a time when Forney ISD wanted a partner to help them think creatively about pending growth, funding challenges and their desire for innovation within the learning experience. Through the development of small, incremental changes, Huckabee supported Forney ISD’s evolution from a small school district into one of the most forward-thinking and fastest-growing school districts in Texas.
Forney ISD is among the fastest-growing school districts in Texas, located in the third fastest growing county in the nation. It is situated just east of Dallas and is fast becoming a major suburban development, a big shift for this historic farming community. Today, the district is seeing an increase of approximately 2,000 students per year.
Huckabee’s partnership with FISD began around 2016 as the district was undergoing staff development focused on the shift in learning. Their organization chart evolved into the fluid “Collaborative Learning Organization” that exists today, allowing for faster and more effective response to change. They also adopted the concept of innovation “inside the box,” looking inward at what opportunities and funding they had now that could move them toward the future they desired. Forney ISD’s creative approach and emphasis on collaborative organization allowed them to stretch (and stretch some more) the box they were working within.
One of their biggest constraints was funding. As many fast-growth districts can relate to, growth was on the horizon … but funding was elusive. Forney ISD simply could not embark on wholesale change overnight. Huckabee connected with Forney at a time when they needed a partner who could help them move the needle on change and step toward a more collaborative learning experience through small, fiscally responsible steps.
Huckabee and FISD’s first project together focused on furniture services. Using an existing budget for furniture, Huckabee helped FISD select pieces for their classrooms that would allow educators the chance to explore movable, adaptable seating. Forney ISD’s collaborative organizational vision was starting to play out in practical ways within the learning environment. Educators took the lead on defining how space could look and be used to create a multi-purpose setting.
This experience was foundational to the next small step of constructing new space at two existing schools to address capacity while exploring collaboration outside of the classroom. Forney ISD found funding within the existing budget to expand Rhea and Smith Intermediate Schools and rethink the purpose and design of their library spaces within the district. The lessons learned from educators as part of the first phase of furniture exploration helped inform the design.
Around this time, FISD and Huckabee started long-range planning. Huckabee has worked with more than 40 fast-growth school districts in the past decade; supporting these partners in the various stages of growth to develop fiscally responsible plans that are rooted in school and community values. Huckabee brought this expertise to FISD, and through a community engagement process built out future needs that would help the district address capacity, aging facilities and evolving opportunities. This process led to the successful passage of a $623 million bond in 2019 which included the first new facilities to be constructed in over eight years: two new elementary schools and a new elementary / intermediate school, among district-wide improvements.
Today, Forney ISD is nearing the finish line of their 2019 bond. The innovation and progress that occurred over the past eight years now has them poised for the next big leap in education; the design of a first-of-its-kind career center that will revolutionize how career, college and community partners engage within the learning environment. It’s an incredible leap from where the district started to the opportunities that they are afforded today. Essentially, Forney ISD has evolved from a small, rural school district with limited funds into one of the most forward-thinking and fastest-growing school districts in Texas.
Forney ISD’s success was not accidental. Through the development of their Collaborative Learning Organization and their commitment to innovation “inside the box” they laid a foundation that would prepare them for a fast-moving future. Their relationship with Huckabee helped move the needle further, by bringing in a partner who could provide research, expertise, and guidance on learning environments, and more importantly, help develop incremental steps as part of a long-range plan to keep the district moving forward.
The Huckabee team deepened the value of the partnership through our engagement in advocacy for Texas public education and fast-growth schools, as well as bringing in a network of collegiate partners who will play a role in the next phase of growth for FISD. Huckabee has provided similar services for fast-growth districts across the state and is one of the only architectural firms in Texas that focuses solely on education.
At Huckabee, we are committed to education. It’s all that we do. This commitment takes shape in many forms—elevation of community voice in design, investment in services that matter to our clients, advocacy for Texas public schools, and a true passion for every community we serve. It is through these commitments that we can provide a unique experience to our clients—beyond architectural services—that keeps their students, communities, and priorities at the forefront.
Dr. Smith: Fast Growth School Coalition is eternally grateful for the support and expertise of our corporate partners. Nobody understands the opportunities and challenges of destination school districts better. Huckabee, as one of our original corporate partners, brings a unique level of understanding about fast growth schools, our coalition, and the policy and business landscape in Texas. Miss any of our corporate partner profiles so far? We invite you to visit our FGSC website news section to read the latest profiles in our series and track other news and event information throughout the year.
