Northwest ISD students will receive new industry-leading career training opportunities as part of a partnership with aircraft manufacturer Bell Textron, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday.
As the first agreement in the state under the new JETI (Jobs, Energy, Technology and Innovation) law, the Office of Gov. 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, according to a Northwest ISD news release. 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 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 I-W. 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.”
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