Bell partnership to expand district's career training
December 17, 2024
Northwest ISD students will receive new industry-leading career training opportunities as part of a partnership with aircraft manufacturer Bell Textron, strengthening the school district’s award-winning technical education programs.
As the first agreement in the state under the new JETI (or Jobs, Energy, Technology and Innovation) law, the Office of Governor Greg Abbott has approved the deal to bring incentives to both Northwest ISD and Bell Textron. Bell plans to offer internship and career training opportunities for Northwest ISD students, and it will receive temporary incentives on its school district maintenance and operations taxes. Bell will pay its full school district interest and sinking taxes used to pay off bonds, easing tax payments faced by homeowners over time. These incentives will be phased in as the company’s project develops.
“Because of our career and technical education program, students in Northwest ISD are better prepared for success after graduation than their peers,” said Dr. Mark Foust, superintendent of schools for Northwest ISD. “This partnership with Bell will provide our students more opportunities to gain a competitive advantage. Bell ranks as the industry leader in military helicopters and aircraft, and for our students to have an opportunity to learn from the world’s best will provide invaluable experience and knowledge.”
Bell plans to invest $429 million in an advanced aerospace manufacturing plant located within Northwest ISD boundaries in the Alliance corridor of Interstate Highway 35W. As part of the JETI agreement, Bell will receive M&O tax incentives for a 10-year period while paying its full I&S taxes. Northwest ISD will not see a significant loss in M&O funding because most of this revenue was projected to return to the state through recapture payments, however. Additionally, a required analysis of the project calculates that it will generate sufficient tax revenue to offset the incentives.
Bell’s career training opportunities are planned to benefit students in Northwest ISD’s Aviation Academy housed at Eaton High School; the STEM Academy housed at Northwest High School; and the upcoming Transportation, Automation & Logistics Academy housed at the district’s fourth comprehensive high school. The opportunities will also benefit CTE courses offered throughout the district, such as the advanced manufacturing program.
“Bell will be building and supporting the U.S. Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft over the next several decades,” said Lisa Atherton, president and CEO of Bell. “It’s important that we invest in and grow our local talent. I appreciate Northwest ISD’s partnership to make our new manufacturing approach a reality, and we look forward to collaborating with the district on technical education and career training opportunities for their students.”
Local Economic Benefits
JETI agreements create temporary tax benefits for major projects that would otherwise not exist. The scale of these projects brings new jobs to an area, which provides overall economic development and the likelihood of new students from workers moving to that school district. To earn eligibility for a potential JETI, companies must meet strict requirements for jobs created and economic investments.
In the case of Bell’s new Fort Worth plant, the company is purchasing a building that has sat vacant for more than a year and investing $429 million in the project, including expanding the building and adding permanent, nonremovable components. Through the JETI agreement, the company will receive a 50% decrease in the property valuation used in its maintenance and operations tax payment to make those investments, though it will continue to pay the full property valuation in its interest and sinking taxes used to pay off bonds. This will decrease homeowners’ contributions to paying off bonds. Projections indicate Bell will provide $13.4 million in new I&S payments to pay off bond debt.
Tax incentives from the JETI agreement will begin in 2029 and last for 10 years, after which the entire valuation will be used for M&O taxes. Without these incentives, the scale of these investments would not have been made to the property, which increases its valuation and estimated economic development in the area.
Expanding CTE Opportunities
Northwest ISD and Bell remain in active conversations about potential career and technical education opportunities to Northwest ISD students, which could result in site-based training, internships and more. The district has maintained strong ties with area businesses to provide such industry-leading opportunities while simultaneously providing a talent pipeline for the local workforce.
Kelley Henderson, executive director of college and career readiness, said Northwest ISD looks forward to growing its relationship with Bell as the company expands into the area.
“Working with industry partners provides our students with real-world experiences that reinforce and expand what they learn in school,” she explained. “Bell has garnered a well-deserved reputation in the aviation industry that evokes respect throughout the world. The opportunity to expand our corporate partnerships with a company of its pedigree will have a lasting positive impact on Northwest ISD students.”
Currently, Northwest ISD maintains partnerships with dozens of area companies for internship opportunities including BNSF Railway, CORE Construction, Gulfstream, Texas Health Resources and more. Additional training opportunities exist through corporate sponsorships offered throughout the region, such as Hillwood and other businesses in the AllianceTexas development hub.
During the 2023-2024 school year, Northwest ISD students earned 6,620 certifications through career and technical education programs, a number that rapidly increases each school year. As the district continues to expand its school-based CTE offerings, partnerships with industry leaders provide students with more knowledge of their potential professions in ways not possible in the classroom.
Learn More
To learn more about Bell’s expansion into Northwest ISD boundaries, read this announcement from the company and this announcement from the governor’s office.