Fort Bend ISD officials presented final plans Jan. 12 to the school board for a district-wide feeder pattern and attendance boundary realignment designed to balance enrollment and accommodate future growth in one of the state's fastest-growing school districts.

FBISD officials began work to better align high school feeder patterns, reduce the number of feeder splits and establish revised attendance boundaries in August 2014 after the school board adopted a policy defining the purpose of establishing attendance areas. For the past several months, district officials have used that policy as a guide as well as enrollment projections from an independent demographics firm and community feedback to formulate the best plan for realigning feeder patterns and attendance boundaries.

"This is the first time in FBISD history the district has taken such comprehensive actions to update feeder patterns and boundaries district-wide," FBISD Superintendent Charles Dupre said. "Our administration and board began this difficult and complex task with the realization that it would be impossible to please everyone within the community, but I could not be more pleased and proud of the way our parents and community members joined together to help for the future of FBISD."

Throughout the fall, the school district administration worked with consultant firm DeJong-Richter to develop two proposals for realignment options—dubbed Scenarios A and B—and presented both to the community for feedback through community forums and online questionnaires.

Dupre said information from the more than 18,000 completed surveys was considered in the formulation of the administration's final recommendation to the board. FBISD officials also used an updated enrollment projection demographics report by Population and Survey Analysts to create the final recommendation, Dupre said.

The final recommendation, in addition to aligning feeder patterns, seeks to establish attendance boundaries for Elementary Schools 46 and 47—scheduled to open in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Other boundary recommendations included in the final plan would align the district's high school feeder patterns and alleviate overcrowding at several campuses.

According to the final recommendation by district officials, in the 2015–16 school year attendance boundary changes would be implemented for 15 elementary schools, 13 middle schools and 11 high schools. Once Elementary School 47 opens in the 2016–17 school year, three additional elementary schools would also undergo attendance boundary changes.

The new attendance boundaries and feeder patterns, if approved by the board, will go into effect for elementary and middle school students as well as students entering ninth grade in the 2015–16 school year. However, students entering 10th through 12th grade in the fall would stay at their current campus.

The administration will seek board approval and adoption of the final plan Jan. 26 and also request the board approve policy needed to guide the implementation process for any current and future boundary changes, Dupre said.

"We believe our recommendation serves each student of FBISD, and with the annual review of enrollment projections, the plan can stand the test of time," Dupre said.

FBISD officials scheduled two community meetings for residents to learn more about the final recommendations and the implementation plan prior to the board's vote Jan. 26.

The first community information meeting will take place at 7 p.m. on Jan. 20 at Travis High School, 11111 Harlem Road, Richmond. The second meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Jan. 21 at Elkins High School, 7007 Knights Court, Missouri City.

The draft of the district's feeder pattern and boundary plan is posted on the district's website at www.fortbendisd.com.