FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas – Fort Bend Independent School District families are getting a closer look at proposed attendance boundary changes that could move more than 1,500 high school students depending on which plan the district ultimately selects.
The district presented one draft middle school boundary scenario and two high school scenarios aimed at relieving overcrowding at Austin, Travis and Elkins high schools while also improving feeder-pattern alignment.
District leaders say the proposals are still in draft form and no final boundary changes have been approved.
Two high school scenarios
Both high school scenarios make the same five changes in the northern and central parts of the district.
One of the biggest proposed moves would shift about 464 students from Travis High School to Bush High School.
The major difference between the two plans is how much relief Elkins High School would receive.
Under Scenario 1, part of the Elkins High School attendance zone would move to Clements High School.
Under Scenario 2, the district would move more students out of Elkins. Students in the Quail Valley Middle School attendance area who currently feed into Elkins would instead attend Dulles High School. Another area around Commonwealth Elementary that currently feeds into Elkins would be aligned with Clements High School.
During the board meeting, one trustee asked how many students would be impacted overall under each proposal.
Dr. Stuart Keough with Zonda, the district’s external boundary planner, said:
“For high school scenario one, it would impact 1,050 students, roughly, based on our current projections. High school scenario two would roughly impact 1,561 students.”
That means Scenario 2 would affect roughly 500 more students than Scenario 1.
Committee split over how much relief Elkins needs
The Fort Bend ISD School Boundary Advisory Committee was nearly evenly divided over the two high school plans, with a 52% to 48% split.
Committee members said the disagreement was not over whether Elkins needs relief, but over how much relief should be provided.
Supporters of Scenario 1 pointed to the rebuilt Clements High School campus and its additional capacity.
Supporters of Scenario 2 argued Elkins needs more relief because of overcrowding, portable classrooms, traffic and safety concerns.
One trustee said she could not support Scenario 2, pointing to projections showing Dulles High School reaching approximately 94% utilization while the newly rebuilt Clements campus would remain less utilized.
District administrators cautioned that those numbers are projections and could change because of academy enrollment, transfers, limited open enrollment, vouchers and other school-choice options.
Middle school changes also proposed
Fort Bend ISD is also considering one middle school boundary scenario with nine proposed adjustments.
Those changes are focused largely on improving feeder patterns and moving students between campuses including Crockett, Hodges Bend, Garcia, Sugar Land, Dulles, First Colony, Fort Settlement, Baines, Lake Olympia and Coleman middle schools.
District officials said the goal is to keep more students together as they move from elementary school to middle school and eventually to high school.
Can students stay at their current school?
Fort Bend ISD policy would allow some students affected by rezoning to remain at their current campus.
Students entering eighth grade would have the option to stay at their current middle school.
At the high school level, rising sophomores, juniors and seniors would also be allowed to remain at their current school.
However, the district would not provide transportation for students who choose to stay.
District leaders also acknowledged they cannot guarantee families will not face another boundary change in the future.
When Superintendent Dr. Marc Smith was asked whether families could be assured their children would not have to change schools again, he responded:
“We cannot assure that. Cannot. And I’d say 100% cannot assure.”
District officials said Fort Bend ISD is becoming more of a stabilizing district, with less undeveloped land and slower enrollment growth than in years past.
Community survey now open
Fort Bend ISD is asking families and community members to weigh in on the draft boundary proposals through a community survey.
The survey is scheduled to remain open through 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 30.
The feedback will then go back to the School Boundary Advisory Committee before administrators bring final recommendations to trustees, likely by the end of September.
No final boundary changes have been approved at this time.